UPSC Express

The concept of Emotional Intelligence has been popularised as a concept by Daniel Goleman in his book Emotional Intelligence(1995), as the capacity to recognise our own emotions and those of others and to regulate these emotions to enhance the relationships and one’s life.

The current work environment of the civil servant is very complex and to achieve maximum public welfare, emotional intelligence is a critical factor which can be seen as follows:

• A civil servant is required to adhere to rules & regulations and be sensitive to peoples requirements at the same time. Often there is a conflict between rules and public requirement and it requires good emotional intelligence to resolve this.
• The developmental gaps have led to a different set of aspirations and requirements for different socio-economic segments. Good EI is necessary to perceive this and deliver on the aspirations of people.
• Upholding the rule of law is a key task for civil servants, sometimes the ground situation gets extremely difficult to manage, like during riots, mob violence etc. where a small incident can provoke people. Resolving these issues needs emotional intelligence.
• Day to day administration is riddled with problems like political pressure, corruption, less flexible rule etc. These can be only tackled with EI.
• The grass-root level empowerment, especially after the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendment have changed the fundamentals of governance. A civil servant should be mindful of the decentralization of power and his role in the governance model.
• The workplace of civil servants is also an important area where good EI is essential. An officer has to motivate his subordinate to perform, keep the requirements of his superior in mind and maintain a healthy relationship with his peers.

EI is rightly considered as the unique intersection of head i.e cognition, and heart i.e emotion. In today’s tech-driven environment with declining social skills, the role of EI for a civil servant has become more important than ever.