BharatNotes Impartiality
nounUsage in a UPSC answer
The legitimacy of the judiciary rests less on the wisdom of any single verdict than on its institutional impartiality, for citizens defer to a court only when convinced that the scales of justice are not tilted by wealth, office or political patronage.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
impartial (adj), impartially (adv), partial (adj, antonym), partiality (n, antonym), impartialness (n)
Root
Latin im- = not; partiālis = partial, biased; pars = part; meaning the quality of being unbiased
Etymology
From Latin im- ("not") + partiālis ("partial, biased"), from pars ("part"); the noun form emerged in English in the 16th century to describe the quality of being unbiased.
Memory Hook
IM- (not) + PARTIAL: to be impartial is to take 'not a part', i.e. to take no side. Picture a judge refusing to join either 'part' of the courtroom.
Seen in UPSC Question Papers
- Mains 2023 · GS2 · 10 marks — Indian Polity
- Mains 2021 · GS4 · 10 marks — Ethics in Public Administration
- Mains 2016 · GS4 · 10 marks — Civil Service Values
Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Impartiality” — proof this word earns its place on your list.
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