Public Service Ethics is a fundamental concept and a professional code of morality that governs the conduct and behaviour of civil servants in India. It is a set of guiding principles like integrity, impartiality, transparency, and accountability, which are essential for maintaining public trust and ensuring good governance. The institutional framework for these values originated with the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964, which were a result of the Santhanam Committee's recommendations, and the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968. These rules were established to provide a framework for ethical behaviour and address problems like corruption and lack of accountability.
The mechanism works through these Conduct Rules, which, while not a formal "Code of Ethics," mandate specific standards. For instance, the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968, require every member to maintain absolute integrity and honesty, political neutrality, and promote merit, fairness, and impartiality in their duties. This concept connects directly to legal mechanisms like the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, the Right to Information Act, 2005, and the institution of the Lokpal. A closely related concept is Probity, which signifies adherence to high ethical and moral values in governance.
Recently, the framework has seen changes and new emphasis, such as the launch of Mission Karmayogi to inculcate core public service values. Furthermore, the role of the civil servant is being redefined from a "regulator" to an "enabler and active facilitator of growth," a shift highlighted by Prime Minister Modi in April 2025. A significant legal change was the introduction of Section 17A to the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, via the PCA (Amendment) Act, 2018, which requires prior approval for investigating public servants for official acts. The legality of this Section 17A was examined by the Supreme Court in a split verdict in Centre for Public Interest Litigation Vs. Union of India in 2026.