BharatNotes Impartiality
noun (uncountable)Usage in a UPSC answer
The Election Commission of India's Constitutional mandate under Article 324 requires it to conduct elections with strict impartiality, and its deployment of the Model Code of Conduct — which creates a de facto restraint on government spending announcements in the pre-election period — is a practical expression of that non-partisan imperative.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
impartial (adj), impartially (adv), partial (adj), partiality (noun), non-partisan (adj), neutrality (noun)
Root
Latin in- = not; pars (genitive partis) = part, side (parti-); -alis = relating to; -ity = state/quality
Etymology
Formed in English from im- (negative prefix, variant of in- before 'p') + partial, from Medieval Latin partialis 'of a part', from Latin pars (genitive partis) 'part, portion, side in a dispute'. Partial in the sense of 'favouring one side' is attested from the 14th century; impartial from the late 16th century; impartiality from the 17th century.
Memory Hook
IM-PARTIAL: NOT partial to any PART(y). Latin pars = part/side — impartiality means you take no one's PART, you stand in the middle of the two PARTS without leaning. The scales of justice hung equally = impartiality.
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.
Tip: press Alt+S to hear pronunciation
