Civil servants are expected to maintain their composure even in adverse times. But sometimes they have indulged in abuse of power by using force against civilians. While this incident is a blot on civil service and government, it sets a bad example for public service aspirants as well as young individuals looking towards them as inspiration. a. What should be the measures imposed to prevent civil servants from abusing their powers and position? b. Explain role of Emotional Intelligence in tackling such challenges.
Officials misusing their powers and position is not a new phenomenon. During covid times we have seen District Magistrates of Tripura and Chhattisgarh misusing their powers by harming public. In times where whole society is looking at officials as inspiration, they are proving to be a bad example of public servants.
a. Measures to prevent abuse of powers and position
- Accountability
Officials should be made accountable to their actions. Often they are not held accountable that acts as a booster to future actions. By making them accountable, such activities can be controlled.
- Tweak in training mechanism
Officials shall be convinced that they are mere servants of public and they are not superior in any way. They should be trained to not exceed their limits and indulge in acts against public.
- Regular counselling
Officials have a large responsibility resting on their shoulders that increases stress on their mental strength. This results in incidents where they lose their patience and indulge in hard abuse. This can be prevented by regular counselling of officers.
b. Role of Emotional Intelligence in tackling challenges
- Understanding situation of others
The official needs to improve their ability to understand situation of others before acting in an aggressive way. This will prevent him from making unilateral decisions.
- Keeping emotions under control
Officials are usually under immense pressure in situation such as a epidemic and this sometimes gets into their head and they lose control of their emotions. This results in outbursts that is not suitable for an official.
- Convincing powers
The ability to convince others without using force or threat assumes importance in testing times. Using such technique, any further problems can be tackled.
Thus, officials have a responsibility of not only public order but also public welfare. They should perform their duties without violating their powers.
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