INSTA SECURE SYNOPSIS

INSIGHTSIAS
IA SIMPLIFYING IAS EXAM PREPARATION

INSTA SECURE SYNOPSIS

MAINS 2020

GS- IV

AUGUST 2020

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NOTE: Please remember that following ‘answers’ are NOT ‘model answers’. They
are NOT synopsis too if we go by definition of the term. What we are providing
is content that both meets demand of the question and at the same time gives you
extra points in the form of background information.

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Table of Contents
Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in human actions;
dimensions of ethics; ethics in private and public relationships. ........................................................ 8
What do you understand by utilitarianism? Illustrate with examples the grounds on which it has
been criticized. (250 words) ........................................................................................................... 8
What do you understand by ethical dilemmas? Give examples of some of the ethical dilemmas
faced by the civil servants in present times. (250 words) ............................................................. 10
Discuss the possible ethical concerns involved with issuing ‘immunity certificates’ to people who
have recovered from diseases like covid-19. (250 words)............................................................. 12
“Science and technology are a complement to human instinct and intuition, not an alternative”,
do you agree? Discuss. (250 words) ............................................................................................. 14
‘Weak value system in families eventually transcend to weak social, political and administrative
systems, leading in turn to degeneration of the whole country. Discuss. (250 words) .................. 16
Is it necessary that ‘what is ethical is also legal’ and vice versa? Explain with suitable examples.
(250 words) ................................................................................................................................. 18
“Never waste a good crisis”, remarked Winston Churchill. Do you think that a moral crisis is an
essential precondition for the conscience to come alive? Elaborate. (250 words) ........................ 20
With examples from your own life explain how educational institutions have helped you shape
your morality? (250 words) .......................................................................................................... 22
What is a social sin? Is there any standard definition of it? How can we abstain from social sins?
And if we fail to abstain from so called social sins, what would be the consequences? Explain. (250
words) ......................................................................................................................................... 23
How does the cultural relativism defines “good”? Which method does it follow for arriving at
moral beliefs? Explain. (250 words) ............................................................................................. 24
Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators;
role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating values. ......................................... 26
Discuss in detail Gandhiji’s philosophy of Means and Ends. (250 words) ...................................... 26
Should the philosophy of Kautilya as sama, dana, danda and bheda be applied in politics and
administration to achieve desirable objectives? How it will affect morality of people? Explain. (250
words) ......................................................................................................................................... 28
In your own words, explain Kant’s principle of ends. Do you think that this could be a useful moral
principle for you in everyday life? (250 words) ............................................................................. 30
‘The king should surrender his individuality in the interest of his duty’. Discuss the significance and
relevance of the quote applied to administration of today. (250 words) ...................................... 31
Discuss the relevance of Buddha’s ethical teachings in contemporary world. (250 words) ........... 33
Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service , integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship,
objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker
sections. .......................................................................................................................................... 35
Debate upon the significance of virtues for civil services conduct. (250 words) ............................ 35
“When a man assumes a public trust, he should consider himself as public property”. Illustrate the
essence of the statement. (250 words) ........................................................................................ 38
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Emotional intelligence-concepts, and their utilities and application in administration and

governance. .................................................................................................................................... 42
Emotional intelligence in recent times has become the buzzword for determining the success of a
person. Do you agree? If yes, mention the steps you have taken in your life to develop emotional
intelligence. (250 words) ............................................................................................................. 42
Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration: Status and problems; ethical concerns
and dilemmas in government and private institutions; laws, rules, regulations and conscience as
sources of ethical guidance; accountability and ethical governance; strengthening of ethical and
moral values in governance; ethical issues in international relations and funding; ........................... 44
The world has not responded responsibly to international refugees’ crisis. Does it show failure of
ethics in international relations? Discuss. (250 words) ................................................................. 44
‘Problem-preventing values’ have more importance than ‘Problem solving skills.’ Do you agree?
Substantiate your opinion with suitable illustration. (250 words) ................................................. 46
How can a public servant empathize with public? Discuss with suitable examples. (250 words) ... 47
Discuss how lateral entries in administration can help overcome existing inefficiencies and what
are its future prospects? (250 words) .......................................................................................... 49
A bureaucrat is needed to be politically neutral, not programme neutral. Justify. (250 words)..... 52
While acting for ‘change’ and ‘progress’, should an administrator be disappointed because s/he
can do too little? Substantiate. (250 words) ................................................................................. 53
Probity in Governance: Concept of public service; Philosophical basis of governance and probity;
Information sharing and transparency in government, Right to Information, Codes of Ethics, Codes of
Conduct, Citizen’s Charters, Work culture, Quality of service delivery, Utilization of public funds,
challenges of corruption. ................................................................................................................. 55
Highlighting their significance, discuss the issues with Citizen’s Charter in India.(250 words) ....... 55
Analyse the potential of e-governance in India. (250 words) ........................................................ 57
Lack of an orientation to take and own responsibility as moral development is the main cause of
poor work ethics in governments’ offices. Do you agree with the statement? Substantiate. (250
words) ......................................................................................................................................... 60
Case Studies on above issues. .......................................................................................................... 63
You reside in a village notorious for instances of honor killing. You have known some of you
schoolmates being the victims. In this scenario, one of your friends comes to you seeking help.
This time the case is reverse. The father of the boy had threatened to commit suicide if he marries
a girl from a supposedly lower caste. His mother too is bedridden after knowing this. Their
disagreement to for the marriage is solely based on the girl being from a Lower caste. The parents
are also under tremendous pressure from society. The boy is now under tremendous pressure
from the other people from the society, as he will be considered the reason of his parents’ death
if he chooses to stick with his decision of marrying that girl. He also has two school-going younger
siblings. You personally have always believed that the caste discrimination must go and have
always fought against it. You otherwise share a cordial relationship with the boy and also with his
parents. Analyse the situation with ethical angles involved in it. (250 words)............................... 63

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Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics

in human actions; dimensions of ethics; ethics in private and public relationships.
What do you understand by utilitarianism? Illustrate with examples the grounds on
which it has been criticized. (250 words)
Reference: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by Lexicon Publications
Why the question:
The question is based on the concept of Utilitarianism.
Key Demand of the question:
Explain the concept of Utilitarianism in detail and bring out its criticism with suitable examples.
Directive:
Illustrate – A similar instruction to ‘explain’ whereby you are asked to show the workings of
something, making use of definite examples and statistics if appropriate to add weight to your
explanation.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Utilitarianism is fundamentally driven by the principle of utility i.e. that action is morally right which
produces the best overall consequences with regard to the utility or welfare of all the affected
parties.
Body:
Discuss the objectives of the theory in detail; Utilitarian theories propound “greatest happiness of the
greatest number”.
Comment upon the ideas of Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill and Henry Sidgwick who are some
utilitarianism theorists.
Then move onto discuss the objections to Utilitarian theory such as – Utilitarian theories might
require us to do morally problematic or doubtful things in order to bring about a good result, In a
utilitarian society, people’s behaviour would lack the kind of predictability and consistency that is
required to sustain trust and social stability.
Suggest way out to such situations.
Conclusion:
Conclude that thus, there are various concerns associated with utilitarian ethics and it cannot be the
sole guiding light for human actions, societal goals and government’s programmes.
Introduction:

Utilitarianism is a theory of morality, which advocates actions that foster happiness or pleasure and
opposes actions that cause unhappiness or harm. When directed toward making social, economic, or
political decisions, a utilitarian philosophy would aim for the betterment of society as a whole.
Utilitarianism would say that an action is right if it results in the happiness of the greatest number of
people in a society or a group. The theory was propounded by John Stuart Mill and Jeremy
Bentham.

Body:

Utilitarianism as an ethical philosophy can simply be defined as a system in which ‘the theory that
the rightness or wrongness of an action is determined by its usefulness in bringing about the most
happiness of all those affected by it. It leads to maximum utilisation of resources.

The Three Generally Accepted Axioms of Utilitarianism state that

 Pleasure, or happiness, is the only thing that has intrinsic value.

 Actions are right if they promote happiness, and wrong if they promote unhappiness.
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 Everyone’s happiness counts equally.

Jeremy Bentham describes his “greatest happiness principle” as: “Nature has placed mankind under
the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. It is for them alone to point out what
we ought to do, as well as to determine what we shall do.”

For instance, Bentham’s utilitarianism would approve of active euthanasia, as it would not only
relieve the suffering of the terminally ill patient but also would be beneficial for the family, both
monetarily as well as emotionally.

However, there are grounds on which the Utilitarianism is criticized too.

 Utilitarianism is based on the notion that whatever functions should or should not be performed
by the individual should be tested on the touch-stone of utility. If this notion is accepted, each
individual will work only for his own pleasure. One will ignore benevolence, renunciation, service
and sacrifice.

 For instance, slavery is justified from a utilitarian perspective as it benefits agrarian

economy; however, it is unjust as it undermines the universal moral principle of ‘human
dignity’.

 Utilitarianism also has trouble accounting for values like justice and individual rights.

