22 October: impartial and non-partisan
Thursday 22 October 2026
GS Paper 4 · 150 words · 10 marks
Should being impartial and being non-partisan be considered as indispensable qualities to make a successful civil servant? Discuss with illustrations.
(UPSC Mains 2021, GS Paper 4, Q5(b))
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How to approach this question
What the question asks.
| Part | What to write |
|---|---|
| Impartial | Treating every citizen equally, without bias |
| Non-partisan | Serving any elected government, favouring no party |
| Indispensable? | Your answer, with a qualification |
| With illustrations | One situation for each quality |
A shape that works in 150 words.
- Answer yes in one line, and say there is a qualification.
- Impartiality, defined, with an illustration.
- Non-partisanship, defined, with an illustration.
- The qualification: equal treatment and care for the disadvantaged.
- End on how the system should protect these qualities.
What to avoid.
| Mistake | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| Treating the two words as the same | Define each and give each its own example |
| Illustrations with no situation | Describe a decision an officer had to make |
| Only "yes" | Add the qualification about weaker sections |
| A quotation in place of reasoning | Use the conduct rules or Patel to support your point |
A model answer
Yes. Both are indispensable, because citizens and governments must trust the civil service. Impartiality needs one qualification.
Impartiality
An impartial officer treats every citizen by the same rules. During communal tension, a district magistrate who enforces prohibitory orders equally on every group keeps everyone's trust. The All India Services (Conduct) Rules, amended in 2014, require impartiality and political neutrality.
Non-partisanship
A non-partisan officer serves any elected government. On election duty, officers enforce the Model Code against the ruling party as firmly as against the opposition. In 1947, Sardar Patel told probationers that a civil servant "cannot afford to, and must not, take part in politics".
The qualification
Impartial officers must still see disadvantage. The same rules ask for responsiveness, particularly to weaker sections. Equal treatment includes that care.
Conclusion
In T.S.R. Subramanian (2013), the Supreme Court asked for minimum tenure and civil services boards for transfers. These protect both qualities.
Word count: 150.
Why this answer works. It defines the two qualities separately. Each has a situation that shows it. The qualification stops the answer being one-sided. The conclusion says how the qualities are protected.
Where it could be stronger. It could name a real officer whose impartiality or neutrality was tested, if you know the case well.