GS4 Anecdotes/Ethics Anecdotes

Examples

TN Seshan (Commitment to democracy, dedication and innovation)

Read the constitution in a manner that asserted the supremacy of ECI in
electoral matters making it a fiercely independent and autonomous body
Made photo ID cards mandatory
Took control of the administration and police of any state going to the polls
His firm enforcement of the model code of conduct stopped state
governments from announcing sops, using government machinery and
transferring inconvenient officials
Sukumar Sen (duty, dedication, innovation)
he was asked to organise the first Sudan elections.
inedible ink
GR Khairnar (Uprightness)
He fought back land mafias and cleared public land of encroachments, even
suffering injuries in doing so
Armstrong Pame (Innovation)
U Sugayam (uprightness, probity)
He was the first IAS officer in the state to declare his assets and post it on a
website
He might have been transferred 18 times in his 20 years of service. But
Sagayam took up all his postings as a new opportunity to deliver good and
justice.
CV Ananda Bose (innovation)
It was in the area of low cost housing that Dr Bose pioneered a movement
that won international acclaim.
Mahesh Buch (people-centricity) - against corruption
One was to ‘mercilessly weed out from the IAS, IPS and Indian Forest
Service all those who are slackers, derelict in their duty, partisan and
corrupt’.
Another was to make district officers personally responsible for development
projects under their jurisdiction, with DMs empowered ‘to take action against
their subordinates and tell the politicians that any interference in this behalf
will not be tolerated’.
PS Appu (integrity and probity)
Recommended dismissal of a probationer for severe indiscipline. When the
recommendation was rejected allegedly because of the closeness of the
person with the a State home minister, he resigned as director of LBSNAA in
protest.

Other anecdotes

Personal law - no fundamental right but an enabling law like special marriage avt
which allow one to act outside the ambit of theit perosnal law . Civic equality
Crisis of conscience -
saw a old lady struggling outside from my classroom window.
school doesn't allow to go out. but i nevertheless did.
When you see a poor destitute lady boarding a trainwithout ticket. You know
 that your duty would be to inform the ticket examiner, butyour conscience
says you must have compassion and not turn her in.
Lots of street dogs. some of them also recognise me. always a crisis whether
to feed them leftover food or not - i know it will make them habitual in no
time they'll multiply.
BSF japan airing grievance in public
Eminent personality - kalam
Patriotism - fundamental duties - clean India, ambassador of India
Happiness - should include peripheral things like eating good food, having sound
sleep also make me happy
Trustworthy - avoid misinformation, developing tolerance, stop being suspicious,
regards, empathy
Ethical competence - simple living, analysing from different perspective, behave as
I want to be treated, develop knowledge and should about the job, develop
tolerance, being inventive and dedicated, reading good books, Increasing steps
awareness via meditation
Individual accountability - code of ethics, modern appraisal techniques, trining in
ethical governance, effective functioning of institution like Jan lokpal, internal audit
External accountability - collective accountability - social audit, RTI, use of emdia,
people participation,

Role Model -

A role model is a person whose behavior, example, or success is or can be

emulated by others, especially by younger people. True role models are those who
possess the qualities that we would like to have and those who have affected us in
a way that makes us want to be better people. - show vision, strong relationship,
build trust, show passion for their work, capacity to infect others, other-focused,
capability to handle adverse situation, provide inspiration, people learn personality
traits from them, guide people in making right direction - Mother Tersa , TN Seshan,
vindo Rai, Gandhi, Akbar, Ashoka, Nelson Mandela
Leader - Dr Kalam
His involvement with youth
He inspired other to frame big and lead through example
Not be afraid of failure
deep humility came with deep compassion
Kalam helped redefine this sense of nationalism to suit current needs. In
this day and age, nationalism has to be based on
unity transcending diversity,
the fulfilment of aspirations,
giving opportunities for growth and prosperity to every child
irrespective of birth,
the liberty of all citizens irrespective of caste, gender or religion,
respect for universal human values and rights.
One tends to compare this “People’s President” to Gandhiji who inspired
millions of this land. They both could transcend the barriers of caste and
creed and spot the unity of all humans.
What distinguishes Dr. Kalam from the father of the nation was his
readiness to move with the times, especially see India’s necessity to go
nuclear, and negotiate for global peace from a position of national
strength. He dreamt of the day when this country would become a
 developed nation, but not a domineering superpower.
Kalam’s most enduring and important legacy will be the fostering of this
sense of new nationalism and the robust optimism in India’s quest to
fulfil such a vision.
Our bureaucracy must be imbued with a sense of purpose, and must
become an instrument for delivering services and achieving goals for
the public good. We need to give back power with accountability to
communities, organisations and institutions at every level so that the
best impulses prevail, talents are harnessed, and leadership in every
sphere is nurtured.
As a people, we must rediscover the capacity to pay a short-term price
to promote the prosperity of the next generation and enhance long-term
public good.
And we need to remind ourselves that the nation is above self, and above
accidents of the womb and the many sectarian divisions that continue
to plague us.
Personal - Grandfather
Sotrytelling - his own life as well from old Indian classics. Impacted my
though approach and approach toward superstitions - a rational outlook
picnics and excursions - developed bonding among cousins. Also at times
he helped us with our guild pleasure though in limit which our parents use to
abhor. We use to love him for that.
good judge
teacher
discipline
experienced
balanced approach - - I never saw him shouting on anyone. Ecen after 80
years use to take care of business interest. Work life balance. Not true for
today but his private and professional life merged senselessly as for million
of Indians
hardworking - single handedly took care of entire family
Leader - MK Gandhi
7 SIN
lived by whatever he preached - very rare quality. unlike vivekananda or
nehru
He lived, thought and acted, inspired by the vision of humanity evolving
toward a world of peace and harmony.”
Role in freedom struggle
Unity of means and ends unlike others who emphasise one of them
stood for non exploitative social order
socio political philosophy based on truth, non violence
sarvodaya - upliftment and progress of all
stood against untouchabiity
ensured communal unity
believed in action- constructive programs
acted as inspiration of millions of indians
compassionate - lived like them
Faith in his ability - he always believed in himself. He believed that he has a
great responsibility to free his country and he had complete faith in himself.
He knew he’d a play a significant role in the freedom of India and so he did.
 His faith in himself triggered the faith of millions of Indians in him.
Last contemporary leader of India
Self control
He always carried two things
Spinning wheel which was symbol of swaraj and self relaince
Watch - punctuality
Appreciation by opponent - “Gandhi was the best policemen British and in
India” - Ellen Wilkinson
Leader - Dalai Lama
Individual
Power of positivity
inner peace
embrace and inculcate moral values
Society
compassionate society
non violence
global
conflict resolution though talks
arms disarmament
address inequalities
Leader - bhAGAT SINGH
couldn't be compartmentalized into one box .Gandhians hated him for his
violent activities, religious folks hated him for his atheism, communists hated
him for him eschewing violence later in life.
one should be ready to die so that the country can live
Administrator - Visweswarya
Excellence
Openness
Integirty
Public service
Awarded Bharat ratna
He was critical of the lazy and fatalist attitude of Indian society
Served as Diwan of mYsore
Served on board of tata steel for 28 years
Reformer - Vivekananda
Humanist philosophy
Emphasised peace and harmony in society
Stress on eudcation
According to him, a nation is advanced in proportion as education is
spread among the masses.
advocated man making character building education
Self assertion of Indian idneitity - Patriotic
cultural rejuvenation
Social ineuality
He immediately understood that the real cause of India’s downfall was the
neglect of the masses that had lost faith in their capacity to improve their lot
as a result of centuries of oppression.
inspiring message that can energise them into lead a life full of activity for
their own betterment.
interpretation of religion as a universal experience of transcendent Reality,
common to all humanity.
 great contribution of Swami Vivekananda was to build a bridge between
Indian culture and Western culture
known for chicago’s address
orator by divine right
yogic temperament
knowledge on different subjects
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose wrote: “Swamiji harmonized the East and the
West, religion and science, past and present. And that is why he is great. Our
countrymen have gained unprecedented self-respect, self-reliance and self-
assertion from his teachings.”
Last contemporary philosopher
Rashtra devo brava
Visionary - Netaji Bose
Netaji was unanimously elected Rashtrapati of the 51st session of the Indian
National Congress held in Haripura on the banks of the river Tapti in February
1938.
His speech after the talk is a masterpiece
He talked not only of freedom but also of reconstruction and the need for
planning by setting up a Planning Committee.
He called for the gradual socialization of the entire agricultural and industrial
system.
He reminded delegates that “our chief national problems are eradication of
poverty, illiteracy and disease”.
Also showed leadership, courage

Leadership

A successful prime minister have to have fantastic communication skills for with
them only can he expect public to follow his ideas and work
Character of an institution is reflected in its leade
A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way
a good leader takes a little more than the share of blame and a little less than his
share of credit
“Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making
sure that impact lasts in your absence." - HBS Definition of leadership
Great leadership is about to know when to be in front and when to be back
providing space to others to prove their leadership
If Nehru had been a different kind of man, india would have become a different
country - Geoff Tyson (his biographer)
Akbar
Subash Bose
Lal Bahadur Shastri - Shastri was seen by many Indians of exalted ambition as
a tiny man, but he had the mind and heart of a giant
Ho Chi Minh
Lee Kuan Yew
TN Seshan - during strike in madras
Kurein
he would brook no meddling from the political class or bureaucrats
sitting in the capital cities, letting it be known upfront
He convinced the political class
Asked by the Statesman in 1954 how he would like to be remembered, Jawaharlal
 Nehru replied, “This was a man who with all his mind and heart loved India and the
Indian people. And they in turn were indulgent to him and gave him their love most
abundantly and extravagantly.”
Dr Kalam
space program
nuclear program
country
youth
Situtation can make or break leadership
Administrative examples of leadership
Collector and Commissioner of Chennai in field during floods
Absence of Civil administration during Jat violence in Haryana
KK Paul - As a delhi police commissioner, he use to travel in buses to
send out a message to pick pocketers

