Importance Of Value Of Impartiality In Administration

Impartiality can be described as the principle that enables people to take decisions on the basis of objective criteria, rather than on the basis of bias, prejudice, or preferring to benefit one person over another for improper reasons. In administration it means acting solely according to the merits of the case and serving governments of different political parties and the general public equally well and in the same spirit.

Types of Impartiality

• Public Impartiality: A public servant as an instrument of government serving the public without discriminating on the basis of caste, religion and gender.
• Personal Impartiality: Being just and fair in personal conduct, without any fear or favour.
• Political Impartiality: Working with devotion to the success of every government and its policies. It means that an individual is not partial to any particular party or government.

Significance of Value of Impartiality in Administration

The value of impartiality helps in making administration responsive, transparent and accountable. This is because it helps in-

• Ensuring objective and evidence-based advice which ministers can use in establishing policies and programs for general public
• Providing the information ministers need to fulfill their accountability role to Parliament and the public
• Delivering services in an effective manner and managing resources and programs effectively
• Ensuring a legal and constitutional transition when democratic processes result in new administrations
• Ensuring that, once professional advice is given, there is a competent and able execution of those decisions which are lawfully made.

Attributes of an Impartial Administrator

As impartiality is one of the foundational values of civil service, a civil servant is expected to be fair and non-partisan. Impartiality introduces following qualities in an administrator -

• Unbiased: Refraining from opinions, positions or actions that demonstrate a bias toward or against a particular cause, including the defense of government policies.
• Evidence-based: In analyzing options, public servants will consider the best evidence-based knowledge.
• Outcome Oriented: They will base their recommendations on the desired outcomes and implement the decisions lawfully taken by ministers, even if these decisions differ from the recommendations of public servant.
• Apolitical: Apolitically impartial public servant serves every government with the same enthusiasm irrespective of the political party in power.
• Uphold Constitutional Values: Impartiality helps a civil servant to uphold constitutionalism and prevents rule of authoritarian governments. It helps in upholding rule of law and makes the civil servant accountable to law.
• Objectivity: Impartiality also inculcates objectivity and often when funds are to be allocated, an impartial civil servant does not favor their own family or friends but allocates funds equitably and based on objective needs.
• Efficient: It keeps the morale of the civil servant high. With a sense of righteousness, the tasks are performed efficiently. It also enables a positive environment and a conducive work culture.
• Honest: It allows the civil servant to be honest, completely free from nepotism, political-corporate nexus and corruption.
• Credible: An impartial civil servant would have a better credibility and persuasive capabilities in negotiating and handling emergency situations like communal riots, ethnic conflicts etc.

Present-day civil servants need to perform multiple functions- give suggestions to political representatives, address public grievances, institutionalize the socio-economic changes, and deliver goods and services. Thus, the need of the hour is of a value committed and impartial bureaucracy.