 For example, say a hospital has four people whose lives depend upon receiving organ
transplants: a heart, lungs, a kidney, and a liver. If a healthy person wanders into the
hospital, his organs could be harvested to save four lives at the expense of his one life.
This would arguably produce the greatest good for the greatest number. But few would
consider it an acceptable course of action, let alone an ethical one.

 Utilitarianism is allegedly the foundations of our legal system, so it is important to ask ourselves
whether it is actually fair or whether some are denied the simple right to have their own
interests respected.

 For instance, Utilitarianism cannot be applied to entities that do not have the capacity to
feel pleasure and pain or at least to have recognisable goals that they are aware of
fulfilling. This debatably does not include some animals, advanced AI, the planet as a
whole, a deity or the victory conditions of an overall storyline, game or narrative. Many
people will argue that they should be ascribed certain rights or their interests
recognised.

 Another limitation of utilitarianism is that it tends to create a black-and-white construct of

morality. In utilitarian ethics, there are no shades of gray—either something is wrong or it is
right.

 Utilitarianism also cannot predict with certainty whether the consequences of our actions will be
good or bad—the results of our actions happen in the future.

 For instance, bringing down of illegal shops run mostly by poor on road sides is in line
with policy and also is good for maximum of people. However, keeping in mind the
livelihood needs of the poor, the demolition process should be such that enough time is
provided to the poor so as to shift and if possible must be provided with an alternative.

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 Utilitarianism cared only for physical comfort, and have ignored the suppression of sense and
self-control. It also doesn’t care for the spiritual comfort which one derives from self-sacrifice for
the sake of humanity.

Conclusion:

So, although utilitarianism is surely a reason-based approach to determining right and wrong, it has
obvious limitations. Focusing on consequences only may lead to ignorance of ethicality of actions.

What do you understand by ethical dilemmas? Give examples of some of the ethical
dilemmas faced by the civil servants in present times. (250 words)
Reference: Ethics, Integrity and aptitude by Lexicon Publications

Introduction:

Ethical dilemmas, also known as moral dilemmas, are situations in which there is a choice to be
made between two options, neither of which resolves the situation in an ethically acceptable
fashion. In such cases, societal and personal ethical guidelines can provide no satisfactory outcome
for the chooser.

Ethical dilemmas assume that the chooser will abide by societal norms, such as codes of law or
religious teachings, in order to make the choice ethically impossible.

Body:

Public Servants are the glue between the State and the people. They have a wide array of
responsibilities from formulation, implementation of various rules, policies to service delivery to
citizens. They are granted with sufficient powers to carry on their work in an unhindered manner.
Some of the most common ethical dilemmas with which public servants are confronted, revolve
around aspects such as:

 administrative discretion

 corruption

 nepotism

 administrative secrecy

 information leaks

 public accountability

 policy dilemmas

The vast scope of operations can give rise to situations where they are faced with various ethical
dilemmas as given below.

 Dilemmas Involving Fairness:

o The matters that potentially influence the ability to work in the public interest and
represent all constituents equally and fairly.
o Example: Granting licenses for coalmining or allocation of public resource. One of the
bidders is your spouse’s company.

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o How to avoid dilemma: Transparency and competitive measures like use of ICT,
maximum benefit to the state and public.

 Dilemmas Involving Conflicts between Personal Interests and the Public’s Interest:

o The cases in which personal interests that conflict with your duty of loyalty to the public
you have been elected/appointed to serve.

o Example: When a civil servant is heading a recruitment agency and his relatives are
applying for the job under the same agency.

o How to avoid dilemma: Be Neutral, Separation of Personal and Private Affairs, Recusal
from the position, giving an undertaking to Government.

 Dilemmas Involving the Faithful Execution of your Official Duties:

o Matters in which there is a need to competently fulfil the responsibilities of your office.

o Example: Minister issues orders on firing against a violent mob. You are the chief
heading the force.

o How to avoid dilemma: Accept orders in writing as per Supreme Court directive.

 Dilemmas Involving Acting with Integrity:

o Conduct oneself honestly and with the integrity expected from public officials.

o Example: A particular department is known for its corruption and bribery. You are newly
appointed as head of the department and being forced to join the gang.

o How to avoid dilemma: Be honest, uphold integrity, use legal measures.

 Dilemmas Involving Accountability & Transparency:

o To maintain the public trust, there is a need to act in a manner that is transparent and is
accountable to your constituent. With RTI Act, Transparency and Accountability have a
higher pedestal and makes governance more participatory.

o Example: Rafale Deal – to disclose the prices and details or to keep it confidential.

o How to avoid dilemma: Clear classification of information, Effective Grievance Redressal

Mechanisms like CIC, SIC.

 Dilemmas Involving Law and Conscience:

o There are instances where law and conscience overlap, conflict and lack of clarity.

o Example: Abortion of foetus beyond the stipulated time period as against the mother’s
life at risk

o How to avoid dilemma: Application of Wisdom?

Measures needed:

 Personal self-interest should be secondary to the common good in all situations, especially when
such circumstances give rise to conflict of interest.

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 A dilemma should be dealt appropriately by considering and reformulating all the options in a
systematic and coherent manner.

 To resolve such ethical dilemmas, an order or a sequence of logical reasoning is must to

integrate and rearrange the process of dealing with ethical dilemmas.

 The decisions should be guided by following principles:

o The provisions of Indian Constitution.

o Democratic accountability of administration.

o The rule of law and the principle of legality.

o Professional integrity.

o Impartiality and neutrality.

o Larger public good.

o Responsiveness to civil society.

 The bureaucracy should be loyal to the country and its people while decision making considering
consequences of such decisions.

 It is fundamental ethical duty of civil servants to show a spirit of neutrality and discretion and
keep their own personal preferences out in the performance of their duties and responsibilities.

Conclusion:

A public servant is bound to be faced by many dilemmas. Adhering to the ethical values like integrity,
objectivity, transparency and application of wisdom can help in overcoming the dilemmas.

Discuss the possible ethical concerns involved with issuing ‘immunity certificates’ to
people who have recovered from diseases like covid-19. (250 words)
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
The article analyzes the arguments both in favour of and against the issuing of immunity certificates.
Thus the question.
Key Demand of the question:
Explain in detail the possible ethical concerns involved with issuing ‘immunity certificates’ to people
who have recovered from diseases like covid-19.
Directive:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you have to debate on paper by going through the
details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You have to give reasons for both for
and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Firstly, discuss what you understand by Immunity certificates?
Body:
An immunity certificate is a document attesting that its bearer is immune to a contagious disease.
These certificates are granted following a serological test demonstrating that the bearer has
antibodies making them immune to a disease. The concept of immunity certificate has drawn much
attention during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Discuss the associated nuances; present the debate of Natural infection-induced immunity and
vaccine-induced immunity, explain in what way these aspects attract the ethical concerns in issuing
immunity certificates.
Concerns – Lack of scientific studies, no surety of test results, Public health risk involved, profiteering
by private labs performing tests, and the menace of fake certificates etc.
Conclusion:
Conclude that in the end, an immunity passport will further divide the society with different ‘haves’
and ‘have-nots’.
Introduction:

An immunity certificate is a document attesting that its bearer is immune to a contagious disease.
These certificates are granted following a serological test demonstrating that the bearer has
antibodies making them immune to a disease. The concept of immunity certificate has drawn much
attention during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Body:

Possible ethical concerns:

 An immunity certificate will further divide the society with different ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’.

 Risks in issuing immunity certificates- Issuing of immunity certificates includes many risks like
inaccurate testing, forging or buying black market forgeries of the certificates.

 Other contentious issues would be profiteering by private labs performing tests, and the
menace of fake certificates.

 Discrimination in society- These certificates might create a kind of two-tier society, where those
who have them can return to normalcy while others are compelled to follow the restrictions.

 The tagging of immunity status is even more problematic in smaller towns, where residents
know each other. Stereotyping a group will have undesirable consequences for its individual
members, if the label carries negative evaluation.

 Affects vulnerable sections of the society- It is mostly the vulnerable and socio-economically
poorer sections who would be targeted like the vegetable vendors, maid servants, hawkers,
street vendors etc.

 These vulnerable groups are less likely to have access to good health care, more vulnerable to
economic shocks caused by the illness, and little voice in the political process to defend their
rights

o Employers or governments might require that only people with immunity certificates be
allowed to work in jobs involving substantial human contact, like health care, food,
service, retail, transportation, and more.

o Restaurants, bars, sporting events, concerts, or other so-called public accommodations

might admit only those with immunity certificates.

o Travel by public transportation or the privilege to attend classes in person might be

limited to individuals with immunity certificates.

 Possibility of deliberate exposure to COVID-19- The economic value of an immunity certificate

would be enormous, and plenty of people would be desperate enough to lie or pay to get one.

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 Privacy issues- This could lead to new privacy issues as some people would use another’s
immunity certificate – unless it is a photo identity card or requires biometrics like thumbprints,
retinal scans, or other identity verification.

 Agreeing to immunity certificates could go against public health principles; if accepted, there is
a danger that similar arguments will be made for other vaccine-preventable diseases for which
there is universal immunisation programme.

Way forward:

 Immunity certificates may turn out to be an important part of the other side of the Covid-19
pandemic.