Leading by example

Set example by actions - punctuality, clear communication, setting expectations

right and being flexible, consensus in decision making, convincing someone around
your decision rather than dictating - i put them towards use as a secretary of
student volunteering organisation.
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” –
Leo Tolstoy
swachh Bharat
FD vs FR
Europe’s refugee crisis
India’s INDC
Giving up subsidy
Difference between changing the world and making a difference in the world
Saurabh Kumar - IAS - Cashless village - Palnar in Dantewada
Naveen Jain - Rajasthan - PCPNDT Act
Surender kumar solanki - Training women entrepreneur in solar lamp
manufacturing
JS Deepak - Spectrum Harmonisation

Managerial skills

Ram had - because he brought together a rainbow coalition defeating

Havanan. Ravana on the other hand ignored the advice of his well wishers
such as Vibheeshana and tasted defeat
Jamvant motivating Hanuman to search for Sita
Management theory - Tell, Sell, Delegate,Advice

Reformers

Intellectuals of a nation has a keystone role in the social ecosystem.They give

ideological justification or direction to the aspirations of the people.In Modern India
context who can forget the contribution of RR Roy and many others who was an
intellectual-reformer.
 Reason and morality are the two most powerful weapons in the armoury of a
Reformer.
Stability without change leads to degeneration while change without stability Iead
to chaos
Ideological basis of Social reform movement in 19th sanctury
Religious universalism
Humanism
Rationality
If reasons demand it even departure from scriptures is justified” - Ram Mohan Roy
Ram mohan roy - happy blend of Indian and western thought
A reformer cannot afford to have close intimacy with him whom he seeks to reform.
- Gandhi
Vivekananda
Bezwada Wilson

Eccentrics - unconventional, irregular

Rammohan roy
Bose
Ambedkar
MLK
IT take one men to start a revolution

Social service

Abdul Sattar Edhi- largest ambulance service, serving everyone beyond caste,
creed, belief in a divided country like Pakistan
Mother Teresa

Idealsim

an old couple may approach the officer under a government sponsored

scheme for providing shelter to the needy. They may be falling just above the
criteria specified for forwarding any help. But, they may be really deserving
help in this regard and idealism and rigid adherence to regulations will be
counter productive to welfare in that case.
Bahagt Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad
Anna Hazare

Outcomes vs Outputs

Utilisation of funds in construction of school. Output would be no of schools

or classroom constructed while the outcome would be more no of kids in the
school. Long term - economic and social development

Probity in governance

KCR donation to Tirumala

Sushma Swaraj

Tolerance
 Tolerance and empathy are like chicken and egg

Optimism

"We all are in gutter but some of us are looking at stars"-orwell

Weakness

shying way from using social media as it perpetuates what you might want more
than what you need. also collective narcissism

Strength

Family is the only constant. Everyone else come and go - My pillar of strength is
family. Not judgemental.
first thing which Hanuman did after reaching Lanka was to do a complete
analysis of the situation. He did a complete study about the Lankans,
assessing their strengths and weaknesses, the various threats and
opportunities which he had in the enemy’s camp.

Being independent

Being independent has it luxury - especially financial independece

You are free in Kant’s sense only if you live by your own reason. If someone
brainwashes you into doing something, you are not free. - autonomy
if you buy expensive shoes only because you’ve had the desire
implanted in you through advertising, then you are also not free.

Real india

Kailaish Satyarthi
Bunker Roy
Aruna Roy
Kurien
Swaminathan

Youth

Kalam - believed that youth need to be empowered

Viveknada- Youth day on his bday

Time/Punctuality

Gandhi - He always use to spin charkha, even while talking to people. Never
wasting a single second of his time and being of some service to the society,
nation and mankind

Participatory governance/Public participation

Gandhiji wanted independent India to be an oceanic circle and not a pyramid

Quit India movvment
India against corruption movvement
 RTI movement
Magna carta
Human development report

Public apathy

1857 revolt
criminalisation of politics
voting

Universal use

Gandhi 7 sin
Wealth without work - speculative market
Pleasure without conscience - politicians taking time off
commerce without morality - global financial crisis, conditionalities of
IMF
Knowledge without character - insider trading
Science without humanity - Nuclear power
worships without sacrifice - rigidity in religion, religious intolerance
politics without principle (Political morality cant be based on law alone)
- caste based politics
Gandhi ji recalled non violence movement due to violence while
today’s politicians don’t shy from creating many graveyards for
winning election
also rights without responsibilities
eleven vows advocated by Gandhi.
truth,
non-violence,
control of the passions,
non- stealing,
non-possession,
fearlessness,
Swadeshi,
removal of untouchability,
labour,
tolerance -
Anekantvada - Mahatma Gandhi said “The golden rule of conduct is
mutual toleration, seeing that we will never all think alike and we shall
always see Truth in fragments and from different points of vision.”
Love give rise to endless sentimentalism. In public affairs something
less dramatic and emotional is needed - name tolerance which means
putting p with people, being able to stand unto things
Khajuraho
equality of religions.
Nishkama Karma - Gita
idea is to perform our duties in disinterested ways without expecting the
fruits for our actions
Actions are mor important than the consequcens
no selfish motive
 we don’t not have rights to the rewards to our actions
actions are our sphere, fruits ar not our concern
It does not preach to renounce everything but to renounce only selfish
desires
3 paths
Yoga (Jnana)
Action (Kama)
Devotion (bhakti)
Gandhi on Politics and religion - To see the universal and all-pervading Spirit of
Truth face to face, one must be able to love the meanest of creation as oneself. And
a man who aspires after that cannot afford to keep out of any field of life. That is
why my devotion to Truth has drawn me into the field of politics; and I can say
without the slightest hesitation, and yet in all humility, that those who say that
religion has nothing to do with politics do not know what religion means.
Gandhi on self realisation - What i want to achieve– what I have been striving and
pining to achieve these thirty years– is self-realization, to see God face to face, to
attain moksha.* I live and move and have my being in pursuit of this goal. All that I
do by way of speaking and writing, and all my ventures in the political field, are
directed to this same end.
Miscellaneous Gandhi's thought from My experiment with truth
what is possible for one is possible for all,
the essence of religion is morality.
The seeker after truth should be humbler than the dust
Renunciation of objects, without the renunciation of desires, is short-lived,
however hard you may try.’
a man of truth must also be a man of care.
Let every young man and woman be warned by my example, and
understand that good handwriting is a necessary part of education.
children should first be taught the art of drawing before learning
scientific knowledge of one language makes a knowledge of other languages
comparatively easy.
he who would be friends with God must remain alone, or make the whole
world his friend.
Interpretation of pledges has been a fruitful source of strife all the world over.
No matter how explicit the pledge, people will turn and twist the text to suit
their own purposes. They are to be met with among all classes of society,
from the rich down to the poor, from the prince down to the peasant.
Selfishness turns them blind, and by a use of the ambiguous middle they
deceive themselves and seek to deceive the world and God. One golden rule
is to accept the interpretation honestly put on the pledge by the party
administering it. Another is to accept the interpretation of the weaker party,
where there are two interpretations possible. Rejection of these two rules
gives rise to strife and inequity, which are rooted in untruthfulness. He who
seeks truth alone easily follows the golden rule. He need not seek learned
advice for interpretation.
a thoughtless word hardly ever escapes my tongue or pen.
silence is part of the spiritual discipline of a votary of truth.
true knowledge is impossible without a Guru.
selfishness is blind.
I wanted to reserve my strength for fighting bigger battles. I should not
exhaust my skill as a fighter in insisting on retaining my turban. It was worthy
of a better cause.
the very insistence on truth has taught me to appreciate the beauty of
compromise.
Carefully kept accounts are a sine qua non for any organization. Without
them it falls into disrepute. Without properly kept accounts it is impossible to
maintain truth in its pristine purity.
heart’s earnest and pure desire is always fulfilled.
It has always been a mystery to me how men can feel themselves
honoured by the humiliation of their fellow-beings.
service can have no meaning unless one takes pleasure in it. When it is
done for show or for fear of public opinion, it stunts the
patriot cannot afford to ignore any branch of service to the motherland.
Sir Pherozeshah had seemed to me like the Himalaya, the Lokamanya
like the ocean. But Gokhale was as the Ganges. One could have a
refreshing bath in the holy river. The Himalaya was unscalable, and one
could not easily launch forth on the sea, but the Ganges invited one to its
bosom. It was a joy to be on it with a boat and an oar.
It is idle to adjudicate upon the right and wrong of incidents that have already
happened. It is useful to understand them and, if possible, to learn a lesson
from them for the future. It is difficult to say for certain how a particular man
would act in a particular set of circumstances. We can also see that judging a
man from his outward act is no more than a doubtful inference, inasmuch as
it is not based on sufficient data.
A public institution means an institution conducted with the approval, and
from the funds, of the public. When such an institution ceases to have public
support, it forfeits its right to exist. Institutions maintained on permanent
funds are often found to ignore public opinion, and are frequently responsible
for acts contrary to it.
Truth is like a vast tree, which yields more and more fruit, the more you
nurture it. The deeper the search in the mine of truth, the richer the
discovery of the gems buried there, in the shape of openings or an ever
greater variety of service.
I am definitely of the opinion that a public worker should accept no costly
gifts.
Man and his deed are two distinct things. Whereas a good deed should call
forth approbation and a wicked deed disapprobation, the doer of the deed,
whether good or wicked, always deserves respect or pity as the case may
be. ‘Hate the sin and not the sinner’ is a precept which, though easy enough
to understand, is rarely practised, and that is why the poison of hatred
spreads in the world.
nothing once begun should be abandoned unless it is proved to be
morally wrong.
the sole aim of journalism should be service.
a public worker should not make statements of which he has not made
sure. Above all, a votary of truth must exercise the greatest caution. To allow
a man to believe a thing which one has not fully verified is to compromise
truth.
The teachings of Unto This Last I understood to be: 1. That the good of
the individual is contained in the good of all. 2. That a lawyer’s work has
the same value as the barber’s, inasmuch as all have the same right of
 earning their livelihood from their work. 3. That a life of labour, i.e. the
life of the tiller of the soil and the handicraftsman, is the life worth living.
the ultimate goal is the search of truth
common religion was the religion of ethics.
Children inherit the qualities of the parents, no less than their physical
features

