Relevance: The topic is a part of UPSC CSE General Studies Paper-IV Ethics syllabus. Concepts are particularly relevant in the theory section. Aspirants will also find the article useful for their Essay paper and situation-based questions in personality tests. Moreover, the article’s essence will help aspirants professionally and in life.

Nanditesh Nilay writes for UPSC Ethics Simplified fortnightly. The first article will be a concept while the second article will be a caselet based on the concept. Don’t miss the ‘Post Read Question’ below.

‘Voice of Conscience’ is the buzzword nowadays. But strangely no voice is heard around the crisis of conscience. Can we simply deny the state of crisis of conscience while making important decisions in the name of the voice of conscience? No, not at all. A conscious soul has to face this crisis and it is equally important to understand this concept as well.

People usually have to pass through an inner crisis, i.e. an inner conflict between the ‘voice of conscience’ and the extraneous influences and conditionings while making ethical decisions. In such a situation, you can either get confused or take decisions contrary to your conscience. In our lives, we can easily find ourselves in that state of crisis of conscience. Aspirants will find it in the question papers too. It will be expected whether the candidate is cognizant of this real-life situation and how they handle it in the state of that dilemma of conscience.

Before coming to the concept of ‘crisis of conscience’, let’s discuss the voice of conscience. In the course of discussion don’t forget to absorb the central presence of conscience. Ultimately, conscience is the key. It leads to a voice of conscience.

As we know well conscience is an innate, invariant and incorruptible faculty present in all human beings (the real self of all human beings) which is the true and dependable source for ethical guidance. The exhortation from one’s conscience is called the ‘voice of conscience’. However, each one of us has to learn to heed the voice of conscience more clearly amid the ‘noise’ created by our own belief and conditionings, and this is what provides us the real ethical competence.

We need some time to introspect, contemplate, and evaluate our behaviour. Our actions and conscience will keep on guiding us, provided we are seeking that faculty. Great Vivekananda or Mahatma Gandhi are towering leaders who carry those soulful ears to listen to the voice of conscience amid noises.

The crisis of conscience is a situation of inner dilemma or the inner conflict between the voice of conscience and the influence of external motivations that compel a person to make a contrary decision. This creates an inner tension where one does not find peace with oneself and is unable to find a way out of this situation. This happens due to many factors, such as our uncontrolled desires and lack of awareness about ourselves. Our unbridled desires act as real enemies and prove to be more inimical or harmful to us than the hostile acts of others or any environmental pressure. It presents a greater challenge and needs more calmness and clarity because here one will have to fight with oneself. It needs great moral strength to tame one’s own noise and create a pause from within. For this reason, in ancient scriptures, highly evolved people or those with high moral character are referred to as ‘Arihant’ i.e. the ‘destroyers of real enemies. One needs to handle the crisis of conscience well with the highest form of self-awareness.

In a democracy where the executive creates a profound effect on people’s life; it is really important for an officer to read one’s role and responsibilities well and do everything to free the conscience from the state of crisis. This becomes the crisis of governance and hits the hope of the last person in any democracy. It also creates an environment where nobody wishes to take ownership of failure or deadlock in the decision-making. The lack of conscience creates that void and the loss of voice.

In such situations, when people look towards bureaucrats to become a voice for their troubles or understand their pain and sufferings, a crisis appears — a crisis of conscience. The capability to handle such a situation depends upon a person’s inner development or emotional intelligence etc. This can only be done if someone minimises intrapersonal conflict for handling interpersonal conflict.

What also helps is to have a conscience keeper. C. Rajagopalachari epitomised the conduct, wisdom, and knowledge of Mahatma Gandhi and became his conscience keeper. Similarly, many believe that the judiciary is the conscience keeper of the Constitution.

Speaking of judiciary, last week saw the demise of a great conscience keeper of the Supreme Court and judiciary in particular. The Indian Express in its Editorial paid great respect to him as ‘A colossus and a conscience, at 95, gone too soon.’

The Editorial recalls how Fali Nariman refused to defend the suspension of constitutional rights during the Emergency as Additional Solicitor General of India.

“The resignation of law officer number 3 made no impact, created no ripples, in the political waters in the capital. I was simply not important enough”. This was how Fali Nariman recounted, in a piece he wrote for this newspaper in 2015, a moment in June 1975. That was when, having been appointed additional solicitor-general of India in May 1972, and reappointed for another three-year term in May 1975, Nariman resigned, taking a stand against the Indira Gandhi government’s imposition of Emergency. But, of course, Nariman’s decision mattered. What lay behind his resignation then — a fierce independence, unwavering integrity and staunch commitment to constitutional principle — set off many a ripple that picked up force in a career over seven decades long, raising the bar and setting an example for others. 

In Fali Nariman, the country will miss a public intellectual, who spoke his mind, followed his conscience, admitted his mistakes, and did the right thing. A person who listened to his voice of conscience and as a conscience keeper guided many towards ethical decision making.

Why our society needs conscience keepers?

(The writer is the author of ‘Being Good and Aaiye, Insaan Banaen’. 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.)

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