New Delhi, Sept. 11 -- It was reported last week that the Government of India is likely to come up with a 'social media code of conduct' for its officers in view of an increasing trend of self-promotion and glorification through various posts, reels and stories that stands in stark contrast to the code of conduct prescribed for civil servants. If so, the move is long overdue and much needed in these times of misinformation and a credibility crisis facing institutions, in order to preserve the sanctity of the delivery mechanism, with its core values of impartiality and neutrality that form the bedrock of Weber's bureaucracy.
Though public servants are not prohibited from using social media, the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964, and related service rules strictly mandate political neutrality, respect for government policies/actions, non-divulgence of confidential information, and separation of personal and official identities. However, there is no uniform social media code for public servants in India, though steps have been initiated in fits and starts, as in Maharashtra and Bihar. Effectively, freedom on social media is unfettered for public servants in India. Some receive congratulatory wishes from their thousands of citizen followers on new postings, promotions and official success stories, while others receive loads of love on pictures of their private lives, vacations, family celebrations, gym workouts and whatnot. The scenario is not unlike the celebrity lives of Bollywood personalities, sports stars or famous political figures. Self-promotion through a celebrity bureaucrat culture, using official position, resources and time for personal branding or influence-building, creates conflicts of interest. The worst instances involve those who try to re-enact something akin to Luther's famous 95 Theses, criticising government policies or superior officers, fostering political affiliations, disclosing confidential information or washing dirty linen in public forums. It is highly condemnable, for it leads to an erosion of trust in governance and encourages contempt for government institutions, not to mention indiscipline in the rank and file.
Unpleasant incidents have occurred in the recent past wherein the government has had to come down heavily on some civil servants for objectionable conduct on social media - rather, misconduct - attracting departmental action. Two IAS officers from the Kerala cadre were suspended in 2024: one for derogatory remarks against the Chief Secretary on social media and the other for creating a religion-based WhatsApp group, allegedly fomenting communal division within the cadre. One IAS officer was immediately removed as an Election Observer and action was initiated against him for posting photos on Instagram and Twitter announcing his arrival in a constituency for Assembly poll duty. Disciplinary proceedings were initiated under the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules against quite a few officers in different states in the past for irresponsible social media posts that tarnished the image of the administration and bred disobedience in the system.
Most Western governments do not have specific laws against the use of social media by civil servants and employees of state agencies. Nevertheless, they are way ahead in regulating the social media activities of public functionaries through administrative orders and ethical codes. In Canada, self-promotion that leverages a public service position for private gain is prohibited under the Values and Ethics Code principles. Likewise, the use of government symbols, logos or official email IDs for objectionable personal purposes is prohibited. Conflicts of interest must be declared and managed transparently. A Revenue Agency employee was fired for posts celebrating terrorist acts and the deaths of NATO personnel. Similarly, the UK's political impartiality rules restrict content that involves advancing personal visibility tied to government work. A senior civil servant faced disciplinary action in 2026 after sharing an Instagram story with a "death wish" caption about Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in the context of Dolly Parton's death.
The Australian Public Service (APS) guidance uses a risk-based approach. Employees are allowed to have private lives but must uphold APS Values and the Code of Conduct, which underscore impartiality and public confidence. A public servant, Michaela Banerji, was dismissed in 2019 for anonymous Twitter posts criticising government immigration and foreign policy. In the US, ethics rules (Standards of Conduct) and the Hatch Act (political activity) prohibit federal employees from using their official position, uniform or photos of government spaces for private gain or to endorse products on social media. Despite First Amendment protections, federal employees are not immune from disciplinary action under the Hatch Act for political activity on social media, especially while on duty or when using government resources.
Public service is coveted employment with lavish perks, the maintenance of which is supported by a substantial portion of the government budget annually; as such, it would be not only unbecoming of a public servant but also unethical to engage in self-glorification or personal empowerment on social media forums. A public servant has responsibilities towards the government and citizens alike, unlike an ordinary citizen who enjoys various freedoms of self-expression. That said, a civil servant is free to engage himself/herself on social media in the pursuit of fine arts, educational activities or philanthropic causes, or in bona fide trade union activities such as employees' associations, family groups, etc., within the boundaries of conduct rules. Hopefully, if the government comes up with a uniform social media code of conduct, it will help reinforce the noble values of the civil services, guiding public servants towards neutrality and professionalism - the hallmarks of a quintessential, committed bureaucracy.
Views expressed are personal. The writer is a former Additional Chief Secretary of Chhattisgarh
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.