Humanity

I refuse to live in one room. My home has many rooms. My home is a palace; it is
Earth.
Gandhi
"Christ furnished the spirit and motivation, while Gandhi furnished their
method.” - MLK
MLK Jr: "If humanity is to progress, Gandhi is inescapable. He lived,
thought and acted, inspired by the vision of humanity evolving toward a
world of peace and harmony.”
Mother Teresa
Sufi saints
“The notion of human right builds on our shared humanity. These rights are not
derived from the citizenship of any country, or the membership of any nation, but
are presumed to be claims or entitlements of every human being. They differ,
therefore, from constitutionally created rights guaranteed for specific people.”―
Amartya Sen, The Idea Of Justice
You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the
ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.
Humanism is a special virtue of revolutionary

Human behaviour

Reciprocity - Smile, Abuse, Appreciation

Flows from 3 mains sources - desire, emotions and knowledge
Hatred - results in chaos
even after so many wars , no peace in the world
gandhi didn’t want to counter brisith y violence. rather he chose the strategy
which left them defenceless
Gandhi on Human Personality - Human personality was, for him, not pre-given and
static. It was not decisively shaped either by nature or culture: instinctual fear or
social prejudice, each was conquerable. Because human personality was
susceptible to influence, and infinitely revisable, so too definitions– of values and
ideals– had to keep an open-ended character: meanings were not stipulative, but
needed to be worked out in the crucible of practice.

Human values

Need in modern times - Large-heartedness, patience and the ability to check

greed, and be more humane. (Ravi Shankar)
Human values are those that favour human progress
most beautiful things in life can be measured. they are immeasurable. e.g. - love,
truth
hate the crime and not the criminals. - gandhi
 One mans courage makes a majority
“Every saint has a past and every sinner a future”. - Oscar Wilde
Peace begins with a smile - Mother teresa
Human propensity for cruelty is as boundless as that for kindness. And as vast for
empathy.
Let us remember the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do
unto you"
Real kindness seeks no return; What return can the world make to rain clouds?
- thiruvalluvar
moral objectivism
there ar universal moral prnciples

Openness/Flexibility

The views I submit to you are those I have adopted. They are not original.-
Gandhi
Visweswaraya had a debate with Gandhi on devvelpment path India should
take
“When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, Sir?” - John
Maynard Keynes
It is an important trait in a civil servant to accept mistake on being shown valid
proof.
doing the wrong thing, knowing he is doing the wrong thing — a condition Greek
playwrights referred to as akrasia

Philosophy vs Ideology

The essence of philosophy is that it is not a closed thought, while ideology is a

closed one.

Change

Tagore often quoted - "Change needs to begin with one".

To move the world you first have to move yourself
We are what we think, With our thoughts We make our world. — The Buddha
PM initiated cleanliness drive - other followed suit
Be the change you wish to see
Japan an ardent proponent of nuclear disrmamament refrained from building
nuclear weapons
Gandhi
Kalam

Integrity

integrity will ensure that the path of righteousness is followed across time and
space
Integrity and truthfulness are valued possession not for cheap people
congruence between what you think, speak and do
Integirty without knowledge is useless, knowledge without Integrity is dangerous
If integirty is there nothing else matters. If integirty is not there, nothing else matters
Eg - Manmohan Singh. After economic liberalisation
 Intellectual autonomy+courage+humility
Adam gilchrist leaving the pitch despite being given not out by umpire in the
WC semifinal..
Eg - Pradeep kasni - IAS officer of Harayana
67 times transferred in 32 years
Eg - Satyendra Dubey - 2003
Eg - S Manjunath - 2005
Eg - Narendra Kumar - 2012
Kejri's outburst against ECI
Integrity Pact - essentially an agreement between the government agency offering a
contract and the companies bidding for it that they will abstain from bribery,
collusion and other corrupt practices for the extent of the contract. To ensure
accountability, Integrity Pacts also include a monitoring system typically led by civil
society groups
Sir M. Visvesvrayya, then dewan of mysore state, used Government vehicle
while he went to tender his resignation. After tendering his resignation, he
drove back by his private vehicle.
He always maintained two sets of candles – one set bought out of
government money and the other set bought from his money. He used
the former set of candles for looking into official documents and used
the latter set to read books.
Though he enjoyed considerable power and influence over half a
century there had never been the slightest whisper against him of
misuse of power for personal ends or for his near ones
Sushma swaraj case - no probity
Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion (associates of public figures must not
even be suspected of wrongdoing)
Justice JS Verma - expired recently -
judicial warrior with a ‘lion heart’.
embodiment of integrity.
CJI in 1997-98
Report after the brutal Nirbhaya rape case
Celebrated Vishaka judgement
Decisions on judicial appointment and collegium are path breaking
Jain ahwala case
As a head boy and later as coordinator and secretary of various organisation had
funds at my disposal which i could use at my discretion.
doing the wrong thing, knowing he is doing the wrong thing — a condition Greek
playwrights referred to as akrasia

Life

Consider Ram as your soul. Then Sita is your heart. Ravan is your mind that steals
your heart from your soul. Lakshman is your consciousness, always with you and
active on your behalf. Hanuman is your intuition and courage that helps retrieve
your heart to re-animate your soul.
Life is a constant battle between our mind and soul for our very existence on
the face of this earth. We constantly fight between whats right and whats
wrong and often fail to come to a conclusion that can define us as a human
being.
 Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep balance you must keep moving
The purpose of life is life of purpose
Hegel's dictum that anything carried to its extreme tends to become its
opposite, has profound significance
Anything that is more than required is poison - Buddha
live simply that others may simple live - sandhi
i know only one things and that is I know nothing - socrates
what you don't know will not harm you - socrates
Tough time don’t last tough people do
The wounds made by fire will heal, But the wound made by tongue will never heal.
Even the ignorant may appear very worthy, If they keep silent before the learned.
Depression, aggression and addiction - three sign of mass neurosis in
younger generation
People have enough to live by not enough to live for
The most dangerous enemy is the enemy within - Kautilya

Dreams

You have to dream before your dreams can come true. - Kalam
Swami Vivekananda once said, “Whatever you think, that you will be. If you think
yourselves weak, weak you will be; if you think yourselves strong, strong you will
be.” He also said, “See for the highest, aim at that highest, and you shall reach the
highest.”
Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life - Confucius

Innovation

Necessity is the mother of invention

Joseph Kurien - Cooperatives

Risk taking

Fortune favours the bold

Playing safe restricts progress
Entrepreneurs - Bansals @ flipkart, Bose

Attributuion

As a visitor to a hospital you find that the hospital is unclean. There could be
two possibilities:
Laxity on hospital staff.
Patients and their relatives might be littering.
Lesser the misattribution more the rational decision - Recall of Non
Cooperation Movement.
if one staff passes sexist remarks against a woman. As a senior it is our duty
to acertain first the cause for such behaviour. May be the subordinate may
have come from such societal background where the freedom of woman is
curtailed or it may be that he is deliberately hurting the feelings.

Forgiveness
 Gandhi Ji – “Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong”.
To err is human, to forgive devine
Mahabharata - Had the characters shown forgiveness to each other. if Karn
had forgiven his mother Kunti for abandoning him, if Draupadi had forgiven
the Kauravas, etc, then the whole war could have been avoided
Truth and reconciliation commission in south africa established post apartheid
invited the perpetrators to request amnesty with the idea of restorative justice and
not retrubitve justice
A clean confession, combined with a promise never to commit the sin again, when
offered before one who has the right to receive it, is the purest type of repentance. -
Gandhi
Mandela - after releasing from 27 year sin jail- didn't deter him from fighting
for other fellow black people - "I have left by bitterness and hatred behind in
the prison"
An eye for an eye would make the whole work mind
letting go is need the way towards moksha

Personal values

Scepticism, I welcome. Cynicism, I tolerate. Foolishness, I have compassion (for)

Haruki Murakami’s “pain is inevitable, suffering is optional” is the best mantra to
opt for.
A man who doesn’t know swimming can’t save a drawing man
You don’t need to be a gardenr to enjoy the blooming flower
The three characteristics part of the authentic self of an individual are: autonomy,
integrity and harmony.
Even the ignorant may appear very worthy, If they keep silent before the
learned.- thiruvalluvar
Pen is mightier than the sword
If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself

Value, principle, behaviour

Justice , Equal treatment in equal circumstances, Separate lines for old age
people
Integrity, Public interest over private interest, Not receiving gift where conflict
of interest
Belief: Women are co-equal ;Emotion: Respect for women ; Behaviour:
Including women in workforce

Friendships/Relationship

Our entire life is about differentiating between people who meet us in their free time
and those who make time free for us and then make friends out of later
It is the friendship that is my only earning
There is nothing like forever friendship.
Dont do something that you won’t be able to show your face later - even to a
stranger. You may never know where life takes you.
Sometimes it so happens that you meet people who set a certain standard and
then overtime you meet someone else you measure them on that bar.
If success fatsens binding then failure fatsens unbinding
 Karna’s friendship with Duryodhan
Krishna - Sudama
Friends with Benefits
People with whom we share our happiness are our friends - Aristotle
True friendship is an identity of souls rarely to be found in this world. Only between
like natures can friendship be altogether worthy and enduring. Friends react on one
another. Hence in friendship there is very little scope for reform. - Gandhi
The people with whom we share our happiness are our friends

Ego/Egoism

Men will not look at things as they really are, but as they wish them to be—and are
ruined. - Machiavelli
“They are forever free who renounce all selfish desire and break away from
ego cafe of I, me and mine - Bhagavad Gita
People with high self esteem think they’re as good as others whereas
narcissists think they are better than others.
demerits of egoism encouraged Mathematician John Nash (movie: A beautiful
mind), to work on “Game theory”.

