"Constitutional morality is not a natural sentiment but a product of civil education and adherence of the…

Question

"Constitutional morality is not a natural sentiment but a product of civil education and adherence of the rule of law." Examine the significance of constitutional morality for public servant highlighting the role in promoting good governance and ensuring accountability in public administration.

Ghissu Editorial · Accepted Answer

Constitutional morality, which Ambedkar said must be cultivated, makes public servants place constitutional values and the rule of law above personal or political pressure, promoting impartial good governance and accountability. T.S.R. Subramanian (2013) urged officers to record oral instructions, guarding against Emergency-era obedience to unlawful orders.

**Introduction**

On 4 November 1948, Ambedkar quoted George Grote to warn that constitutional morality "is not a natural sentiment. It has to be cultivated." For a public servant it means placing the Constitution's values and the rule of law above personal belief, political pressure or majority sentiment.

**Constitutional Morality in Promoting Good Governance**

SKETCH: flow | Cultivating Constitutional Morality
- Civic education
- Habit of rule of law
- Constitutional morality
- Impartial, lawful decisions
- Accountable, trusted state

1. **Cultivated through training**: Article 51A(a) asks every citizen to abide by the Constitution, and Mission Karmayogi (2020) trains officers in rule-based, citizen-centric conduct.
2. **Rule of law over whim**: E.P. Royappa (1974) held arbitrariness to be the antithesis of equality under Article 14, so every decision must rest on law and reasons.
3. **Impartiality against prejudice**: Shakti Vahini (2018) directed district officials to protect inter-caste couples from khap diktats, placing constitutional values above community sentiment.

**Constitutional Morality in Ensuring Accountability**

1. **Answerability within legal forms**: The RTI Act 2005 and reasoned written orders keep power "subject only to definite legal control".
2. **Refusing unlawful orders**: T.S.R. Subramanian (2013) urged officers to record oral instructions, guarding against the obedience the Shah Commission (1978) found during the Emergency.
3. **Open to scrutiny**: Social audits under Section 17 of MGNREGA let citizens question officials publicly, the open censure of public acts that Grote paired with obedience.

**Conclusion**

Constitutional morality turns a written Constitution into lived governance. Cultivated through civic education and daily rule of law, it makes the public servant a trustee who delivers good governance and accepts accountability as a duty, not a burden.

"Constitutional morality is not a natural sentiment but a product of civil education and adherence of the rule of law." Examine the significance of constitutional morality for public servant highlighting the role in promoting good governance and ensuring accountability in public administration.

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