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Question

"Mindless addiction to Form, ignoring the Substance of the matter, results in rendering of injustice. A perceptive civil servant is one who ignores such literalness and carries out true intent." Examine the above statement with suitable illustrations.

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CSE 2024 (Prelims) CSAT Previous Year Paper (16-Jun-2024)

This statement encapsulates a critical ethical challenge in public administration: the tension between rigid adherence to rules ('Form') and achieving the actual purpose of those rules ('Substance'). Mindless addiction to form, characterized by bureaucratic red-tape and an emphasis on procedural correctness over real-world impact, often leads to injustice. For instance, consider a welfare scheme where stringent documentation requirements deny essential benefits to genuinely needy individuals who lack the means to procure complex paperwork. The 'form' is met, but the 'substance' – alleviating poverty – is tragically lost, leading to exclusion errors and human suffering.

A perceptive civil servant, however, understands that laws and policies are means to an end: public welfare, justice, and societal good. They possess the wisdom to look beyond the literal text, discerning the 'true intent' and applying discretion. An example would be an officer in a disaster-stricken area, prioritizing immediate aid distribution by waiving certain formalities temporarily, understanding that the spirit of the law aims to save lives, not to perfectly complete forms. Such a civil servant acts with empathy and practical wisdom, ensuring that governance remains humane, effective, and truly serves its citizens, even if it means bending rigid rules without breaking their core ethical purpose.

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Anushka Goel

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