(a) In the present digital age, social media has revolutionised our way of communication and interaction. However, it has raised several ethical issues and challenges. Describe the key ethical dilemmas in this regard. (b) “Constitutional morality is not a natural sentiment but a product of civil education and adherance of the rule of law.” Examine the significance of constitutional morality for public servant highlighting the role in promoting good governance and ensuring accountability in public administration.

Two forces increasingly shape public life: the digital public square and the constitutional value framework that must govern it.

(a) Ethical dilemmas of social media

• Privacy vs openness: constant data harvesting against the right to privacy (Puttaswamy).
• Free speech vs harm: misinformation, hate speech and deepfakes versus expression under Article 19.
• Anonymity vs accountability: trolling and defamation shielded by pseudonymity.
• Attention economy vs well-being: addictive design, echo chambers and effects on mental health, especially of the young.

(b) Constitutional morality

Constitutional morality, a term Dr. Ambedkar borrowed from Grote, is the disciplined commitment to constitutional values and the rule of law, not merely to the letter of the text. As the question notes, it is cultivated through civic education, not instinctive.

• For a public servant it means fidelity to the Constitution's spirit—equality, dignity, secularism—over personal or majoritarian preference.
• It anchors good governance: impartiality, non-arbitrariness and protection of minority rights.
• It underpins accountability: acting within the law, giving reasons, and being answerable, as courts affirmed in Navtej Johar and the NCT of Delhi case.

Conclusion

A public servant guided by constitutional morality can wield digital tools ethically, turning the online sphere into an instrument of, not a threat to, democratic governance.