Official Question UPSC 2026
Mr. X, a senior officer, was overseeing a critical vaccination programme during a pandemic. He found that a private service provider responsible for vaccine distribution was compromising on quality to make profits. Despite immense pressure to manage the issue due to vested interests, he raised his voice based on the principles of public administration which he learnt during various training programmes attended across his career. He reported the issue to the appropriate vigilance authority and halted the contract to ensure citizen welfare. Which one among the following principles of public administration was most strongly demonstrated by Mr. X's actions?
Solution & Analysis
Answer: C
Let us analyze the scenario based on the core Principles of Public Administration:
•Accountability (Correct): This is the obligation of public officials to answer for their actions, ensure transparency, and protect the public interest. By formally reporting the corrupt contractor to vigilance authorities and halting the compromised distribution despite pressure, Mr. X actively exercised accountability over public funds and citizen welfare.
•Esprit de corps (Incorrect): This is a classical management principle defined by Henri Fayol, referring strictly to building unity, team spirit, and harmony within an organization. It does not apply to reporting external corruption.
•Equity (Incorrect): Equity refers to fairness, impartiality, and justice in the distribution of public services. While the ultimate outcome protected the public, the specific administrative act of answering to oversight and enforcing rules is accountability.
•Delegation (Incorrect): Delegation is the transfer of authority to a subordinate. While the vaccine distribution was delegated to a private provider, Mr. X's action was about holding that delegated entity accountable, not the act of delegation itself.
Conclusion: The officer's actions are a textbook demonstration of Accountability.