UPSC Ethics Simplified : This Republic Day, understanding idea of ‘Self-Sovereignty’ and why ethics matter

But first, what is a ‘Republic’?

A republic is a system of government where power lies with the people and their elected representatives. In India, this means that the President is an elected head of state, chosen for a fixed term, unlike in a monarchy where the position is inherited.

Republic Day commemorates the adoption of the Constitution of India and reminds institutions and individuals alike to listen to the voice of the voiceless and to bridge the gap between I and We. If this day makes us sovereign, it also reminds us to sovereign the self in order to build a better society by moving onward and upward.

What is the concept of ‘self-sovereignty’?

While sovereignty in political theory is defined as the ultimate authority in a state’s decision-making process and in the maintenance of order, the concept of self-sovereignty refers to the recognition and assertion of one’s inner authority over one’s own life, actions, thoughts, and outcomes. Examples include a citizen respecting traffic rules, public property, and queues not because of enforcement, but due to an internal sense of responsibility, or making an attempt to save someone’s life even when one is not obliged to do so and an authority is designated to handle the situation.

Turning to ethics and history on this Republic Day

A few questions remain unanswered even after so many years since India became a republic: Why don’t we treat fellow beings simply as human beings? Why is the death or misery of a common person still an unnoticed act? Why is ethics not becoming a behavioural pattern across society? And why is ethics seen not as a practical conduct, but as a utopian one?

Imagine how you would feel if a taxi or auto driver asked you about your caste or religion before starting a journey, whether in the morning or at night. Or if your name and community were asked while buying or selling anything.

Let us turn to history. A young boy was travelling to Goregaon with his elder sister to meet his father. When he got off at the station and was seen standing alone, the station master asked him, “Who are you?” He replied, “Mahar.” Hearing this, the station master recoiled, fearing that the boy might touch him and render him impure. This incident made the boy realise, for the first time, how meaningless yet painful the sting of caste had made human values like equality. Even a coachman was unwilling to take them in his carriage. Finally, the boy himself took the reins of the carriage. Later, he became the architect of the Constitution, known to the world as Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar.

On January 26, 1950, the Constitution of India was fully implemented. Yet Dr. Ambedkar remained apprehensive. He said, “On January 26, 1950, we are going to enter a life of contradictions. In politics, we will have equality, but in social and economic life, there will be inequality.” His bitter personal experiences warned him that the journey would not be easy despite the Constitution. Adam Smith, in The Theory of Moral Sentiments, writes, “In solitude, we feel everything that concerns ourselves with much greater intensity…” Ambedkar, too, seemed to experience this solitude until the Constitution was implemented.

In other words, all aspects of our daily lives must function on the principles of freedom, equality, fraternity, and justice. Protecting human dignity and the lives and rights of all is the very essence of constitutional justice. If this is not understood, society breaks down, and the consequences are dire. Amartya Sen believes that two important qualities should be considered in the theory of justice: fairness and sensitivity to outcomes. In his book The Idea of Justice (2009), he writes, “The value of justice should be universal, not applicable to the problems and crises of some people but not others.”

When we find our identity in constitutional values, we do not see Hindus or Muslims among the tourists and citizens at Kartavya Path; instead, everyone’s gaze is fixed on the Indian flag. This sense of shared humanity embodies the constitutional values of our country. On November 25, 1949, when Dr. Ambedkar delivered his final speech to the Constituent Assembly, he reminded the nation that the Constitution is not just a book, but the very essence of the nation—provided citizens uphold its values. He warned:

“However good a Constitution may be, it is sure to turn out bad if those who are called upon to work it happen to be a bad lot.”

Why talk about ethics on Republic Day?

We are all citizens of this great nation, and this nation places the highest value on humanity and ethics. The ideas enshrined in the Constitution are not merely words on paper; they are meant to live in spirit within each of us.

The sons and daughters of this country have demonstrated this spirit on many occasions and across all fronts — whether it is soldiers securing the borders and placing the nation above the self, or a delivery partner, a gig worker with no uniform, no authority, and no obligation, who displayed real courage. Moninder, at the cost of his next delivery fee and personal safety, tried to save Yuvraj, a techie who died in Noida just last week.

In Noida techie death, it was Moninder, the gig worker, who was the only real hero.

One may ask: why link all this to the Republic? Is it out of context? The answer is no. These are the very examples that make this Republic great.

The values and ideals that form the basis of the Constitution, institutions, society, and the nation are not different from those that constitute the ethical building blocks of individuals and citizens. Every individual builds society, every citizen builds the nation, and the values of individuals and citizens collectively shape the values of the nation, our Republic.

Happy Republic Day!

POST READ QUESTION FOR UPSC ETHICS

Discuss the concept of self-sovereignty. Explain why it is essential for building ethical citizens in a constitutional democracy.

(The writer is the author of ‘Being Good’, ‘Aaiye, Insaan Banaen’, ‘Kyon’ and ‘Ethikos: Stories Searching Happiness’. 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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