 But, as with everything in human affairs, they are complicated. And getting them wrong could do
more harm than good.

 There is a need for a proper scientific basis for issuance of the immunity certificates going
forward.

 Further, it must be mandatory only in critical jobs like healthcare and hospitality.

Conclusion:

Bias, stigma and discrimination are public health threats. They damage the health, mental health
and well-being of stigmatized groups. They also make it harder to contain current and future
epidemics. We all share responsibility for good public health practice. Just as we know to wash our
hands and maintain appropriate social distance, we should practice good behaviours when it comes
to embracing and valuing diverse peoples and communities.

“Science and technology are a complement to human instinct and intuition, not an
alternative”, do you agree? Discuss. (250 words)
Reference: Live Mint
Why the question:
The article presents to us the importance of human instinct and intuition in the age of science and
technology.
Key Demand of the question:
The answer demands a balanced opinion of how human instincts and intuition are equally important
to science and technology.
Directive:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you have to debate on paper by going through the
details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You have to give reasons for both for
and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by suggesting how world has today moved way ahead in terms of development of science and
technology.
Body:
Expand the meaning of the statement in question – “Science and technology are a complement to
human instinct and intuition, not an alternative”. Discuss how sci and tech complement human
instincts and intuitions. Use examples such as that of the current Covid-19 pandemic. Explain why it is
importance and very relevant to recognise the role of human intelligence.
Take hints from the article and substantiate your answer with suitable examples.
Conclusion:
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Conclude with a fair and balanced opinion.

Introduction:

Reconciliation is the act of bringing people together to be friendly again or coming to an agreement.
Forgiveness is internal and makes reconciliation possible, but not inevitable. Reconciliation is
interpersonal and involves rebuilding trust in a relationship where trust has been damaged. An
example of reconciliation is two siblings who mend their relationship after a period of fighting.
Under Mandela’s stewardship South Africa initiated the project of reconciling with the past rather
than retributive justice.

Body:

Significance of reconciliation as a key virtue:

 Reconciliation refers to the restoration of fractured relationships by overcoming grief, pain,

and anger.

 It is, as Karen Broenus has written, “a societal process that involves mutual acknowledgment of
past suffering and the changing of destructive attitudes and behavior into constructive
relationships toward sustainable peace.”

 Forgiveness and reconciliation can occur in every sphere of human experience, including
individual, community, national, and trans-national levels.

 Reconciliation can also involve the reframing of identity.

 Reconciliation can bring new insights.

 Reconciliation can help transform attitudes.

 Reconciliation can help repair broken relationships.

 Reconciliation can help break the cycle of violence.

 It can be an important part of any peace-building process, and sometimes the only thing that
can help divided communities move toward reconciliation.

 The process of reconciliation was set in place in South Africa under the leadership of Mandela,
and guided by the same principles that he had expressed publicly, his earnest desire and his
determination that South Africa belonged to all irrespective of race and class. The transition
from apartheid to democracy was largely peaceful in as much as there was no open civil war or
large-scale bloodshed as international commentators had forecast.

 In a similar matter, reconciliation must involve actively rebuilding relationships by creating

opportunities for people to engage with each other through spaces, activities, and enterprises.
 Reconciliation often builds on grassroots initiatives, such as theatre, music, and sport, so that
barriers between people can be addressed and broken down.
 Other examples might include initiatives such as workshops that promote psychological healing,
perhaps offering safe spaces for narrative sharing and storytelling; or social projects that bring
together individuals from diverse groups and communities.

 By so working to effect social change, people also learn to respect each other and to coexist
peacefully.

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Conclusion:

At the core of the concept of reconciliation is the centrality of human rights, what should not be
done to people, and what should be done for them. Reconciliation does not provide comprehensive
solutions to the problems of the past; it seeks to change attitudes to historical injustice. Forgiveness
may not be a key issue in reconciliation, it is more important to accept that wrong has been done,
that the wrongdoer has accepted his crime, and that societies should now carry on.

‘Weak value system in families eventually transcend to weak social, political and
administrative systems, leading in turn to degeneration of the whole country. Discuss.
(250 words)
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
The question is based on the importance and significance of value system in building the character of
an individual.
Key Demand of the question:
Explain the importance of value system in families, analyse in what way weak value system in
families eventually transcend to weak social, political and administrative systems, leading in turn to
degeneration of the whole country.
Directive:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you have to debate on paper by going through the
details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You have to give reasons for both for
and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
The individual is the first building block of the value architecture. The values that a person holds have
been derived from family, friends, neighbors, teachers, and mass media and so on.
Explain what you understand by family value system.
Body:
The family value system inculcates the moral values of tolerance, non-violence, sympathy,
compassion, harmony, etc.
But the development of values and the sense of one’s duty towards the nation, community and one’s
self, and thinking skills do not find any place in the curriculum at any stage of child’s development. As
a consequence, there are explicit signs of erosion of values in practically every sphere of our life.
Explain that there is a circular relationship between individual and society in these respects in so far
as individual behaviour determines the way society moves and social values drive men the way they
behave, each reinforcing the other. Suggest examples to explain the same.
Conclusion:
Conclude with way forward and reassert the importance of value system at the family level
Introduction:

Values are “things that have an intrinsic worth in usefulness or importance to the possessor,” or
“principles, standards, or qualities considered worthwhile or desirable.” Values constitute an
important aspect of self-concept and serve as guiding principles for an individual. These human
values have the effect of bonding, comforting, reassuring and procuring serenity.

Body:

Impact of Weak value system in families:

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 Weakens Emotional bonding: The integration bonds in a family are mutual affection and blood
ties. A family is a closed entity and is held together not only due to a tag but also due to
emotional ties.

 Most of the socializing functions today, like child raising, education, occupational training, caring
of elderly, etc., have been taken over by the outside agencies, such as crèches, media, nursery
schools, hospitals, occupational training centres, etc. These tasks were once exclusively
performed by the family.

 Increasing mobility of younger generation in search of new employment and educational

opportunities allegedly weakened the family relations.
 The family bonding and ties started loosening due to physical distance as it rendered
impracticable for members of family to come together as often as earlier. This affected the
earlier idealized nation of ‘family’ as the caring and nurturing unit for children, the sick and
elderly.

 Marriage is considered not as a sacred one but a social contract. It has been found that, divorces
and separation are on the increase.
 Much distress has been witnessed in the social relationships between husband and wife. No
doubt, the technology has elevated the social status of women in the family. But at the same
time it has put the fabric of social relationships at stake.

Importance of family in strengthening the nation:

 Family is the first social organization that provides the immediate proximity from which the kid
can learn his behavior.

 The family and society is important in developing the moral values of child. There is a close
contact between the parents and children, which determine the personality of child. Family is
the foundation on which values are built.

 Moral values like truthfulness, happiness, peace, justice are instilled in children’s thoughts,
feelings and actions and they function as ideals and standards that govern their actions in their
life.

 Family plays a major role in helping a child socialize and has great influence and bearing on the
progress of the child. Joint family system, the presence of elders in the family plays the effective
role in social and moral development of the children.

 It will also help young generation of the family to imbibe human values and eradicate their
negative mental tendencies when they are among elders.

 The pivotal role families and family policies can play in promoting peaceful and inclusive
societies and in advancing Sustainable Development Goals.

 In fact, the crucial role that families can play in the creation of healthy and happy societies has
been recognised in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations in
1948.

 Adopting our age-old philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which embodies the spirit of
humanism, compassion, magnanimity and tolerance, family becomes the basic building block of
a harmonious, inclusive society.

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 Family can shape the world view, foster and reinforce the value system of the individuals and
therefore, consequently, be the warp and weft of a sustainable, peaceful, inclusive, prosperous
world.

Conclusion:

Family is the foundation on which values are built. Moral values like truthfulness, happiness, peace,
justice are instilled in children’s thoughts, feelings and actions and they function as ideals and
standards that govern their actions in their life. The present-day lifestyle is causing serious damage
to the critical role played by a joint or an extended family system in preserving cultural values,
traditions and customs, which have been passed on from generation to generation.

Is it necessary that ‘what is ethical is also legal’ and vice versa? Explain with suitable
examples. (250 words)
Reference: Ethics, Integrity and aptitude by Lexicon Publications
Why the question:
The question aims to assess the statement ‘what is ethical is also legal’.
Key Demand of the question:
Assess in detail the probability of the true and false for the statement – ‘what is ethical is also legal’
with suitable examples.
Directive:
Explain – Clarify the topic by giving a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the
particular context. You must be defining key terms where ever appropriate, and substantiate with
relevant associated facts.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by explaining what you understand by being ethical and being legal.
Body:
Law can be defined as a consistent set of rules that are widely published, generally accepted, and
usually enforced. These rules describe the ways in which people are required to act in their
relationships with others in a society. They are requirements to act in a given way, not just
expectations or suggestions to act in that way. Since the government establishes law, the
government can use police powers to enforce laws. Ethics is the voluntary framework of guiding
principles, which brings order and purpose into what would otherwise be a void between laws. Ethics
are internal obligations on an individual whereas laws are external obligation.
It is ethical to not give capital punishment as it is against the Right to life but according to law it is
correct (mainly for heinous crime) for maintenance of law and order in society. Similarly, the law
often incorporates ethical standards to which most citizens subscribe. But laws can deviate from
what is ethical. For example the laws made during Britishers were unethical in theme or the old
apartheid laws of South Africa.
Conclusion:
Conclude that hence what is ethical is also legal and vice versa are not always correct.
Introduction:

Legal standards are standards that are set forth in governmental laws. All the statutes and laws that
lawyers point to are legal standards.