Truth

“Truth can’t be confined to look” - Gandhi

truth without love is brutality and love wintour truth is hypocrisy
Truth is tied with responsibility
Truth is lived, not taught
Truth always triumphs and Truth alone triumphs. - Satyamev Jayte
Facts do not cease to exist if they are ignored - Aldous Huxley
MK Gandhi
a harmful truth is better than a useful lie
If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.
Raja Harishchandra - Beholder of truth
story affected Mahatma Gandhi, who was deeply influenced by the
virtues of telling the truth when he watched the play of Harishchandra in
his childhood

Sense of mission

Commitment, preservarnce, fortitude

Space mission
Operation flood
padma shri
karimul hague - for bike ambulance service
anuradha koirala - for rehabilitating trafficked women from nepal
“Highway Messiah” Dr Subroto Das
Eli Ahmad, 81, from Assam has been selected for the Padma Shri award
for running the only magazine for women in the Northeast since 1970.

Conviction

A 'No' uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a 'Yes' merely uttered to
 please, or worse, to avoid trouble. - Mahatma Gandhi
Gandhi

Dynamism

Dr Kalam. his readiness to move with the times, especially see India’s
necessity to go nuclear, and negotiate for global peace from a position of
national strength. He dreamt of the day when this country would become a
developed nation, but not a domineering superpower.

Foresightedness

Shastri - Food crisis, Jai jawan jai kisan , White revolution

Pragmatism

Akbar’s rajput policy - peace in India

Indira gandhi
Saradar patel - Integration of princely state
Lee Kuan Yew
Common sense is not so common
Pragmatism is a third grade virtue
Pragmatism is a virtue of weak person

Gratitude

My college days were about to end and I was having many things which I
couldn't Carry back home. Normally students used to sell it or give it to
juniors. I gave it to an old man who had a roadside mobile shop in a very
remote corner, almost neglected by lighting of the street and market. I used to
visit his shop and though I never ask anything about his personal life I used to
admire his dedication and simplicity.
When I handed over my belongings to him there was a tears in his eyes,
not for the things but for the fact that I had considered him. I remember
that moment ever. True gratitude is priceless and doesn't need huge
money.

Charisma

Indira Gandhi
Ambedkar was against unthinking submission to charismatic authority

Judgement

Our senses provide us only data, while our knowledge comes from judgements.
Descartes claimed that the only way to find objective truth is by attempting to
doubt absolutely every judgement.
I think. Therefore, I exist.

Judging others
 If you judge people you’ll have no time to love them - Mother Teresa
Don’t judge a book by its cover

Status anxiety

Mahabharat characters

Objectivity

What do you think of Captain's decision to delay the declaration when one of
the player was nearing his 300?
a judge imposing same fine on a rich and a poor man when both have done
the same crime may be objective but this will not be fair. Judiciary need to be
fair rather than objective. Or one can say that enlightened objectivity should
be there in judiciary.
Whatsapp, Telegram have seen a tremendous increase in circulation of material
harmful to societal and communal tension. Exercising objectivity in such situation
rather than reacting to them.
Objectivity and universalism come and together

Empathy vs Objectivity

Empathy is targeted towards individual, while objectivity looks @masses. So if

judge gives more weightage to empathy over “objectivity”, he may give lenient
punishment to a criminal. In long run it’ll hurt the masses.

Indifference

most of us probably teach our children the lesson of indifference very early:
how to see suffering and want among others, and to simply turn away.
our “consumer economy has produced the first culture for which a beggar is a
reminder of nothing.” - john Burger
John Stuart Mill said it was civilisation’s job to camouflage (if not alleviate) the
“spectacle of pain”.

Civil disobedience

Ambedkar was of the view that popular unrest has no place in a democracy
Non-cooperation with evil is as much a duty as is cooperation with good. - Gandhi
The punishment suffered by the wise who refuse to take part in government, is to
suffer under the government of bad men. - Plato
Edmund Burke - All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for few good men to
do nothing.

Love

Only he Who is smitten with the arrows of love, Knows its power. - Gandhi
Love thy neighbour as thyself - Holy bible
Indian philosophy is Based on the idea of ‘Love thy negihbour and all beings
ar your negihbour"
MK Gandhi - Conquer your opponent with love and not hate
Vice

Any virtue in its extreme form becomes a vice - hegel's dictum

man takes in vice far more readily than virtue. - Gandhi

Authority

Thomas Hobbes (Social contract) in his book leviathan -demonstrating the

necessity of a strong central authority to avoid the evil of discord and civil war.
Brahmanical view of social contract is static and rigid i.e. social order is
constructed by God (4 vernal) while Buddhist view of Social contract is flexible - it
considers man as the greater of the social order with King at the top. According to
buddhism if the king is not performing his duty then he should be removed.

End over means

Goals must take precedence over means where questions of human life are
involved. - Amartya sen, An Idea of justice
Moral core of the universe bends at arc of justice - Martin luther king
child labour, clinical trials, women exploitation, surrogate mother - acting as a
mean

Utilitarian

Bribe paid to minister for a bridge which otherwise would not have been paid.
It was done with good intention and has led to hassle free travel and has
served public good.

Means over end

Karmaphala Siddhanta: As you sow, so you reap.

Gandhi - Wrong means can't be used for noel ends - NCM, CDM
actions are our sphere, fruits ar not our concern
Noble Goals can be achieved only through Noble Means
relativity applies to physics and not to ethics - Einstein
Two wrongs don’t make a right
Wrong means would not lead to right results - nehru
Gandhi’s major goal in life was to achieve swaraj for India. His socio-political
philosophy was based on truth, non-violence and the unity of means and
ends. Even a noble means such as Independence for the country for him
entailed use of noble means
Every individual is an end in itself and no individual should be treated as means to
an end - Emmanuel Kant
Education as previously considered as a source of enlightenment and today it is
related to job
Business was previously considered a service while today it is only linked with
profit
Nonvoilence for indepdnece - a stronger nation
How not priroritising means over ends led to issues
Crop loans waiver -> burdening taxpayer -> decrease faith
Forced sterilisation -> reduce faith
 cheating ut student future at risk

Knowledge

Knowledge without integrity is dangerous. Ex- Osama Bin Laden

Use of knowledge depends on the intent. Nuclear power can be used to produce
energy or creat atomic bombs
Little knowledge can be a dangerous thing- Abhimanyu in Chakravyuh
Knowledge without integrity
Satyam scam
Insider trading
AQ khan
Knowledge with integrity
Khemka
Kalam
Integrity wihtout knowledge
ISIS terrorits

Wisdom

We require more wise then intelligent one in Civil administration

As love is the highest quality of heart, wisdom is one of the mind
Knowledge is power, but it is power for evil as much as for good, it follows that
unless men increase in wisdom as much s in knowledge increase in knowledge will
increase in sorrow - bertran russel
Dispcline is a bridge b/n goals and accomplishment
journey of thousand miles…
3 ways to gain wisdom
by reflection
by imitation
by experience

Duty

we don’t not have rights to the rewards to our actions

According to Kant, it’s common sense that you should always do your duty

Attitude

We are taught to have a positive outlook all our life but we came to the world crying
Ambivalent attitude towards marriages - value obedience towards parents vs
valuing freedom and personal choice
Hearing of repeated pairing of the words - Muslim fundamentalists develops
negative attitude - without even meeting with them
If your parents and teacher appreciate your efforts , you develop a positive
attitude towards studies
C-A-B component should be consistent. Often in India, we believe in one thing, but
do something else e.g. Corruption- all believe that it’s bad, yet all indulge in it.
All religions favor abstinence, yet we do them with guilt, yet we won’t change
our behaviour.
Aptitude

To become an officer in defense or police services, you need to have both

physical and mental aptitude.
Aptitude of hand and eye coordination : Good cricketer.
Regualar exercise - healthy body -Healthy mind
Reading classic books - plethora of knowledge - a way of befriending the
author - peek to into the minds of the great
Reading philosophy
Changing peer group - spending more time with people with aptitude for civil
srevices
Realizing one’s talent requires three things:1. Correct identification of your
aptitude2. Your resolve to pursue your aptitude.3. Your socio- cultural and
economic surroundings. For example a person has an artistic mind and can
make really good paintings. But he belongs to a middle class. It requires a lot
of time and resources to be recognized as a good painter. It is also not
supported by a middle class society.

Attitude vs aptitude

An administrator may be very good at solving but may have the tendency to
procrastinate over the decision
An administrator may have good aptitude for solving the communal issues but
may have negative attitude towards a particular community. Eg - Jat violence
Nature (aptitude) vs Nurture (Attitude) debate
Arjuna vs Duryodhan
Both had aptitude but it was Arjuna who had the right attitude that led
to success
A Person having an aptitude for share market avoiding it as speculation is
unethical

Attitude of Indians

Indifferent
Whatever happens, we don’t care, we don’t bother
Road accidents
Apathetic
Our menfolk clearly lead the way in this assault on the environment,
unzipping or lifting apparel at a moment’s notice to wash down public
walls, and spit paan in a manner that would do an erstwhile nawab
proud.
Women, while generally cleaner, are more concerned about their own homes
and steer their kids away from the overflowing trash bin, holding their noses
closed with the end of their pallus or dupattas, all the while cursing the
authorities for not taking action.
Particularism
Nepotism
Deification
Bureucracy - Mai-baap
Dualism
 Corruption
Forgiving
Women safety
Individualism

Persuasion

if you want a big favor, ask for a small favour first. E.g. to borrow laptop from a
friend, first borrow his book and return it unharmed to win his trust and
confidence.
Overlapping field of experience - ASHA workers (usually female) has been
effective in improving the habits of breastfeeding and Child nutrition
Gadar Movement: They simplified the “Drain of wealth theory” in their
pamphlets and newspaper.
Catchy Slogans required: “Kutch nahi dekhaa toh kuchh nahi dekhaa”- to
promote Gujarat tourism. Similarly Incredible India, God’s own country

Conformity

“Ganpati drinking milk”

Social influence

Identify - A person whose wardrobe choice is remotely influenced by the

fashion advice of the supermodel
Compliance - if in a conversation between two people one person makes a
racist comment and the other is offended but says nothing.
One bad influence is enough to ruin your entire life... As Shakuni was to
Kauravas ; bad habits ( smoking addiction; drug addiction etc ) can be to us.
Leena, loves to play basketball but her peers mock her short height, so much
so that Leena has developed a negative attitude towards all sports.

