Q. Evaluate the significance of Codes of Ethics and Codes of Conduct for civil servants in ensuring accountability and transparency in public administration. Illustrate with examples from recent governance reforms.

Approach:
Introduction:
Begin by briefly distinguishing between a Code of Ethics and a Code of Conduct, highlighting their complementary roles in promoting ethical governance. Emphasize their importance in enhancing accountability and transparency in civil services.
Body:
Use the Nolan Principles of Public Life as the organizing framework to explain how each principle—Selflessness, Integrity, Objectivity, Accountability, Openness, Honesty, and Leadership—relates to ethical and conduct-based standards in administration.
Supplement this with recent Indian reforms that institutionalize these principles:
• Mission Karmayogi for ethical training and skill-building,
• Lokpal Act for institutional accountability,
• Draft Civil Services Code for standardizing ethical norms,
• Whistle Blowers Protection Act for safeguarding integrity, and
• e-Governance tools like RTI and CPGRAMS for fostering transparency and public accountability.
Conclusion:
Conclude by reinforcing the need for continuous ethical reinforcement through training, strong leadership, and institutional mechanisms to uphold public trust in governance.

Introduction
A Code of Ethics outlines the moral values—such as integrity, impartiality, and dedication to public service that guide the behavior of civil servants. A Code of Conduct provides actionable rules and standards for day to-day administrative behavior. Together, they are crucial in building an ethical culture in public service and ensuring accountability and transparency, which are fundamental to democratic governance and citizen trust.

Body:
Significance of Codes of Ethics and Conduct in Ensuring Accountability and Transparency:
Nolan Principles of Public Life, - are globally recognized standards that illustrate the ethical value of these codes in governance:
1. Selflessness:
Ethical codes remind civil servants to serve the public interest, not personal or political agendas—critical in preventing nepotism or favoritism.
2. Integrity:
Provisions against bribery and misuse of office in Codes of Conduct foster a culture of honesty and prevent corruption.
3. Objectivity:
Decision-making based on evidence and merit, as guided by these codes, promotes fairness and reduces administrative bias.
4. Accountability:
Clearly defined rules create standards against which civil servants can be held answerable, enabling audits, evaluations, and corrective action.
5. Openness: Transparency is ensured when codes mandate public disclosures, procedural clarity, and accessible records. 6. Honesty: Truthful communication and responsible record-keeping build public confidence and institutional credibility.
7. Leadership: Senior officials are expected to model ethical behavior, influencing junior staff and institutional culture positively.

Conclusion:
Codes of Ethics and Conduct play a vital role in promoting clean, accountable governance. Indian reforms like Mission Karmayogi and RTI have operationalized these ideals. Moving ahead, ethics must be integrated through training, enforcement, and leadership to ensure civil servants uphold transparency and earn the public’s trust.