Ethical standards, on the other hand, don’t necessarily have a legal basis. They are based on human
principles of right and wrong.

Body:

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Based on society’s beliefs, laws are created and enforced by governments to mediate in our
relationships with each other. Laws must be followed by all, including private citizens, groups and
companies as well as public figures, organizations and institutions. Laws set out standards,
procedures and principles that must be followed.

While laws carry with them a punishment for violations, ethics does not. In ethics everything
depends on the person’s conscience and self-worth.

Ethics is intrinsic and comes from within a person’s moral sense and desire to preserve his self-
respect. It is not as strict as laws. Laws are codifications of certain ethical values meant to help
regulate society, and punishments for breaking them can be harsh and sometimes even break
ethical standards.

It is not necessarily true that ‘what is ethical is also legal’ and vice versa.

Instances which are ethical but not legal:

 When a child is hungry and he stole a loaf of bread from a shop to feed. The action of child is
illegal and stealing is punishable by law whereas his action of stealing may be for a good cause.
 It is illegal to run a traffic light or speed even though it is ethical to save someone whose life is in
danger.
 In the 20th century India, social reformers urged citizens to disobey laws in order to protest
what they regarded as immoral or unjust laws. Peaceful civil disobedience was an ethical way of
expressing political viewpoints.

 Abortion may be regarded as legally wrong, but for a rape victim, it may be allowed on ethical
grounds.

Instances which are legal but not ethical:

 I give a person a certain amount of money that is definitely legal. Later I ask him for a favor of
some kind, I’m one step from being a slug. This is totally legal but when a person betrays me this
unethical.

 Keeping money that someone dropped is legal, but again, many would find it unethical.

 The death penalty or capital punishment is also legal in many states, but a multitude of
individuals consider it unethical.

 Slave trade was legal in America earlier. But it is an unethical act.

 Abortion is legal in some places, but many consider it unethical.

 testing medicines on animals is legal in many countries but some people believe it is not ethical.

 While slum settlements are required to be cleared legally, the human right to housing and
shelter makes it unethical to do without creating proper alternative arrangements first.

Conclusion:

In a mixed-cultured society like ours, public servants need to take a balanced stand involving both
legal and ethical factors so as to discharge his/her duties effectively and for the common good. A
bureaucrat’s duty is dynamic, which needs interpretation of laws. Thus, there is a need to inculcate
‘ethical sensitivity’ that is the identification of salient aspects of a situation that involves the “good”
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and the “bad” of public or society. As Aristotle says, “any act is right, if done with a right motive to a
right person in a right extent at a right time”.

“Never waste a good crisis”, remarked Winston Churchill. Do you think that a moral
crisis is an essential precondition for the conscience to come alive? Elaborate. (250
words)
Reference: Quotation based questions
Why the question:
The question is based on the theme of “Moral crisis” and in what way it is an essential precondition
for the conscience to come alive.
Key Demand of the question:
Discuss in detail the essence of the quote in question; explain how moral crisis is an essential
precondition for the conscience to come alive.
Directive:
Elaborate – Give a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the particular context.
You must be defining key terms where ever appropriate, and substantiate with relevant associated
facts.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by defining what you understand by a crisis.
Body:
A crisis is a situation that leads to the disruption within the functioning of a system; it could be a
political, social, economic, physiological, moral or any other organized system of function. There are
three attitudes that can be taken in response to a crisis
To wish away the crisis and think of it as a curse – which is dogmatic
To indulge excessively in a crisis in the name of being anti-establishment – which is fatal 3. To
capitalize on the crisis by using its energies appropriately to bring a transformation – this is ideal.
Demonstrate the above with suitable ideas.
Conclusion:
Conclude with importance of moral crisis as an essential precondition for the conscience to come
alive
Introduction:

As Winston Churchill was working to form the United Nations after WWII, he famously said, “Never
let a good crisis go to waste”. A crisis situation always tests the tenacity and temperament of an
individual. It is at such situations, a person faces moral and ethical crises.

Swami Vivekananda once said “Whenever there is a conflict between the heart and the brain, follow
your heart”, hence conscience is the voice of heart and it is often right which helps us to sail through
ocean of dilemmas and help us to find the direction.

Body:

Conscience is the inner voice of a person which guides the right and wrong. Conscience aims to
make moral decisions in ‘overwhelming forces of inescapable situations’ despite the risk of adverse
consequences. If conscience goes, then everything collapses, conscience is central to our identity
and it is as component in the moral decisions making process.

For example, the concept of Enlightenment, Nirvana etc. are associated with highest stage of
development of human Conscience. Gandhiji’s civil disobedience movement was true to his
conscience although it broke the law.

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Conscience is the intrinsic intuitive capacity to discriminate between right and wrong. A moral crisis
is not a prerequisite for the conscience to come alive. Conscience is our inner guide and it helps you
figure out how to make good choices. As we grow up, we learn right from wrong. Our conscience is
the thought and feeling we have that tells us whether something is a right or wrong thing to do or
say.

Conscience is a consistent guide to ethical decision making:

 A human being always comes across ethical dilemmas in the decision making the process.
Conscience acts as the guide for taking correct decisions when we have to choose between
competing sets of principles in a given, usually undesirable or perplexing, situation.

 For instance, helping an accident victim during the golden hour.

 The conscience of an individual helps in analyzing the situation from different perspectives and
help in taking the right decision.

 For instance, one will not turn away genuine people in times of distress, like an old destitute
woman who has lost all her documents and is trying to register for a government scheme.

 Conscience helps in avoiding Conflicts of interest for better decision making.

 For e.g. deciding between personal gains and public welfare.

 Conscience is our ability to make a practical decision in light of ethical values and principles.
Example: Follow the orders from superior vis-à-vis to follow the right path.

 Conscience indicates ‘a person’s moral sense of right and wrong’ as well as the consciousness of
one’s actions. Expressions such as ‘gut feeling’ and ‘guilt’ are often applied in conjunction with a
conscience. In this sense, the conscience is not essentially a product of a rational deduction but
is something that can be influenced by the indoctrination of one’s parentage, social class,
religion or culture.

On the other hand, it is an arguable topic whether or not the conscience is the most reliable form of
decision making or not. The concept of conscience may not bear any connection with any particular
substantial moral view. The good ethical decision and conscience are not always in sync; it depends
on the situation, stakeholders and perceiving the issue. For Example, a radicalised youth may agree
to be a suicide bomber, or take up gun violence, riots or Lynching in the blindfold of religion,
considering it to be right.

The voice of conscience might suggest different principles and different behaviours to different
people. For example, while some health practitioners raise “conscientious” objection to abortion
and refuse to provide the service, someone’s conscience might demand the exact opposite, i.e., to
perform abortions to respect what is conscientiously believed to be a woman’s right.

Conclusion:

A conscience which is both well-formed which is shaped by education and experience and well
informed due to awareness of facts, evidence. This enables us to know ourselves and our world and
act accordingly. Voice of conscience is the source of ethical decision making.

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With examples from your own life explain how educational institutions have helped you
shape your morality? (250 words)
Reference: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by Lexicon Publications
Why the question:
The question is based on the contributions of educational institution in shaping the morality of an
individual.
Key Demand of the question:
Explain in detail the ethical values that you consider significant and then elaborate how the
educational institution provided you them.
Directive:
Explain – Clarify the topic by giving a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the
particular context. You must be defining key terms where ever appropriate, and substantiate with
relevant associated facts.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Define what you understand by Morality.
Body:
Morality of a person is set of values she is inclined to protect and uphold. These values get
wholesome inputs when she is in school and colleges. Educational institution plays the most crucial
role in the shaping of the morality of any person. It is not merely due to the very nature of
educational institution, but also it’s the timing of involvement in our life. Its influence during the
formative years is a long-lasting one. The discrimination between what is right what is wrong
becomes an active exercise when we entre in school. School, in that context, is a first genuine social
place for a child — values like honesty, togetherness, compassion, perseverance etc.
Give real time examples from your personal experience.
Conclusion:
Conclude with way forward.
Introduction:

Education is the architecture of the soul. Nelson Mandela said “Education is the most powerful
weapon we can use to change the world” However it is important how it is spread and in what
manner. Every Human takes birth as pure heart and pristine spirit/soul. But with time, desire,
outside environment, cultural influences, insane practices make human Mephistophelian and
eccentric.

Body:

Role of educational institutions in value education:

 Education in its aims, curriculum and methods is linked with values. It is through education that
society seeks to preserve and promote its cherished values.

 Whatever is learnt and imbibed will determine to how students will live out their lives in future.