Emotions

Kalidas
In matters where doubt intervene, the natural inclination of the heart of
a good man becomes the authority or the decisive factor
Creative anarchy
Dhoni- captain cool - EI

Emotional Intelligence (EI/EQ)

If your boss is angry, it could be not because of your work but because he got
a ticket a while on his way to office or due to fighting with his wife
Success at work is 80% EQ and 20% IQ
Lack of EI skills
there is traditional emphasis on IQ and not EQ e.g. - JEE jas 3 science
subecjt (intelligent but not necessarily good engineer)
less understanding within the system as the idea evolved in 1990s. thus less
incorporation in practices
 lack of proper specialisation in society e.g. - school emphasis writing skills
but not life skills
Low EQ/High IQ - Sachin tendulkar
High EQ/Moderate IQ - Steve waugh

Impartiality/Non Partisanship

Implement decisions by ministers even if you don't agree with them

Role of Julai Assnge in releasing DNC emails

Ethics

Ethics bring self regulation

true swaraj is achieved
In law we are guilty when we violate the rights of others, in ethics we are
guilty when we thinking of harming others - Kant
Ethics ensure validity and integrity ensure reliability
Negative emotions dominate our life more than positive
Yudhisthira - Draupadi - what have got for being so moral?
Ethics helps human being to co-operate with each other's
Societies has developed ethics so that people can co-operate with each
other
Ethics creates balance and harmony in society
Consequences of being ethical are harsh,
By doing unethical things you'll go to hell (cycle of borth/) - won't get Moksh
Life will become a mess
Unrest will be there
Whole world will skink into bottomless darkness
I act as per dharma because this is I am
Act not for fruit but for the sake of it in itself

Economic and social values

sound ethics makes good economics

Amartya sen espoused that welfare economics can be enriched by paying
more explicit attention to ethics
Amartya sen is called Called conscience keeper of the profession of economics

Ethical dilemma

An ethical dilemma is similar to choosing between two horns to sit on, both equally
pointed
Witnessing an accident on the road. whether to be punctual pr be late for an
appointment - be late as when it is question for human life, nothing else
matters.
Goals must take precedence over means where questions of human life
are involved. - Amartya sen, An Idea of justice
Damned if you do damned if you don’t
Eg - While dealing with nationalist movement British faced the dilemma
that If force is used they’ll cry repression and if no action was taken
they’ll cry victory
 Criteria for judging right and wrong depends on
Place - external environment. Open defecation is not unethical while
women wearing short clothes is unethical
Person - character , value system
Time - Sati, Slavery, Imperialism

Problem solving skills

Turning eyes away from problem will not solve it rather exacerbate it.
Problem shared is problem halved
E Sreedharan Role in Delhi Metro
Dr Kalam. embodied a positive solution-centric approach that made people
believe that despite the hurdles, the prejudices and the political turbulence,
greatness was at hand — it just needed ignited minds and a Vision 20:20.

Spiritualism

Tagore - concept of “Atma shakti” or soul/self power

Public interest

Public interest should be the yardstick for deciding the correctness of the decsions

Power

Everywhere, power is becoming easier to acquire, harder to wield, and easier to

lose
Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely
Power is evil unless used appropriately with accountability.
Ashoka’s dharma
when whole world is silent, even one word beomce powerful
the most powerful force on earth is love
life is not measured by number of breath we take but by the number of times
moments take our breath away
man's greatness lies in power of noble thought
Fear is the most debilitating eating int he world and it can keep you away from
knowing your true self
Instead of power over one should aim for power with
Horizontal structre over hierarchy

Lack of legal knowledge

Domestic violence
Farmer’s suicide

Institutional change

Joseph kurien - brought up a ground up change in cooperative sector.

Responsibility

Freedom and power brings responsibility

 We/They syndrome - shifting blames on others , lack of public participation in
governance
Dual system of governance after rBattle of Buxar adopted by Britishers -
authority without responsibility
Statue of liberty must have a statue of responsibility as it's counterpart
Responsibility should be shared. kauravas has centralised army with a single
general while Pandavas had several generals each controlling his own unit
Different with answerability
Answerability (Objective | Norms, rules... | limited in scope |
professional/material penalties | static )
Responsibility (Subjective | wider in scope | self imposed | dynamic | difficult
to enforce| shame/regret on self realization)

Accountability

while the measures of effectiveness keep continuously changing,

accountability is a universal and perpetual virtue in governance.
The Right democracy would be when you can take a political party to court over
failing to living unto its manifeston
Accountability vs responsibility
Your father is responsible for you not answerable
Accountability is more related to answerability

Efficiency vs Effectiveness

Efficiency vs effectiveness - are programs achieving the desired results? A

city-run health clinic can be efficient at getting clients in and out the door, she
says. But if just the symptoms are treated instead of taking the time to
address the underlying problem, that client will return again and again,
costing more money in the long run

Accessible

Dr Kalam. almost from Day One he began to open up the presidency to the
people.

Transparency

Dr kalam
Recently SC justice Chelameshwar refused to take part in collegium
proceeding due to opaqueness in it.This was despite he was in minority over
issue of collegium (4-1).

Decision making

Dr Kalam. ne of the remarkable things about Kalam was his intuitive decision-
making. He had a knack for spotting trouble well in advance. We encountered
many failures in the SLV programme and he always used to say that failure is
the stepping stone to success. Isro’s project management system stands out
as one of the most purposeful in the world because of his efforts.
PM Modi's two touchstones to help civil servant in their decision-making: that the
 decisions should never be counter to national interest, and that the decisions
should not harm the poorest of the poor,

Respect

respect for liberty of others is not a natural impulse for most men. - russell

Joy

Interacting with kids - bring a smile on their face

organising an event with NGO on a friends bday

Happiness

Madhya Pradesh recently became the first State in the country to set up a
‘Happiness Department’, on the lines of the neighbouring country Bhutan
"Leave your footprints on the sand of time by your good work” - Vivekanada
Happiness is never grand - Huxley, Brave New World
Manasa, Vacha, Karmana — “ when what you think, what you say, and what
you do are in harmony.” - this is my happiness - gandhi
when a teacher preaching his pupils that smoking is injurious to health
while indulging in the same act outside school won't enjoy th respect
a person who is logical in thinking and action trains overall happiness
When underdog wins - validity of unlimited potential of human beings. Thats
why we are different
When didn’t cheat while could have cheated in school exam - internal
happiness
Happiness cannot be pursued it must be ensued
Difference between making oneself happy and being worthy of happy
Happiness is a public affairs. We can't remain happy in isolation - Aristotle
There was an old person, very weak and frail almost on verge of death,
couldn't properly walk. I used to see him everyday. He was a cobbler and even
at age of 80 he will do this work instead of retiring. In evening he will buy
something for his grandchildren and go back. This he said to me is the best
happiness for him. I see him as an inspiration. Happiness is bringing smile on
someone's face even if u have to suffer for that.
Eudaimonia - happiness or welfare - human flourishing virtuous life which can only
be led by virturous action - more wholesome than happiness

Success

Few years back getting good marks was success. Then getting a job was
success. Today Civil Services is way to achieve success. Few years down the
line some other task will be on priority. But in reality all these are just
milestones & not success in nut shell.
For me real success is to have a life which has a purpose, enthusiasm to go
ahead, good health & sense of fulfillment achieved by senseful deeds.
Our success should be defined by what we want and not what other's want
from us
"Stay Hungry; Stay Foolish" - Steve Jobs
 Our deeds determine us, as much as we determine our deed

Goal in life

clear goal setting in life is difficult, as situational circumstances change the mindset
often. but overall a broad goal is necessary, as life without a goal is like a ship
sailing in the vast ocean on the whims of of winds and currents.
i see myself doing good and living a balanced equanimous life rather than
running after things in the pursuit of becoming something
A life is not a problem to be solved but a reality to be expereinced
a good life is inspired by love and guided by knowledge
life is a dream for a wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich and a tragedy
for the poor
our life is our thoughts
असतो माँ स मय (Asato ma Sadgamaya)तमसो माँ ियोतग मय (Tamaso ma
jyotirgamaya) मयोमा अमतृगंमय(Mratyorma Amritgamaya)
Means - From unrighteousness to righteousness From darkness to light
From mortality towards immortality

Greatness/Populatiry

Being honest to yours duty i think is greatest sign of life.

Hitler was popular but was did he had a great life? no. Mandela and Gandhi
fought against oppression. Theirs was great life
Existence is temporary. Different people, different definition of greatness.
Living a legacy, sticking to one’s principle, helping a world become a better place,
fighting for a cause, empathy, humanity
A great life has nothing to do with popularity. Many great lives go unnoticed. Purity
of character and empathy for human beings are most valuable traits of a great live.
“Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss
people.” - Eleanor Roosevelt
Kailash Satyarthi is not a popular men. He believes in doing his work and
taking on the bureaucracy

