(UPSC Ethics Simplified is a special series under UPSC Essentials by The Indian Express. It examines news and syllabus themes from an ethical perspective, integrates real-life or hypothetical case studies, and revisits core concepts of ethics. The series aligns current affairs with fundamental ethical principles to promote an ethical understanding of life, helping aspirants develop clarity, application skills, and value-based understanding for GS-IV. In this article, ethicist Nanditesh Nilay examines the ethical dimensions of the relationship between a minister and a civil servant, drawing from the recent incident in which Haryana’s Energy Minister asked the Kaithal SP to “get up from the meeting if you have no power” during a district grievance redressal session, after a disagreement over the suspension of a junior officer.)ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW VIDEORecently, an argument between a Haryana minister and an IPS officer became widely discussed on social media. For many aspirants, such incidents may appear extraordinary. In reality, however, moments of friction between ministers and bureaucrats are not uncommon in the life of a civil servant. The minister, Anil Vij, directed SP Upasna to suspend an Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) in a land-related case. (file image)The relationship between the political executive and the permanent executive is delicate. One derives authority from the mandate of the people; the other derives legitimacy from service rules and procedures. Both are essential. When balance and restraint weaken, governance itself appears strained.There have been very few conversations that can afford to sour the relationship between the legislature and the executive. Yet at times, harmony gives way to harshness. On one side may stand an honourable minister committed to addressing public grievances and responding swiftly to people’s concerns. On the other side may stand a civil servant bound by law, rules, and administrative discipline. When authority meets procedure without patience, the room can quickly fill with noise instead of nuance.On that day, the IPS officer was at the receiving end. She appeared visibly hurt, yet she maintained composure. She held firmly to her role, her professional dignity, and her duty toward the public. Such moments test not only temperament but also ethical grounding.Ethical lenseThis is where philosophy offers clarity. In his work Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle explains the Doctrine of the Mean. Virtue, he argues, lies between excess and deficiency. Excessive anger is a vice. Complete passivity is also a vice. The ethical path lies in measured response. In public life, communication too must lie between arrogance and submission.Perhaps, at that moment, the ‘mean’ was missing.The episode raises important ethical questions for aspirants. Was the public display of ego necessary? How should a civil servant respond when authority clashes with etiquette? Does holding power justify abandoning civility? Most importantly, what did the situation not require?Story continues below this adOne must learn to ask, what did the situation not demand? Was anger required? Was humiliation required? Was public assertion required? Often, wisdom lies not in what we say, but in what we consciously choose not to say.In The Republic, Plato compares the Form of the Good to the sun. Just as the sun enables sight, goodness enables right understanding. Ethical clarity illuminates action. In Indian philosophical thought too, right conduct or dharma is central to public life. Governance is not merely about efficiency. It is about moral examples.A civil servant does not function as an individual alone. A minister does not speak as a private person. Both represent institutions. When conversation deteriorates, institutions appear diminished. When restraint prevails, institutions are strengthened.That IPS officer has become a role model for many, and the honourable minister remains a popular leader. Both, in their own ways, continue to represent important pillars of democratic functioning. Ultimately, the legislature and the executive are recognised voices of democracy, and their conduct shapes public trust in institutions. Moments of disagreement may arise, but it is the quality of conversation that determines whether institutions are strengthened or strained. No one can deny that conversation is, indeed, a community activity.Story continues below this adWhere grace begins, conflict ends : Lessons from beyond the administrative arenaBringing grace into communication means recognising that not every tense moment demands escalation. Emotional intelligence, patience, and maturity are administrative virtues. They are as important as knowledge of law or policy.A brief sporting moment illustrates this truth. During an international cricket match, tension surfaced between Suryakumar Yadav and Kuldeep Yadav after a fielding miscommunication. Frustration was visible. Instead of reacting sharply, Suryakumar walked up with a gentle smile and offered a spontaneous, reassuring hug. No reprimand and no public irritation. Just composure. The tension dissolved. India’s Kuldeep Yadav attempts a catch during a practice session before an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 cricket match between India and South Africa, at the Narendra Modi Stadium, in Ahmedabad. (PTI Photo)Grace in communication shifts focus from ego to empathy and from reaction to reassurance. The same principle applies to governance. Authority does not grant the freedom to communicate callously. Power without sobriety weakens public trust.For aspirants preparing for public service, the lesson is clear. Ethical governance requires restraint. Professionalism requires composure. Institutions are protected by the integrity of individuals, and individuals are protected by institutional integrity. Democracy demands cooperation, not ego driven divergence.Story continues below this adPost Read Question: When ethics and discipline are absent in the lives of both administrators and politicians, a web of influences, obligations, personal interests, and pressures begins to distort their functioning. Over time, these forces corrode mutual trust and turn tensions into a routine feature of the politico-administrative relationship. In such a social climate, how can a new tradition of integrity be established? Can it take root unless those entrusted with governance, namely Ministers and Civil Servants, set the example themselves? Discuss.(The writer is the author of ‘Being Good’, ‘Aaiye, Insaan Banaen’, ‘Kyon’ and ‘Ethikos: Stories Searching Happiness’. He teaches courses on and offers training in ethics, values and behaviour. He has been the expert/consultant to UPSC, SAARC countries, Civil services Academy, National Centre for Good Governance, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Competition Commission of India (CCI), etc. He has PhD in two disciplines and has been a Doctoral Fellow in Gandhian Studies from ICSSR. His second PhD is from IIT Delhi on Ethical Decision Making among Indian Bureaucrats. He writes for the UPSC Ethics Simplified (concepts and caselets) fortnightly.)Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week.Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – Indian Express UPSC Hub, and follow us on UPSC section of The Indian Express on Instagram and X.Story continues below this adFor your queries and suggestions write at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.comPREVIOUS ARTICLES ON UPSC ETHICS SIMPLIFIED:This Republic Day, understanding idea of ‘Self-Sovereignty’ and why ethics matterHow does Vivekananda’s philosophy take us from ‘I’ to humanity?Beyond the ‘Word of the Year’: Why 2026 needs a ‘Value of the Year’ and what should it be?Story continues below this adHow IndiGo Crisis is a case study on ‘Safety, Trust, and Service’Gen Z in UPSC : What happens to civil services values?Can compassion bridge the gap between humans and animals?How and why Civil Servants should be ‘enablers’ of growth, not mere ‘regulators’Politicians, Athletes, UPSC Aspirants: Do Results Matter? Aristotle has an answerStory continues below this adHow must a police officer choose between a VVIP and a common man at ‘Ram Lalla’ Darshan?What can a doctor’s story teach future public servants? Revisiting medical ethics after the cough syrup tragedy