 Educational institutions provide a structured environment where children learn values of

cooperation, hard work etc.

 Punctuality, Commitment, Sincerity, Sharing, Caring, Fairness, Helping, Independence,

Responsibility, Humility, Pride need to be inculcated in a child.

 Lessons of Honesty, Social Justice, Sensitising children with empathy towards vulnerable sections
of the society.

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 Teaching Gender Equality, Respect for elders, Truthfulness, Tolerance, Peace, Love for nature &
mankind, Positive Attitude, Spirituality, Nationalist feelings, Patriotism, Discipline etc.

You can quote your own examples and experiences to substantiate the above points.

Conclusion:

“The aim of education is the knowledge, not facts but of values.” –William Ralph. Schools and
colleges must ensure that strong value system is in place right from the childhood through timely
ethical education. Value education is the first step for a peaceful and happy society.

What is a social sin? Is there any standard definition of it? How can we abstain from
social sins? And if we fail to abstain from so called social sins, what would be the
consequences? Explain. (250 words)
Reference: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by G Subba Rao and P N Chowdhary
Why the question:
The question is based on the concept of social sin and how one can abstain from committing them.
Key Demand of the question:
Discuss the concept of social sin, its consequences and what one should do to abstain from
committing social sins.
Directive:
Explain – Clarify the topic by giving a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the
particular context. You must be defining key terms where ever appropriate, and substantiate with
relevant associated facts.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by defining what a social sin is.
Body:
The social sin applies to every action against justice in interpersonal relationship, committed either
by the individual against the community or by the community against the individual.
There is no effective and standard definition of social sin till date which explicitly interprets the wider
meaning of the term, however, as per its nature it can be defined as “those actions which are the
results of thousands or even millions of different selfish choices by as many different people and thus
is collective, an aspect of our society which doesn’t resemble the kingdom of God”.
For abstaining from the social sin, awareness about the sin and its consequences on oneself and
society is must. This will help an individual in choosing the right path in life. One can present a case
study/example here to substantiate better.
Conclusion:
Conclude that hence people should abstain from involving in social sins.
Introduction:

Social Sin, in simple terms, could be expressed as a personal sin which has an effect on others
around you. It applies to every action against justice in interpersonal relationship, committed either
by the individual against the community or by the community against the individual. There is no
effective and standard definition of social sin till date which explicitly interprets the wider meaning
of the term. A social sin usually involves other people and impacts on self and others. Bullying,
promoting/causing violence, pollution of environment, Drug abuse, homophobia, stealing, racism
are few examples of social sins.

Body:

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Mahatma Gandhi also gave the Seven Social Sins which were first published in his newspaper Young
India in 1925. It refers to behaviours that go against the ethical code and thereby weaken society.
When values are not strongly held, people respond weakly to crisis and difficulty.

Impacts of social sin:

 Social sin results in structures, laws and policies that perpetuate widespread poverty, inequality,
discrimination, violence, and other injustices.

 damages a person’s self-worth, self-esteem and their confidence

 can lead to depression and anxiety

 ruins a person’s positive attitude and spirit

 physical effects could lead to wounds, bruises or scars

For abstaining from the social sin, awareness about the sin and its consequences on oneself and
society is must. This will help an individual in choosing the right path in life. The social sins should
guide and help us to strive to achieve a balance and correctness leading to sustainable development
of an individual, society and an economy.

Conclusion:

The social sins revolve around the principles of integrity, self-restraint, sacrifice, Humanism and
mutual cooperation. The sins are of great importance in today’s situation mired with a lot of pains
and conflicts. The key to a healthy society is to get the social will, the value system, aligned with
correct principles.

How does the cultural relativism defines “good”? Which method does it follow for
arriving at moral beliefs? Explain. (250 words)
Reference: faculty.uca.edu
Why the question:
The question is premised on the concept of cultural relativism.
Key Demand of the question:
Explain in detail how the cultural relativism defines “good” and which method does it follow for
arriving at moral beliefs.
Directive:
Explain – Clarify the topic by giving a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the
particular context. You must be defining key terms where ever appropriate, and substantiate with
relevant associated facts.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Define what you understand by Cultural relativism.
Body:
Cultural Relativism is of the view that moral or ethical systems, which vary from culture to culture,
are all equally valid and no one system is really “better” than any other. This is based on the idea that
there is no ultimate standard of good or evil, so every judgment about right and wrong is a product
of society. Therefore, any opinion on morality or ethics is subject to the cultural perspective of each
person.
It defines “good” as what is socially approved. Ultimately, this means that no moral or ethical system
can be considered the “best,” or “worst,” and no particular moral or ethical position can actually be
considered “right” or “wrong.”

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Conclusion:
Conclude by stressing on the importance of it.
Introduction:

Cultural relativism is the idea that a person’s beliefs, values, and practices should be understood
based on that person’s own culture, rather than be judged against the criteria of another. It refers to
not judging a culture to our own standards of what is right or wrong, strange or normal. Instead, we
should try to understand cultural practices of other groups in its own cultural context.
Multiculturalism, racism, postmodernism, deconstructionism, political correctness, and social
engineering are among cultural relativism’s “intellectual” descendants.

Body:

Every country has distinct cultural, historical, political and social circumstances which help device its
rules, ethical values, morality and culture to which we closely identify with. While in India
community life was cherished Americans gave priority to individualism. While in India detachment
from material world is important for spirituality, west considers materialism as a good aspect. Hence
moral and ethical relativism is apparent in different settings.

Cultural relativism definition of ‘good’:

 Cultural norms and values derive their meaning within a specific social context, as per Cultural
relativism.

 This is also based on the idea that there is no absolute standard of good or evil, therefore every
decision and judgment of what is right and wrong is individually decided in each society.

 The concept of cultural relativism also means that any opinion on ethics is subject to the
perspective of each person within their particular culture.

 It defines “good” as what is socially approved.

 Ultimately, this means that no moral or ethical system can be considered the “best,” or “worst,”
and no particular moral or ethical position can actually be considered “right” or “wrong.”

 In a holistic understanding of the term cultural relativism, it tries to promote the understanding
of cultural practices that are unfamiliar to other cultures such as eating insects, genocides or
genital cutting.

How cultural relativism arrives at moral beliefs:

 Different societies have different moral codes.

 There is no objective standard that can be used to judge one societal code better than another.

 The moral code of our own society has no special status; it is merely one among many.

 There is no “universal truth” in ethics; that is, there are no moral truths that hold for all peoples
at all times.

 The moral code of a society determines what is right within that society; that is, if the moral
code of a society says that a certain action is right, then that action is right, at least within that
society.

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 It is mere arrogance for us to try to judge the conduct of other peoples. We should adopt an
attitude of tolerance toward the practices of other cultures.

However, there are concerns raised against cultural relativism as some people worry that the
concept of culture can also be abused and misinterpreted. If one culture behaves one way, does that
mean all cultures can behave that way as well?

An extreme instance would be female genital cutting in some parts of the world. Locally, it is argued
that the practice has cultural roots, but such a practice has raised concerns among many
international human rights organizations.

Thus, cultural relativism at the same time it must also not lead to parochial attitudes and mindset.
Globalization provides a unique opportunity to look into other value systems and learn and
implement them whenever necessary. In this respect the Universal Declaration of Human Right is a
good example where despite varied cultural setting, a common basic value setting has been agreed
upon.

Conclusion:

It is important to recognize this distinction, respect them and not categorize one above other since it
is this aspect of distinctness that allows one to explore different settings and consequently develop
oneself. Absolute moral relativism is self-contradictory and impossible. However, the ultimate end of
all moral values is inner happiness. Gandhiji shows the guiding light when he says “I do not want my
house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the culture of all lands to be
blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any”.

Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers
and administrators; role of family, society and educational institutions in
inculcating values.
Discuss in detail Gandhiji’s philosophy of Means and Ends. (250 words)
Reference Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by Lexicon Publications
Why the question:
The question is straightforward and is based on the principle of means and ends of Gandhiji.
Key Demand of the question:
Discuss in detail Gandhiji’s philosophy of Means and Ends.
Directive:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you have to debate on paper by going through the
details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You have to give reasons for both for
and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Briefly define Means and Ends; in simple terms, ends are the goals or results. Means are the methods
used to achieve goals.
There are differing schools of thought with some justifying any means for achieving the goals while
others uphold the need for right means to achieve the objectives in true sense.
Body:

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Explain Gandhian perspective on the relative importance of Means and Ends. For Gandhiji, there is
some inviolable connection between means and ends similar to the one
Between a seed and a tree. Gandhiji stated that it is means, rather than ends, that provide the
standard of morality. As per him, the only thing that is completely within control is the means to
achieve the goal.
For Gandhiji, violence and non-violence cannot be different means to serve the same end, since they
are morally different in quality and essence, they must necessarily achieve different results.
Quote relevant examples to substantiate your answer.
Conclusion:
Conclude with importance of the philosophy and in what way it holds true even in today’s times.
Introduction:

In simple terms, ends are the goals or results. Means are the methods used to achieve goals. There
are differing schools of thought with some justifying any means for achieving the goals while others
uphold the need for right means to achieve the objectives in true sense. Consequentialism focuses
on judging the moral worth of the results of the actions and Deontological ethics on judging the
actions themselves.