Civil Service values

PM Speech on Civil Services Day

Outcome centric - focus on this
anecdote - 3 labour - 2 present - work is done but plant is not planted
Duty
to evaluate every decision on the parameter of national interest
“When a man assumes a public trust, he should consider himself as public
property” – Thomas Jefferson.
A civils servant has to move from the mentality of Mera kya (What is there in it for
me)andMujhe Kya (Why should I be bothered) which are ruining the country
"Leave your footprints on the sand of time by your good work” - Vivekanada
Only a man who knows his job can stand take a stand
Civils servants are trustees of the public resources
The path of a civil servant is not made of roses
What cannot be cured must be endured
Swamy Vivekanand explains: This world is like a dog’s curly tail, and people have
 been striving to straighten it outfor hundreds of years. But when they let it go, it
curls upagain. How could it be otherwise? So we should alwaysremember the
instance of the curly tail of the dog. We neednot worry or make ourselves sleepless
about the world. Itwill go on without each of us. Our worries will not help it.But
when we stop worrying about the world, then alone will we be able to work well. It
is the level-headed man, thecalm man of good judgement and cool nerves, of great
sympathy and love, who does good work and so does good to himself. The one
who is complaining all the time is foolishand has no sympathy. He can never
straighten out theworld, nor can he improve himself.
While complacency is never warranted, over-anxiety should also be kept at bay.
Churchill division of officers
intellgient and hardworking e.g. - staff head
stupid and hardworking e.g. -footsoilder
lazy and intelligent e.g. - thinker, napoleon
E Sreedharan Role in Delhi Metro
T N Seshan
Kurien - he would brook no meddling from the political class or bureaucrats
sitting in the capital cities, letting it be known upfront,
Offices should be seen as crown of thrones
Singapore civil service
Categories of public service values (modern bureaucracy)
Ethical
Honesty, trust, integirty, fairness, probity, loyalty, accountability, public
interest
Democratic
Equality, liberty, rule of law , citizenships , openness,
rperesnetativenes, transparency, fraternity,
Professional
Effectiveness, accountability, objectivity, impartiality, efficiency,
economy, transparency, quality, innovation, service orientation,
rationality, legality, courage
Citizenship/people oriented
Empathy and compassion, Tolerance, altruism, sense of devotion,
sacrifice, magnanimity, benevolence, humanism, harmony
Values of traditional bureucracy given by Max Weber
Objectivity
Use of authority
Neutrality
Means over ends
Anonymity
Hierarchy
Expertise
Professional - as a career
Efficiency
Efficacy

Anonymity

Like the fourth lion of Lion capital - invisible yet makes it presence felt all the time

Public service
 M Visweswarya - role in making Mysore as a model state as divan is emmense
Kurein - role in maing india self dependent in milk production is immense
Civil servants acts as Satisficing agent - Satisfy+Suffice
searching through the available alternatives until an acceptability threshold is
met
pursue a course of a action that will satisfy the minimum requirement of
particular goal
CP Bhambri - the new brahmanical system of India

Service to mankind

The service of Jiva is service of Shiva

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others - Mahatma
Gandhi
Eg - Kailash Satyarthi

Selfless devotion/Abhorence to being famous/ Recognition/ Selflessness

When valmiki found that Hanuman’s Ramayana is better then him, he started
crying. At this instance Hanuman tore up up his ramayana and said that he
had no need of recongisition and validatIon. he already has affection for
“Ram” in his heart. On the other hand Valmiki had ambition. “Ram se bada
ram ka naam"
Instead of celebrating my bday,it would be my proud privilege if 5th sept be
observed as teachers day. - S Radhakrishnan

Public debate/Controversies

a debate should refrain from simply attacking the government on the issue and
should instead lead to systemic/institutional changes to reform the country’s
intelligence apparatus.
Raising right questions is more important than providing wrong answers
Controversies are important in democracy for they allow the facts, opinions,
knowledge to be played out in public. they create a situation which brings
transparency in decision making as everyone is watching
Criticism has to be taken lightly and not tightly
Don't shy away from controversy because there are no controversy, only events.
Controversy is created by opinions on those events

Materialism/Consumerism

Gandhi’s concept - ethical consumerism - listing your need to what nature can
provide you
Neighbour’s envy, Owners pride - Today’s mantra
Jain ethics
Charvaka Philosophy

Social acceptability

Bandwagon effect - people want to fit in

Perseverance/Dedication/Hard work/Not giving up/Persistence

Giving up is like accepting the charges.

Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars- Les Brown
I have learnt to use the word ‘impossible’ with the greatest caution. —Wernher
Von Braun
The man who tried his best and failed is superior to the man who never tried.- Bud
Wilkinson
To succeed in your mission, you must have single-minded devotion to your goal. -
Kalam
We should not give up and we should not allow the problem to defeat us. - Kalam
Heights by great man reached and kept, were not obtained by sudden flight;
while you slept, they were toiling in the night
Mountain man of India who chiseled his way through a mountain, one inch at
a time.
When the going gets tough, the tough gets going
E Sreedharan Role in Delhi Metro
Joseph Kurien - Work with Amul
Too many people are thinking the grass is greener on the other side of the fence,
when they ought to just water the grass they are standing on.
It's kind of fun to do the impossible - Walt Disney
Impossible is nothing
Hanuman searching for Sita not just with his mind but with heart too
“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you and then you
win.” - MK Gandhi was an embodiment of this value
Quick but steady wins the race
Indian hockey team which failed to qualify for Olympics in 2008 for the first
time ended up finishing 2nd in champions trophy in 2016 - sheer willpower,
persistence and hunger for success
Don't get influenced by the obstacles in your life, keep moving on, just like
Pandavas.
Even the great Thomas Alva Edison discouraged his friend, Henry Ford, from
pursuing his fledgling idea of a motorcar. Convinced of the worthlessness of the
idea, Edison invited Ford to come and work for him. Ford remained committed and
tirelessly pursued his dream. Although his first attempt resulted in a vehicle without
reverse gear, Henry Ford knew he could make it happen. And, of course, he did.

Motivation/Motivate

Meeting civil servants and talking about their experiences

Reading novels
Talking to those not so fortunate - drivers, rickshaw pullers - everyone has
problems and mine are not so big. This is life and thats how it goes
Finding balance in meditation
Actually talking to people rather than just connecting
Cultivating that habit of listening rather than just talking
Finding some guilty pleasure

Confidence
 we are th only country in the world where people are falling over each other to
be called backward.
we must not only test the power but also trust the power of my legs
MK Gandhi had immense faith in his ability. He wasn’t a great orator or had a
great physique but he is still regarded as the one of the greatest persons to
have ever walked on earth

Failure

A student should be exposed to failures early in his/her life. it can’t be

postponed to future, for The earlier a student learns to face tough situation,
the better it is for his/her growth
Failure is a stepping stone to success
You may be disheartened if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try.

Learning from mistakes

MK Gandhi- When he was child, he lied, he stole, and he fought and was too
much after material things. Not all his actions were praised around the globe.
Some of his actions were condemned in his own land. He made mistakes
throughout his life but he never made the same mistake twice. He failed but
he learned from it and achieved success.
doing the wrong thing, knowing he is doing the wrong thing — a condition Greek
playwrights referred to as akrasia

Trust

Sita and Hanuman. He dropped Mudrika given by Rama in front of Sita and
when she was sure that this isn't a forged one. Hanuman came in front of her.
The reason is that he didn't want to frighten her.
To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved
It is foundation principle the hold all relationsihp
it is built with consistency

Dishonesty/Honesty

Honesty is the best policy

Honesty begets honesty and corruption begets corrution
To believe in something and not live it is intellectual dishonesty - Gandhi
10 nambri
Section 110 of CrPC - Oldest section
relating to keeping peace in area
a person has to submit an undertaking in term of bond and for a certain
period of time
“10 nambri” are the people who are prosecuted under this section
Incident 1 – In my 10the std Board exams, in English Paper, we were asked to
write the opposite of POPULAR. I had written IMPOPULAR. Then, exam
invigilator who was walking accidentally saw my answer script and told me,
the correct answer is UNPOPULAR. However, I did not change my answer. (In
Hindi exam)
Incident 2 – One Saturday, I ate IDLI at Parimala Hotel in Tumakuru Bus stand.
 I forgot to pay the money and came out of the hotel. Even hotel people did not
ask me. I realized that in the evening when I found excess money in my
pocket. Then I promptly went to the hotel, said sorry and paid the money on
Monday morning. (Paytm to nepali)

Core competency/Excellence

M Visweswarya- As an irrigation expert. played an important role in

controlling the rivers Ganga, Sindhu, Mahanadi, Moosi, Easi, Kaveri,
Tungabhadra and others.
Kurien
Only a man who knows his job can stand take a stand

Ethics in IR (international relations)

There are no victors in the war - MAD theory

Yudhisthira Principle
Yudhisthira -gambing problem
Appeasement policy - similar to Nehru and Chamberlain
War had started than you must win it - Krishna
Eg - Commander Rommel - German
Followed some Principle of just war
when diplomacy ends, war begins - adolf hitler
Loka Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu -(Let the whole world be prosperous and
peaceful)
the world must learn to work together or finally it won't work at all - eisnehower
Noble Goals can be achieved only through Noble Means
It is not indefinitely possible to defend the indefensible.
China’s action of supporting Masood Ajahar
Refugee crisis - baby washing up on turkish shore
"an eye for an eye will make the whole world blind''.
"The military sphere and the civil sphere are wholly distinct; you can't handle
an army in kid gloves.” - Sun Tzu
“The trouble with gentleman’s agreements is that there aren’t enough bloody
gentlemen.”
"Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles
and misguided men."
historic speech about India’s ‘tryst with destiny’, Nehru, speaking of his country’s
dreams, said: ‘Those dreams are for India, but they are also for the world, for all the
nations and peoples are too closely knit together today for any one of them to
imagine that it can live apart. Peace has been said to be indivisible; so is freedom,
so is prosperity now, and so also is disaster
It was Buddha and not alexander who conquered the world - Tagore
World has politicians but lacks statesman
The world has achieved brilliance without wisdom, power without conscience.
Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. (GOLD!)
"Battles are not won on morals alone"
Rabindranath Tagore promoted internationalism for a new world order based on
diversity, open-mindedness, tolerance and co-existence.
Tagore’s views on ‘nationalism’ reveal his distaste for parochialism, racial
 divide and social stratification. He firmly believed that world peace could
never be achieved until big and powerful nations curbed their desire for
territorial expansion and control over smaller nations.
What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether
the mad destruction is wrought in the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of
liberty and democracy?” - Gandhi
Kautilaya - Statecraft
Fish world if no state
Rajdharma
When Strategic edge dominated and ethics did not matter - Cold war,
Decision to drop a nuclear bomb even though the war was won, Presence of
US in indian Ocean, Maritime Silk route initiative by china, lack of concerted
fight against terroroism
When ethics dominated - Establishment of un wiht he objective of epace and
harmony in the world, Birth of NAM , Gujaral doctrine, Panchsheeel,
Kamagata Maru apology by Canada
Aboriginal apology by Australia in 2008
Obama visited Hiroshima, 2016
INDC - US has committed to only a fifth of its fair share and the European
Union (EU) just over a fifth in the fight against climate change through its new
targets. On the other hand India and China has committed more than their fare
share of burden
Positive examples - talk of disarmament, no first use policy, cuba and iran
deals, canada apologies, doctor without border
negative examples - chilcot report, china blocked massed ajar, china
disregard verdict on SCS

