(a) Explain how ethics contributes to social and human well-being. (b) Why should impartiality and non-partisanship be considered as foundational values in public services, especially in the present day socio-political context? Illustrate your answer with examples.

(a) Ethics and social and human well-being

Ethics is the shared code of right conduct that enables individuals and societies to flourish together. It contributes to well-being by:

• Building trust and cooperation - honesty and reciprocity reduce social friction and lower transaction costs;
• Ensuring justice and dignity - fairness and compassion protect the weak and uphold human rights;
• Promoting harmony - tolerance and empathy sustain social cohesion in a diverse society;
• Guiding self-restraint - ethics moderates greed and violence, enabling sustainable and inclusive progress.

Without ethics, material progress alone breeds inequality, conflict and alienation; ethics gives development a human purpose.

(b) Impartiality and non-partisanship as foundational values

Impartiality means treating all citizens equally without favour or prejudice; non-partisanship means serving the government of the day loyally without political alignment. They are foundational because public power is a public trust that must serve everyone, not a faction.

In today's polarised, competitive-politics context they matter more than ever:

• They ensure equal delivery of welfare irrespective of caste, religion, region or party;
• They preserve the neutrality and continuity of institutions like the Election Commission, police and civil services;
• They protect officers from being used as tools of partisan ends.

The permanent civil service, giving free and frank advice yet implementing any elected government's lawful policy, embodies these values. An officer conducting elections or relief must remain visibly even-handed.

Conclusion

Ethics humanises progress, and impartiality with non-partisanship keeps public power a trust for all citizens.