{"id":4313,"date":"2026-10-23T04:17:56","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T04:17:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/?p=4313"},"modified":"2026-10-27T04:25:05","modified_gmt":"2026-10-27T04:25:05","slug":"political-ethics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/political-ethics\/","title":{"rendered":"Political Ethics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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SYLLABUS: Ethics<\/b><\/p>\n

General Studies \u2013 : IV <\/b>Public\/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration: Status and problems; ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions; laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance; accountability and ethical governance; strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance; ethical issues in international relations and funding; corporate governance.\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

IN NEWS:<\/b> Should children be involved in political campaigning?<\/span><\/p>\n

QUESTION: <\/b>A political party uses popular celebrities to attract young supporters. During an election campaign, children are encouraged to create social media videos and repeatedly persuade their parents and grandparents to vote for a particular candidate. The party argues that the children are voluntarily expressing their preferences and that restricting them would violate their freedom of expression.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a District Election Officer, you receive complaints from parents and civil society organisations alleging that children are being manipulated for electoral gains.<\/span><\/p>\n

(a) Identify the ethical issues and competing values involved in the situation.<\/span><\/p>\n

(b) What are the ethical dilemmas between protecting children from manipulation and respecting their freedom of expression?<\/span><\/p>\n

(c) What course of action would you adopt to protect children’s interests without unnecessarily restricting their democratic participation?<\/span><\/p>\n

ANSWER: <\/b>As a District Election Officer (DEO), navigating the intersection of child rights, ethical campaigning, and constitutional freedoms requires a balanced, objective, and legally sound administrative approach.<\/span><\/p>\n

(a) Ethical Issues and Competing Values<\/b><\/h2>\n

Key Ethical Issues<\/b><\/h3>\n
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  1. Instrumentalization of Children:<\/b> Using children\u2014who lack legal age to vote or fully grasp political ideologies\u2014as tools or proxies for political persuasion and campaign outreach.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Coercion and Family Friction:<\/b> Encouraging children to repeatedly badger parents and grandparents creates domestic pressure, potential conflict, and undue influence within households.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Exploitation of Celebrity Influence:<\/b> Leveraging media icons popular among youth to target impressionable minds who may not yet possess critical evaluation skills regarding political manifestos.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Digital Rights and Privacy Risks:<\/b> Exposing minors on public social media platforms for political publicity can lead to cyberbullying, digital footprint persistence, and online safety risks.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Competing Values<\/b><\/h3>\n