Why in News?

Kerala has suspended two Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, N. Prashant and K. Gopalakrishnan, citing violations of service rules.

The suspensions have sparked discussions on the conduct rules for civil servants, particularly concerning social media usage and maintaining professional integrity.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• The Charges Against the Officers
• Conduct Rules for IAS Officers
• Issues with the Current Framework of Conduct Rules and Recommendations for Improvement
• Conclusion

The Charges Against the Officers:

• Allegation against N. Prashant:
  • He is accused of making derogatory statements on social media against A. Jayathilak IAS, Additional Chief Secretary.
  • The remarks were deemed unbecoming of an officer and a violation of service discipline, tarnishing the administrative machinery's public image.
  • However, Prashant alleged that Jayathilak orchestrated baseless reports against him and denied the accusations.
• Allegation against K. Gopalakrishnan:
  • Accused of creating a religion-based WhatsApp group named ‘Mallu Hindu Officers’, promoting disunity and communal formations within the IAS cadre.
  • No evidence supported Gopalakrishnan's claim that his phone was hacked. A factory reset of the phone before police inquiry raised suspicions.

Conduct Rules for IAS Officers:

• The All-India Services (Conduct) Rules 1968 set a code of conduct for IAS, IPS, and Indian Forest Service officers.
• Relevant provisions include:
  • Ethics and integrity: Officers must uphold high standards of ethics, political neutrality, and constitutional values.
  • Social media use: Officers can use public media to discharge duties but must not criticise government policies.
  • General behaviour: Actions considered unbecoming of a member of the service are prohibited.
  • Legal recourse: Officers need government sanction to approach courts or the press for vindication of official acts under criticism.

 Issues with the Current Framework of Conduct Rules and Recommendations for Improvement:

• Issues:
  • Lack of explicit social media guidelines: Existing rules do not specifically address social media communication, creating ambiguity.
  • Ambiguity in "Unbecoming Conduct": The term remains vaguely defined, allowing potential misuse by senior officers or government authorities.
  • Power imbalance: Junior officers may be vulnerable to the discretionary power of senior officials in enforcing rules.
• Recommendations:
  • Specific social media guidelines:
    • Define permissible and prohibited content related to official duties.
    • Include provisions to address defamatory campaigns against officers.
  • Clarifying "Unbecoming Conduct": Develop an illustrative list based on past cases to reduce ambiguity and ensure fair enforcement.
  • Promoting responsible anonymity: Officers should maintain anonymity while disseminating information about government initiatives, ensuring professionalism and neutrality.

Conclusion:

• The suspensions of two IAS officers of Kerala cadre highlight the need for clearer and more specific conduct rules, especially regarding social media usage.
• While maintaining transparency is crucial, civil servants must balance responsible communication with professional anonymity to safeguard their roles and the public image of the administrative machinery.