Body:

Gandhiji’s views on means and ends:

 Gandhi seems to stand almost alone among social and political thinkers in his firm rejection of
the rigid dichotomy between ends and means and in his extreme moral preoccupation with the
means to the extent that they rather than the ends provide the standard of reference.
 He was led to this position by his early acceptance of satya and ahimsa, truth and nonviolence,
as twin moral absolutes and his consistent view of their relationship.
 He said “The means may be likened to a seed, the end to a tree; and there is just the same
inviolable connection between the means and the end as there is between the seed and the
tree.”

 According to Gandhi our attention should be primarily focused on means because, as a very
famous adage goes, as we sow so shall we reap. He was a strong believer of the rule of Karma.

 Although we can choose our ends, we do not have much control over it – we cannot know in
advance whether these ends will be achieved. The only thing that is completely within our
control is therefore the means with which we approach our various ends.

 It is not the end that we can work with but only means. Different means will lead to different
ends.

 This is not to say that both violence and non-violence cannot both lead to the independence of a
country, but that the country thus created will be one based on violence if the means are violent
and pacific if the means are non-violent.

 Violence and non-violence cannot be different means to secure the same end; since they are
morally different in quality and essence, they must necessarily achieve different results.

Gandhiji practiced the purity of means throughout his life and is evident through the following:

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 Gandhi withdrew the first large scale mass movement “Non-cooperation movement”, because
of one single ‘Chauri Chaura incident’ because the incident deviated from his Non-violence
stance and he immediately called off the movement despite criticism.

 The Seven Sins philosophy also emphasises on Importance of Means. For example, in the list of
sins – Politics without Principles, Wealth without Work, Worship without Sacrifice, etc., the
former are the ends whereas the latter symbolises means which imply that Ends are of lesser
value without the desired means.

 Gandhi’s notion of democracy is that under it the weakest shall have the same opportunities as
the strongest. Which stands for Deontological ethics i.e. putting dignity of an Individual over
narrow definition of democracy.

Conclusion:

Mahatma Gandhi was not only a capable leader but a great thinker as well. His Philosophy can be
summed up in his words- “Means are after all, everything’. As the means so the end…”. According to
Gandhiji, if we are sure of the “purity” of the means we employ, we shall be led on by faith, before
which “all fear and trembling melt away”. Unconcern with results does not mean that we need not
have a clear conception of the end in view.

Should the philosophy of Kautilya as sama, dana, danda and bheda be applied in politics
and administration to achieve desirable objectives? How it will affect morality of
people? Explain. (250 words)
Reference: idsa.in
Why the question:
The question is based on the applicability of the philosophy of Kautilya as sama, dana, danda and
bheda applied to politics and administration.
Key Demand of the question:
One has to deduce upon the applicability of the philosophy of Kautilya to the administration and
politics of today’s world.
Directive:
Explain – Clarify the topic by giving a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the
particular context. You must be defining key terms where ever appropriate, and substantiate with
relevant associated facts.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Briefly explain the philosophy of Kautilya – sama, dana, danda and bheda.
Body:
Explain that in the context of India, diplomacy is said to be rooted in history and epics. The most
ancient methods of diplomacy can be traced back to Chanakya and his nitis. According to the great
scholar in order to manage a well-knit administration and safeguard the state, it is essential for a
king to be an expert in diplomacy. Diplomacy was considered to be a crucial aspect of statecraft. In
order to practice diplomacy, he prescribed four methods or Upayas – Sama, Dana, Bheda and
Danda.
Give relevant examples and present your opinion.
Conclusion:
Conclude by suggesting applicability of the philosophy to Indian context.
Introduction:

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Kautilya was the prime minister of the first Mauryan emperor Chandragupta and the author of the
oldest text on public administration in the world. Arthashastra, the ancient Indian classic offers deep
insights into politics, state craft and issues of governance. He gave the four upayas or approaches,
i.e., ways of realising aim or object have existed since the period of the epics and the Dharmasastra.
The upayas are sama- dana- bheda- danda: conciliation, gifts, rupture and force. The upayas have a
wider application, being useful in securing the submission of anyone.

Body:

Kautilya’s philosophy:

 Sama or ‘conciliation’ can be achieved in five ways, praising merits, mention of relationships,
pointing out of mutual benefits, showing advantages and placing oneself at the other’s disposal.

 Dana consists of conferring benefits of money.

 Bheda or ‘dissension’ is creating apprehension and reprimanding.

 Danda or ‘force’ is killing, tormenting and seizure of property.

Application of the above in politics and administration to achieve desirable objectives:

 For the welfare of the people, the state has to carry out developmental activities
like constructions of dams, settlement of virgin lands, opening trade centre, maintenance of
widows, the orphans and the helpless.
 The state’s main duty of protect the social order in accordance with the system of varnas (caste)
and their Dharma (duties). The state has to promote education, learning and art.

 Kautilya’s economic system can be included under’ Mixed Economy System’ Kautilya’s views on
state activities and its economis system resemble modern Indian welfare state system

 According to Kautilya, to ensure good governance there must be a properly guided public
administration, where the ruler should surrender his likes and dislikes in the interest of his
subjects, and the personnel running the Government should be responsive and responsible.

 He states that “In the happiness of his subjects lies the king’s happiness, in their welfare lays his
welfare. He shall not consider as good as only that which pleases him but treat as beneficial to
him whatever pleases his subjects”. This view of Kautilya’s displays his emphasis on Good
Governance

 Kautilya further emphasized that for citizen friendly good governance there should be uniformity
in the administrative practices as well as competent ministers and officials possessing qualities
of leadership, accountability, intellect, energy, good moral conduct, and physical fitness, capable
of taking prompt decision.

 A ruler who administers justice on the basis of four principles: righteousness, evidence, history
of the case, and the prevalent law, shall conquer the earth.

 According to him, there is stability if rulers are responsive, responsible, accountable, removable
and recallable, otherwise there would be instability.

 For good governance, all administrators, including the King, were considered servants of the
people. They were paid for the services rendered and not for their ownership of anything.

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Conclusion:

Kautilya’s views on state, government, law, justice system of administration, state function and
foreign relations are milestones in the political literature and provide guidelines for all generations.

In your own words, explain Kant’s principle of ends. Do you think that this could be a
useful moral principle for you in everyday life? (250 words)
Reference: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by Lexicon Publications
Why the question:
The question is about Kantian principle of ends in ethics.
Key Demand of the question:
Explain the concept of Kant’s principle of ends in detail and suggest if the principle can be useful as a
moral principle in everyday life.
Directive:
Explain – Clarify the topic by giving a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the
particular context. You must be defining key terms where ever appropriate, and substantiate with
relevant associated facts.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
The philosopher Immanuel Kant said that rational human beings should be treated as an
End in themselves and not as a means to something else.
Body:
Discuss the concept in detail its significance. If a person is an end-in-themself it means their inherent
value doesn’t depend on anything else – it doesn’t depend on whether the person is enjoying their
life, or making other people’s lives better. To treat someone simply as a means, and not also as an
end, is to treat the person in a way That undermines their power of making a rational choice
themselves. It means, first, that we Should appeal to other people’s reason in discussing with them
what to do, rather than Manipulate them in ways that they are unaware of. Coercing someone, lying
to them, Stealing from them, all involve not allowing them to make an informed choice. If they
are Involved in our action in any way, they need to be able to agree (or refuse) to adopt our end as
their own.
Explain with suitable examples as to where all the philosophy can be applied suggest your opinion.
Conclusion:
Conclude with importance of the principle.
Introduction:

Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) argued that the supreme principle of morality is a standard of
rationality that he dubbed the “Categorical Imperative” (CI). Kant characterized the CI as
an objective, rationally necessary and unconditional principle that we must always follow despite
any natural desires or inclinations we may have to the contrary.

The CI states that it is immoral to use another person merely as a means to an end and that people
must under all circumstances be treated as ends in themselves. This is in contrast to some
interpretations of the utilitarian view, which allow for use of individuals as means to benefit the
many.

Body:

Another version of the Categorical Imperative that Kant offers states that one should “always treat
people as ends in themselves, never merely as a means to one’s own ends.” This is commonly
referred to as the “ends principle.” The fact that we are human has value in itself.

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While similar in a way to the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” it
puts the onus for following the rule on humankind rather than accepting the strictures of divine
influence.

The key to Kant’s belief regarding what makes humans moral beings is the fact that we are free and
rational creatures. To treat someone as a means to your own ends or purposes is to not respect this
fact about them.

For instance, if I get you to agree to do something by making a false promise, I am manipulating you.
Your decision to help me is based on false information (the idea that I’m going to keep my promise).
In this way, I have undermined your rationality. This is even more obvious if I steal from you or
kidnap you in order to claim a ransom.

Treating someone as an end, by contrast, involves always respecting the fact that they are capable of
free rational choices which may be different from the choices you wish them to make. So if I want
you to do something, the only moral course of action is to explain the situation, explain what I want,
and let you make your own decision.