Diplomacy

Hanuman forming an alliance with Vibheeshana

Pandavas had no power of their own. They formed alliances with kingdoms
such as Panchala, Dwaraka, Magadh and Chedi.
the task of a statesman is to construct a balance of fear between great power to
create a orderly system - it won’t be just and fair but it would be legitimate
Diplomacy today is not about solving the problem rather managing it

anger

Buddhist ethics -
Anger is one of the three poisons - Greed and ignorance are other two
It is ghost
it is never justified - metta
when you express anger, you are feeding the seed of anger and it becomes
stronger
He who holds back rising anger like a rolling chariot, him I call a real driver;
other people are but holding the reins. - Buddha
christian ethics
Put off anger, Put on kindness
Vishvamitra and vashishtha story
King kaushika asks for the cow nankin, vashishtha destroys his army.
 kaushika pledges for becoming greater rich - took the name vishvamitra -
ultimately humiliated by vashishtha. shows not to be ensured by anger
“All my best ideas were born of anger,” says children’s rights- activist and
Nobel Peace prize winner Kailash Satyarthi
"The pen is mightier than the sword
“Anybody can become angry - that is easy, but to be angry with the right
person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose,
and in the right way - that is not within everybody's power and is not easy
Gandhi after being thrown out of train
Aurelius is "The best revenge is not to be like your enemy."

Tit for tat

Let us remember the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do
unto you” - Pope
Conduct of a man is the expression of his character
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer

Process simplification

How a simple travel friendly scheme turned out to be nightmare for many
could be seen from the case of e-Tourist visa scheme. Initially it was named
as Tourist visa on arrival - electronic travel authorisation creating confusion
among the travellers legitimately, that it is on arrival visa while it wasn’t. A
simple task of talking to travelers before rolling out the scheme could have
avoided this confusion.

Philanthropy

Alfred nobel and nobel prize

Involvement of Bill and Melinda Gates foundation in clinical trials in India
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg termed altruistic motives behind launch of
free basics amidst cries over conflict between net neutrality and affordable
access.
Australian philosopher Peter Singer says that where world poverty is concerned
'giving to charity' is neither charitable nor generous; it is no more than our duty and
not giving would be wrong.
Every world religion, the Gita, Bible, Quran and other ancient scriptures, have
a reference to one maxim: that when giving help or charity, even your left hand
shouldn’t know what the right hand is doing.

Generosity/Kindness/Benevolence

“The tree is a peculiar organism of unlimited kindness and benevolence and makes
no demand for its sustenance, and extends generously the products of its life
activity. It affords protection to all beings, offering shade even to the axemen who
destroy it”. - Buddha

Motives
 Terrorist firing bullets and on one hand security guards firing bullets. The act
is the same but intentions are different. Therefore motive is more important
than action.

Humility/Humbleness

"Be not wise in thine own eyes."—Proverbs.

People with clenched fists cannot shake hands - Indira Gandhi
“A hen lays one egg, the whole village hears her cackles; a turtle lays eggs by
the hundred, not a sound is heard.”
Flattery is Indian art
One must guard against this
Nanak! Be tiny like the grass, for other plants will wither away, but grass will remain
ever green. - Guru Nanak
Dr Kalam. he had invited a cobbler as one of the Presidential Guests to Raj
Bhavan in Kerala, nor can one overlook the fact that he had posted a question
on Yahoo Answers asking the public "What do we do to free the planet from
terrorism?"
Humility is the mother of all virtues, purity, charity and oebdiecene
Before badgering a weak person, imagine yourself before a more powerful man.
Learning through your life - Arjuna learned from Drona, Indra, Mahadeva and
ultimately krishna

Simplicity

Gandhi

Strong character

Tough times don’t last tough people do

"Survival is the ability to swim in strange water.” - Dune
Your genius, Albert Einstein said, may take you to heights; but whether you
stay there depends on your character.
Character, according to Immanuel Kant, is the ability to deal with situations
according to “maxims”. Maxims are universal principles, or values.
It is the character and not great intellect which makes a great scientist - eisntein

Ethics in public administration

we don’t not have rights to the rewards to our actions

Swami Vivekananda observed - every duty is holy and devotion to duty is the
highest form of worship
Vision behind the notion of people centric administration has been the mantra
Mahatma Gandhi 's talisman “Whenever you are in doubt or your self become too
much, stop and recall the face of the poorest most helpless destitute person you
have seen and ask yourself, Is what I am about to do going to help him?"
Parkinson’s law
Adminsitrators create work for each other by artificial means and swell their
ranks
executives select subordinates who are less smart than themselves
committess tends to grow in size until they loose their effectivenes
Ethics in private and public relationships

Mahatma Gandhi, the father of India vs. M.K.Gandhi, the father of Harilal.
Kesab Chandra Sen opposed child marriage but married his own underage
daughter to Maharaja of Cooch Bihar. Consequently his followers abandoned
him and founded Sadharan Brahmo Samaj (1878)
President Clinton’s impeachment process was initiated because of his
scandalous affair with Monica Lewinsky.

Ethics in public relationships:

Abraham Lincoln said "you can fool some people all the time and all of the people
some time but you can't fool all the people all the time."
When Gandhi lost to Bose in 1939 Tripura session as his cnadidate Sittaramya
lost, in the congratulatory speech Bose called Gandhi "Rashtrapita" and
Gandhi called Bose "netaji" - shows humbleness, humility and large
heartedness
Gandhi fondly called Tagore as “Gurudev” and Tagore reciprocated by calling
him “Mahatma"
“Those who seek glory should be careless of public opinion - Sun Tzu

Cognitive dissonance

America is one of the largest GHG emitters in the world. Their

industrialists/academicians are in ‘climate denial’- that global warming
/climate change / environmental problems are fictional theories. They’re
adopting this ideology to prevent cognitive dissonance.

Guilt

Couldn't feed dogs in my locality - wastage of food on one hand. longer term
issue - breeding

Smartness/intelligence

Hanuman outmanvoured surphanka when she confronts him on his way to

Lnaka. He increased his size initially and later reduced it to fulfil her wish and
at the same time continue on his mission. When to use mind and when to use
strength

Justifying Lie

Yudhisthar - Ashvathama Story

During Mahabharata when Drona sought out Yudhisthira to ascertain
the news of death of his son Ashvathama, believing that he would never
speak a lie. Yudhisthira said "Ashwathama is dead but not your son; it is
the elephant..." but Lord Krishna asked the drummers to play their
drums such that Guru Drona could not listen to the last part of the
sentence.
Quality of lie - Minimum description so that extent of lie remain minimum
I came into this world, not chiefly to make this a good place to live in, but to live in
 it, be it good or bad.- Thoreau

Extreme measures fallacy:

failure of systems like 'salva judam' will be brought to his notice. (using force
to counter violence)
Violence perpetuates hatred
When it appears to do good, that good is only temporary and cannot do good in
long run

Justifying violence/force

"Violence of brave is better than non violence of cowardice " - even Gandhi
had a change of attitude after his arrest during quit india movement. For once
he acknowledged violence
Mahabharata - Krishna
I came into this world, not chiefly to make this a good place to live in, but to live in
it, be it good or bad.- Thoreau
Buddhist ethics - Shakyamuni and robber story

Non Violence/Peace

Gandhiji's principle of truth and non-violence emphasises the use of reform of heart
rather than use of violence
An eye for an eye would make the whole world blind
Non-violence, which is the quality of the heart, cannot come by an appeal to the
brain.
Gandhi ji recalled non violence movement due to violence while today’s politicians
don’t shy from creating many graveyards for winning election
Jainism
Balder - non violent heroes
Vsudeva - Violent heroes i.e. those who kill those causing violence. They
go to hell due to violent behaviour
“True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is present of jsutice" - MLK Jr

Socialisation

the mind was a blank slate or tabula rasa.- John Locke

Human being inherently selfish by the process of socialisation become selfless

Role of family / Family values:

South Asian culture is horrible. Envy, jealously and contempt if you do well.
Happiness, joy and pleasure if you don't.
Business class vs service class family
Different value system are formed
Lord Krishna - Ranchod
willing to sacrifice my reputation for saving my people and their lives
Mom - Love, care, compassion, service, tolerance, self-sacrifice
Rest - truth, non-violence, discipline, cooperation, right conduct, right behavior,
service, responsibility
 Someone’s dream is dependent on someone’s direction; Someone’s success is
related to someone’s support; Someone’s curiosity is linked to someone’s care;
This is what a family does. The ultimate objective is welfare of all. Loka Samastah
Sukhinau Bhavantu.
American/Christian society considers happy married family life auspicious.
Therefore, you’ll find US Presidential candidates or State Governor
candidates- always appearing in media with their wives and daughters,
holding hands, sharing hugs and kisses, running parallel social media
accounts. They do it to portray that “I’m a happy family man- I’m a good
husband and a good father so, I can run the public office in a responsible manner,
you should vote for me.” In India, scenario is different- tell me the name of
Manmohan Singh’s wife or Anandiben Patel’s husband!? We are not concerned
much with private life of a public leader.
life is all about what you hold valuable - service to parents, money or power
Family is the only constant. Everyone else come and go - My pillar of strength is
family. Not judgemental.
Sravankumar- dutiful son, service to parents, character of mahabharata
Lakshman gave up comfortable life to go with Rama. Bharat gave up his
kingdom

Role of Teacher/Teaching

Pulela Gopichand
“Matha Pitha Guru Deivam” - “Mother Father Teacher God”
Gopal Krishna Gokhale : He was the political guru of Gandhi and in many ways
he shaped the ideology and outlook of Gandhi towards India and life
Teacher should not just be provider of knowledge but also igniter of ideas
Dr Kalam. American writer, William Arthur Ward, said: “The mediocre teacher
tells, the good teacher explains, the superior teacher demonstrates, the great
teacher inspires.” Mr. Kalam was truly inspirational.
If teacher is promoting his private coaching class during official class in the
school, he is indirectly imparting materialistic values in students that
education is a commodity that can be sold.

