---
title: "Gandhi's Talisman: Ethics Test for GS4 | Model Diplomat"
description: "Gandhi's Talisman asks officials to recall the poorest person and judge whether an act helps them — a core UPSC GS4 ethics text on Antyodaya and empathy."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/gandhian-talisman"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Gandhi's Talisman is a moral test articulated by Mahatma Gandhi advising decision-makers to weigh every action against its effect on the poorest and weakest person they have seen.
- Where does the text of Gandhi's Talisman come from?
- How does the talisman differ from utilitarianism?
- How is Gandhi's Talisman relevant to the UPSC GS4 ethics paper?
- What are the main criticisms of using the talisman in policy?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

Gandhi's Talisman is a moral test articulated by Mahatma Gandhi advising decision-makers to weigh every action against its effect on the poorest and weakest person they have seen.

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## Timeline

1. 30 January 1948

   Gandhi's Talisman is a short ethical maxim attributed to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, recovered from his papers after his assassination on and first publishe…

2. 25 December 2000

   It supplies the philosophical justification for the Antyodaya Anna Yojana launched on to target the poorest households for subsidised foodgrain, and for the…

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Example

In 2000 the Government of India launched the Antyodaya Anna Yojana, explicitly invoking Gandhi's talisman to identify the poorest one crore households for the most heavily subsidised foodgrain rations.

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