Role of Society

if you’re living in a building with people from variety of caste, religion and
regional background, you develop tolerance.
If your friends are smoking, you’ll smoke;
if they’re living in nuclear families, you too will feel to separate from your joint
family and so on.
The three key societal members who can make a difference are father, mother and
teacher” -A P J Abdul Kalam.

Role of educational institution/school

If child participates in sports: values of sportsmanship, team-spirit.

If college kid participate in college-festival to get stupid extra-curricular
certificate for UPSC/CAT- he is learning leadership, cooperation, event
management.
 Bihar cheating incident
Catvh em young - teach ethics in early childhood
Netherlands - no ac, no plastic
“Matha Pitha Guru Deivam” - “Mother Father Teacher God”
Corporal punishment: When same child goes to college, he’d think it is right to
do ragging of juniors, when he becomes father, he’d think physical
punishment is right way to discipline children; if he becomes a cop, he’d think
custodial torture is justifiable to extract confession from criminal and so on.
If a textbook has passage “papa is coming from office while mummy is
cooking food and munni is helping mummy.” While it sounds innocent, but its
putting ‘gender-roles’ in the minds of children that men goto office and
women are supposed to stay at home and cook food only.

Team effort

During Mhabahrata, Pandavas were fighting for s ingle goal as a single team
On the contrary on the Kaurava side each was fighting for some other reason.

Morality

morality is the basis of things, and that truth is the substance of all morality.
- Gandhi
One should not be moral only when he is notices
Morality is determined by how you act when you are alone
Morality -in both public and private spaces is a premium in our society
While in the west as a person goes higher up in position of authority, he
develops respect for law , the opposite is true for our country.
a ‘morality’ bank has been opened in a north-eastern Chinese city through which
people can exchange points earned by good deeds for free services like haircut
and health checkup.
morality is an attitude we adopt towards the people whom we personally dislike -
oscar wilde
Cheating practice: a child doesn't copy to avoid punishment (ego), a
secondary school student doesn't copy because his friends and teachers
don't approve (societal approval), young boy doesn't copy in the competitive
exams because he believes that copying defeat the purpose.
Moral relatvisim
Subjecitve - Morality lies in the eyes of beholder. It seems to suggest that
there is nothing unethical
Kant’s conclusion is that morality consists in doing the right thing for the right
reason, or, as he argues, morality is acting from the motive of duty.'
Utility is the only standard of morality - Mill
- The highest principle of morality ( personal or political) is to maximise general
welfare/happiness. maximise utility - Bentham
When Draupdi asked Yudhisthara why be moral after they were banished to
jungle and duryodhana was made the king, Yudhisthrara said that Being
moral is important for stability and harmony in society, to ensure dharma . He
said that I am moral because that is the way I am

Decline/Erosion of Ethics/Morality/values/Moral degradation -

 Kali yuga - "Kali" of Kali Yuga means "strife", "discord", "quarrel" or
"contention".Hindus believe that human civilization degenerates spiritually
during the Kali Yuga,[8] which is referred to as the Dark Age because in it
people are as far away as possible from God.
If nod decline then why value education

Conscience

Employees in private as well as public organizations are expected not only to do

the things right but also do the right things. Here, conscience comes to play a role
in identification of right things.
Before emergency JP pleaded police and civilian bureaucrats to hear their
conscience and not follow orders from the top
What happened during the Nazi regime in the concentration camps of
Auschwitz brings this dilemma to the forefront.
As a loyal employee the regime expected the officers to execute millions
of jews mercilessly, there were only a handful who had the courage to
refuse and stand up for what was morally right in real sense
In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place.
Conscience determine how you ct when you are alone while law determine show
you act when you are with others
“In eyes of British, i might be a criminal but in my conscience, I am innocent” -
Gandhi
Gandhi Ji famously said, "There is a higher court than courts of justice and
that is the court of conscience. It supersedes all other courts."

Dialouge and negotiation

Shaastrath - Adi Sankara and Mandana Mishra story - Adi Sankara wanted to
establish through dialogue and debate with the highest authority on ritualism
and that rituals were not necessary for attaining Mukti, while Mandana Mishra
wanted to prove that Sankara was wrong in dismissing rituals. This was how,
in ancient India, debates on sensitive issues between scholars avoided such
issues being settled in streets.
the supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. - Sun Tzu

Character

“A person who has wisdom has the best character “ - Aristotle

A person who adheres to truth and non violence has best character - Gandhi
A person who adheres to madhyam marga has best character - Buddha
if this even who implement the constitution are of character, then it can become the
best consititiuion - rajendra prasad
Lack of character - lead to corruption - harm the country e.g. - 2g scam, black
money

Compassion, Empathy and Sympathy

Priyadarshini estate in Kerala

relieved by IAS oficers - Prasanth nair
 using tourism as way to provide meals toestate workers
fighting malnutrition
win win solution
innovative thinking
carried forward by successors
consider the issue of child labour.
On seeing a child waiter in a restaurant if a person is just feeling sad,
then he is sympathetic.
But if he also connects himself or own children with that child or
memorises any of his live experience, then he is empathetic.
But when someone unleashes himself from inly being a spectator and
make some arrangements according to his capacity for the good ( like
informing NGOs, arranging education, counselling his parents etc) , then
he has compassion.
Buddhist ethics
Mother Teresa - spent her entire life serving the diseased, devoted herself.
“Napolean don’t have nay followers left, Buddha and Vivekanda does"
Apathy = Indifference; Sympathy = Kindness; Empathy = Experience ;
Compassion = Action
Gandhi - A god like men is one who feels another's pain and share their
sorrow

Empathy:

Ram Mohan Roy - Moved by the plight of his sister in law who died as Sati 0
undertook sati reforms
A workaholic engineer was working in a major scientific project. Abdul Kalam
sir was the project head. Children of that engineer once asked their father to
take them to an exhibition in the evening. Engineer sought permission from
Kalam sir to leave early and mentioned the reason as well. Kalaam sir agreed.
However, he got so much involved in the work that he completely forgot that
he had to leave early. Kalaam sir observed the engineer being engrossed in
the work. So, he only took children to exhibition.
When you have to take a tough/disciplinary actions - removing encroachment
as an administrator, barring someone from the club membership for their
inconsistent actions (not attending meetings due to academic pressure but
too shy to say it)

Prejudices

Caste discrimination
Practice of untouchability
Lead to conflcit - Honour killing, inter caste conflict, love jihad, discrimination
against north east and africa

Standing up

Mohammand Ali despite being threatened with consequences stood up

against Vietnam war. it had short term consequences but in the long run he is
heralded as the champion of human rights world over
Deception

Sita got attracted by beautiful golden deer. Rama was forced to go after it due
to her insistence. This led to her abduction by Ravana

Opportunity

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by, And that
has made all the difference - Robert frost in road not taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both -

Civility/Humor

When Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was attacked in Parliament over the
loss of Aksai Chin during the Sino-Indian war of 1962, Nehru is reported to
have said that not a single blade of grass grows there ... and the nation had
lost little by its occupation by China. Mahavir Tyagi, a senior Congress leader,
pointed to his bald head and said: “Nothing grows here ..should it be cut off or
given away to somebody else?”

Dharma

Mahabharata - Bhism Pitamaha - When Draupadi asks Pitamaha who did

Youshishtir lost first - himself or her? P replies that "Dharma changes with
time"

Courage

the time is always right to do the right - nelson mandela

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak and also what it takes to sit down
and listen - Churchill
Fight or flight
S Manjunath
Satyendra Dubey
Prakash Singh report - haryana agitation
SP Mathura
IFS officer at UN
Collector @ madras
It is contagious - inspires others
Recently SC justice Chelameshwar refused to take part in collegium
proceeding due to opaqueness in it.This was despite he was in minority over
issue of collegium (4-1).
More people die of fear of death than by actual death.

Fear

Dronacharya
In his first inaugural address, during the depths of the Great Depression, US
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt famously told Americans that, “The only
thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Invoking the Book of Exodus, he went on
to say that, “We are stricken by no plague of locusts.” Nothing tangible was
 causing the depression; the problem, in March 1933, was in people’s minds

Selfish motive

Kaikiyee whose temporary spell of selfishness causes lifelong regret

Loyalty:

A rajput Prince was conspired to be killed. Panna who worked in the court
learnt the conspiracy. In order to save the Prince, she replaced the Prince with
her own kid. Her own kid got killed.

Greed/Desire/Abundance

Napoleon parished because of his greed

Greed of duryadahah due to his jealousy of Bhima and other panda led to
destruction of Kuru empire
"A man with one watch knows what time it is. A man with two is never quite sure.”
Need brings greed, if greed increases it spoils breed
Wealth is worshipped as god and pride has become a creed

Social infleunce

Foot in the door - Beta bus 1 ghanta padh lo. Chalo abb 2 ghante aur. Good
boy.
Door in the face - 25 k se ek rupee kum nahi. Chalo sirf aap ke liye, 24k last
hai.

Important leaders

Parliamentarian:: GK Gokhale and Sushma Swaraj

Sportsperson:: Rahul Dravid. Michael Jordan
Activists:: Hazare, Baba Amte, Lalit Mehta, Dayanand Saraswati, Narendra
Dabholkar
Child Rights:: Kailash Satyarthi

Social sins/Cardinal vices and corresponding catholic virtues

Humility
Lust -chastity
Gluttony -Temperance
Greed- Charity
Sloth - Diligence
Wrath- Patience
Envy -Kindness
Pride

Miscellaneous

Opinions have caused more ills than the plague or earthquakes on this little globe
of ours. - Voltaire
Union carbide incident - Design was entirely legal by the Indian laws prevelant
that time but it wasn’t conforming the american laws
Self fulfilling prophecy