We shouldn’t treat ourselves as a means to our own ends; instead we should respect our inherent
worth. This can be used as an argument against euthanasia, suicide and other behaviours that
damage ourselves.

Taking the example of slavery where human beings are treated as “means” for achieving the “ends”
that is profit motive. Human intrinsic worth i.e. dignity is not respected and they are exploited for
petty gains. This lead to inequality in society where one section of people exploiting other section for
self-motive. Some people justify the slavery on the premises that it was based on contract between
master and slave. But this argument does not hold ground because slave did not accept to slavery on
free will and they might not be in their right state of mind thinking rationally and make a decision.

The idea also shows up in discussions of animal rights, with the idea that if they have rights, animals
must be treated as ends in themselves.

Conclusion:
Kant’s philosophy of human individuals as end in itself endorses the golden rule of “treating others
as one’s self would wish to be treated”. As no one would wish to be used simply as a means,
therefore one should not also use other human beings as means to achieve their ends. This
philosophy can be of great help in resolving the ethical dilemmas where there is debate between
relative importance of means and ends.

‘The king should surrender his individuality in the interest of his duty’. Discuss the
significance and relevance of the quote applied to administration of today. (250 words)
Reference: shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in
Why the question:
The question is based on a quotation of moral thinker.
Key Demand of the question:
Elaborate the quote: ‘The king should surrender his individuality in the interest of his duty’. Explain its
significance and relevance even as of today.
Directive:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you have to debate on paper by going through the
details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You have to give reasons for both for
and against arguments.
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Structure of the answer:

Introduction:
Kautilya recommended that the king has to come up in the way that he should think not in his
happiness but in the happiness of his people
Body:
Explain the philosophy hidden in the quote in detail; He suggests that the kings’ welfare lies not in his
own pleasure but in that of his subjects. This philosophy is still relevant even in the democratic form
of government.
Give relevant examples to substantiate.
People expect the paternalistic approach of the state. Even the civil servants are being suggested
that they should forget that they are mere individuals. They become ‘person’ which comes only in
comparison with other person.
Conclusion:
Conclude with its importance.
Introduction:

According to Kautilya an ideal king should have highest qualities of leadership, intellect, energy and
personal attributes. Even in the era of monarchy, Kautilya suggested the king to be servant of state.

Body:

According to Kautilya (c. 340-293 BCE), a king is the servant of the state who could harbour no
personal likes. In the happiness of the subject, lies his happiness. The king should surrender his
individuality in the interest of his duties. Kautilya’s king is a constitutional slave, unlike Plato’s
philosopher king who had absolute power. Kautilya’s king acts in concert with the seven organs of
the state and values their advice. But, Kautilya also warns that not only the ruler, but also the people
have to live within constraints, otherwise, there will be no civil society. According to Kautilya, rulers
and their officials must be subjected to a vigorously disciplined life and an elaborate code of
conduct. Kautilya’s king acts in concert with the seven organs (satang) and values their advice.

Kautilya’s concept reverberates in Max Weber’s concept of rational authority exemplified by a

depersonalized bureaucracy. K P. Jaiswal aptly uses the term ‘constitutional slave’ for Kautilya’s king
– a term popularized in England by Locke in the late seventeenth century.

Relevance in today’s times:

 The concept that a constitutional government is an effectively and regularly limited and
restrained government is a much more recent innovation.

 No unlimited and unrestrained government can be a good government, howsoever good or

noble be the ruler.

 The ruler’s leadership, therefore, consists in his ability to persuade and motivate colleagues and
to co-ordinate as a leader so that the collectively agreed upon goals can be executed in time,
exactitude and quality.

 Good governance and stability are even more applicable in the present democratic system.
These values remain relevant in present context as accountability; responsibility of government
towards citizen is paramount in parliamentary system of democracy adopted by India.

 Social welfare is the main focal point of Kautilya’s economic notions. The State was required to
help the poor and helpless and to be proactive in contributing to the welfare of its citizens. In

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India, the emphasis on marginalized is important, as from 1990’s economic reforms inequalities
of income are increasing in India.

 His emphasis on ethical standards for public servants and king remain still relevant e.g. 2nd ARC
suggested code of ethics for civil servants as well as political executives.

 Kautilya’s ideas on corruption are still relevant in modern day India as corruption in public life
remains big problem. India is ranked 78 out of 180 countries in global corruption index by
Transparency International. Issues of corruption in public services, electoral funding, cronyism
etc. are widely debated in India.

Conclusion:

The means for good governance is promotion of rational will and moral power of people. For
Kautilyan king, in the happiness of his subjects lays the rulers’ happiness, in their welfare his welfare,
whatever pleases himself he shall not consider as good. But whatever pleases his subject, he shall
consider as good.

Discuss the relevance of Buddha’s ethical teachings in contemporary world. (250 words)
Reference: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by Lexicon Publications
Why the question:
The question is based on the premise of the teachings of Buddha.
Key Demand of the question:
Explain in detail the relevance of Buddha’s ethical teachings in contemporary world.
Directive:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you have to debate on paper by going through the
details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You have to give reasons for both for
and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Tradition has it that the Buddha gave 84,000 teachings during his 80 year life (he died around 410
BCE). Although perhaps not literally true, this very large number illustrates the idea that the
Buddha’s teachings are so extensive that people in all kinds of different situations can find within
them something that meets their particular need.
Body:
Start by explaining the teachings of Buddha in detail such as the eight fold path. Buddha’s teachings
emphasize on learning based on one’s observations and perception and believe that knowledge is not
possible without experience. Elaborate on their relevance in the contemporary world. The Buddhist
teachings inculcate compassion, calmness & composure, joy among humans and they can help
maintain a sustainable balance between man and nature.
Conclusion:
The Buddha’s 84,000 teachings have shown a remarkable ability to adapt and to resonate with
people at different times and in contrasting cultures.
Introduction:

The current crisis is an apt time to revisit his teachings, which can be a guiding light for a world
looking for peace, harmony and sustainability. The adoption of the “middle path” by avoiding
extreme positions as taught by Buddha leads to realizing the truth which further leads to avoiding
conflict, reconciliation of different viewpoints, and achieving consensus.

Body:

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Buddha’s life and deeds contain such a powerful message, that their resonance transcends cultures,
religions and geographies. His messages are becoming increasingly relevant in the present context
and a guiding light for chalking out a sustainable approach for the future.

Relevance of Buddha’s teachings:

 The ongoing COVID pandemic bears testimony to the fact that the complexities of the modern
world carry with them more uncertainties and crises.

 The threats of bioterrorism, climate change, global warming, radicalism, extremism, etc, are
shaking the conscience of humanity.

 Since time immemorial, mankind has built up the capability to control natural resources.

 The greed and impatient attitude towards utilizing these resources have created an imbalance.

 Reacting to this, nature is more vigorously attacking humanity.

 Buddha prescribed an eightfold path, the middle way for liberation. The eightfold path revolves
around Wisdom (right understanding and intention), Ethical Conduct (right speech, action and
livelihood) and Meditation (right effort, mindfulness and concentration).

 Right understanding and intention can open the path for knowledge and can liberate the people
from ignorance and delusion.

 Right speech can liberate from the hatred that is spread across the world on the name of race,
ethnicity, religion etc.

 Right action and livelihood can liberate society from corruption, it can ensure food and water
security and will enhance economic opportunity and employment giving way to prosperity for
all.

 Right effort, mindfulness and concentration can ensure mental peace and enrich moral and
cultural values.

 Loving-kindness, a meditation practice, which brings about positive attitudinal changes as it

systematically develops the quality of ‘loving-acceptance’.

 The Buddha’s method of introspection and awakening shows the path in these troubling times.
 The Buddha’s lesson of “Atma Dipo Bhava” — every man can be a light unto himself, a saviour
of himself through personal efforts — is apt to alter the individualist approach.

 The Buddhist approach of righteous behaviour, wisdom, compassion and camaraderie, and the
reduction of trishna (greed) offers a set of building blocks for a new world order where violence
and conflict are minimised and development takes place without degrading the natural
resources.
 The adoption of the “middle path” by avoiding extreme positions as taught by Buddha leads to
realizing the truth which further leads to avoiding conflict, reconciliation of different viewpoints,
and achieving consensus.

 His eight-fold-path has not only transformed the spiritual landscape worldwide but also
encouraged ethical and sustainable social, political, and commercial practices.

Conclusion:
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Modern developments have offered a lot but also have insecurity and competitiveness as well as
tensions and boredom associated with them. Buddhism offers a few very simple and efficacious
methods to combat that. Buddhism has a role to play in our life and a role in which we, from the
birth land of Buddha, have an important part to play.

Buddha’s teachings can transform the societies into their better and more humane forms as
reflected by Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama “the 20th century was a century of war and
violence, now we all need to work to see that the 21st century is of peace and dialogue.’

As peace and sustainable development are interlinked, the Buddha’s prism can be the guiding lights
to every single stakeholder from local to global institutions and leaders, to work together for
promoting dialogue, harmony, and justice based on compassion and wisdom.

Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service , integrity, impartiality and non-
partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and
compassion towards the weaker sections.
Debate upon the significance of virtues for civil services conduct. (250 words)
Reference: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by Lexicon publications
Why the question:
The question is premised on the concept of virtues and its relevance to civil services conduct.
Key Demand of the question:
Discuss the importance of virtues for civil services conduct in detail with suitable examples.
Directive:
Debate – Weigh up to what extent something is true. Persuade the reader of your argument by citing
relevant research but also remember to point out any flaws and counter- arguments as well.
Conclude by stating clearly how far you agree with the original proposition.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Briefly explain what you understand by virtues. Virtue can be defined as an excellence of character
which leads one to act in a morally praiseworthy manner. Thus, Virtue ethics propounds the view that
while doing right things is important, it is equally or more important to be a virtuous person.
Body:
Start by discussing the virtues which civil servants should ideally possess. Talk over the views of some
moral thinkers in your answer, regarding virtues.
Throw light upon Aristotle’s theory of cardinal virtues viz. prudence, justice, fortitude and
temperance.
Discuss relevant examples to justify the importance of such virtues to civil services conduct.
Conclusion:
Conclude that Virtue ethics allows people to maintain personal and interpersonal connections
important for the good life. It is more so relevant for civil servants due to the underlying trust and
confidence of people in public service.
Introduction:

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Virtue can be defined as an excellence of character which leads one to act in a morally
praiseworthy manner. Thus, Virtue ethics propounds the view that while doing right things is
important, it is equally or more important to be a virtuous person.

Although there are many virtues like honor, kindness, honesty, etc, a civil servant needs to imbibe a
few cardinal virtues that can be subsumed within one or the other. In this context, a civil servant can
draw inspiration from Aristotle’s theory of cardinal virtues which are prudence, justice, fortitude
and temperance.

Body:

A public servant must ensure that he possesses the following virtues:

 Principle of Justice

 Administrators must observe principles of equity, equality, impartiality, fairness and

objectivity.

 Prudence

 It refers to the ability to recognize the most suitable, political, or practical course of action.
it also signifies practical wisdom and discretion.

 Fortitude

 It is the moral strength or moral courage in enduring pain or adversity. Fortitude is often
associated with soldiers facing tough battle field situations.

 Temperance

 It signifies the ability to control one’s anger, emotions and desires. It can be regarded as
rational self-restraint.

 Leadership:

 Holders of public office should promote and support the principles of public life by
leadership and example.

 For eg. Lal Bahadur Shastri used to fast every Monday to save grains for poor people of the
country and he gave a call for the nation to follow it. Thus exhibiting a true example of how
leaders should lead from the front.

 Maxim of integrity

 While undertaking any administrative action, an administrator practices utmost honesty

and never uses his power, position and discretion to serve his personal interest. It ensures
that public servants work with the honesty of highest standards.

 Maxim of compassion

 Compassion for the poor, the disabled and the weaker segment of the society is the highest
virtue. It actually determines how successful you are as an administrator. In fact, all great
administrators and leaders of society have been a compassionate person which is why they
could connect to the masses.

 Transparency and Accountability

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 Civil servants make all their decisions in a transparent manner. Transparency leaves no
room for ambiguity. Civil services aspirants show utmost transparency in all their deeds. this
increases the credibility and public trust on the public services.

 For eg. Vikram Sarabhai accepted the failure of ISRO first mission without actually putting it
on the mission head (APJ Abdul Kalam). Thus taking full accountability for the failure of his
team.

 Objectivity

 A nation having law-abidance citizens always grow and prosper so it becomes utmost
essential for law enforcers to follow the law and rules to govern and guide. A civil servant
has deepest respect for the law and its enforcement.

 Humility

 the actions must not be high-handed and should be free of any vanity

 Responsiveness and resilience

 Responsiveness and resilience are among the most sought-after and must-have skills.
Responsiveness helps you connect with people and pare down communication gap, the
right response at the time, sometimes, can help avert awkward situations. Likewise, being
resilient means you are ready to face down all the challenges of future with great finesse.

 Commitment for work, Ensuing excellence in the work, Principle of utilitarianism and National
Interest among other qualities.

Importance of virtues for civil service conduct:

 Outcomes for society are better when the decisions of public office holders are made fairly and
on merit and not influenced by personal and private interests

 Low levels of corruption and confidence in the integrity of the trading and operating
environment are crucial factors in the functioning of advanced democracies

 High standards benefit the economy through their effect on international confidence

 Impartiality and objectivity increases predictability, which improves economic efficiency

 Governments which are not perceived to uphold high standards have less legitimacy and basic
public institutions such as tax and benefit systems rely on public trust to function effectively

 High ethical standards are a necessary component of managing public money and fundamental
to the right use of public funds and delivery of services to the public.

 It is therefore incumbent on the bodies commissioning or procuring public services, which are
ultimately responsible and accountable for those services, to obtain assurance that high ethical
standards are being met.

Conclusion:

Public service in both the developed and developing world has significant contribution in providing
public goods, such as defence, public order, property rights, macro-economic management, basic
education, public health, disaster relief, protection of environment, and managing private sector
activity.
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“When a man assumes a public trust, he should consider himself as public property”.
Illustrate the essence of the statement. (250 words)
Reference: Ethics by Lexicon Publications
Why the question:
The question is based on the fact that Public employment carries with it a unique obligation to
uphold the public trust.
Key Demand of the question:
Discuss in detail the essence of the statement as to in what way Public employment carries with it a
unique obligation to uphold the public trust.
Directive:
Illustrate – A similar instruction to ‘explain’ whereby you are asked to show the workings of
something, making use of definite examples and statistics if appropriate to add weight to your
explanation.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Define what is public employment and trust associated with it.
Body:
Explain that Public employment carries with it a unique obligation to uphold the public trust. It is the
confidence of the people that directs and empowers authorities to perform their duties and
obligations in accordance to what they ought to deliver to the people who put them in position.
Further trust can only be maintained through open, honest, accountable and transparent
government, fundamentally through good governance. This requires healthy public and private
relationships. The national interest should overpower self-interest and conduct of the civil servant
should be in tune to the professional values.
He should work selflessly to demonstrate the highest standards of professional competence,
efficiency and effectiveness, upholding the Constitution and the laws, and seeking to advance the
public good at all times and should put possibilities for personal advantage to one side.
Public servants should work for betterment of society by sticking to their duties as prescribed
according to law along with integrity and honesty.
Conclusion:
Conclude with importance.
Introduction:

The above statement was made by Thomas Jefferson. Although it was said centuries ago, yet the
statement holds true even today. The above statement emphasises the importance of public life and
the trust that the public servants ought to maintain. Public life is a constant job, and the persona of a
public man becomes a public property.

Body:

Importance of Public Trust:

 A decline in trust can lead to lower rates of compliance with rules and regulations.

 Citizens and businesses can also become more risk-averse, delaying investment, innovation and
employment decisions that are essential to regain competitiveness and jumpstart growth.

 Nurturing trust represents an investment in economic recovery and social well-being for the
future.

 Trust is both an input to public sector reforms – necessary for the implementation of reforms –
and, at the same time, an outcome of reforms, as they influence people’s and organisations’
attitudes and decisions relevant for economic and social well-being.
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 As a result, trust in government by citizens and businesses are essential for the effective and
efficient policy making both in good times and bad.

 Investing in trust should be considered as a new and central approach to restoring economic
growth and reinforcing social cohesion, as well as a sign that governments are learning the
lessons of the crisis

Responsibilities of a public servant:

 Maintain highest integrity at work.

 Accessible to people to hear their problems and quick grievance redressal.

 Impartial in service delivery.

 Objective, Transparent and accountable in decision making.

The above responsibilities make him a public property who acts as a trustee between the citizens
and the state. Public office can be of any type like it can be ministerial post, Administrator, defence
personnel etc. So each individual requires to perform his duty by putting his self interest as less
important. It requires a person of considerable character to rise above the petty things and consider
the wholeness of his existence in the scheme of things.

Conclusion:

Thus, Core levels of trust in government are necessary for the fair and effective functioning of
government institutions– such as adherence to the rule of law, or the delivery of basic public
services and the provision of infrastructure. Alexander Dumas had put it presciently “An officer
doesn’t have friends”. That sentence shows that the level of dedication required for the role of a
public servant precludes even the existence of friendship, a basic private need. Unless we
acknowledge this, we cannot run institutions, cannot stand true to modern ideas and cannot in short
form a nation.

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Emotional intelligence-concepts, and their utilities and application in

administration and governance.
Emotional intelligence in recent times has become the buzzword for determining the
success of a person. Do you agree? If yes, mention the steps you have taken in your life
to develop emotional intelligence. (250 words)
Reference: Ethics, Integrity and aptitude by lexicon Publications
Why the question:
The question is based on the concept of emotional intelligence and its relevance in today’s life.
Key Demand of the question:
Discuss in what way good emotional intelligence can directly be related to the success of a person
and one has to mention steps taken to develop EI in their lives.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Define what you understand by emotional intelligence; Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify
and regulate one’s emotions and understand the emotions the others.
Body:
Explain that by improving your EQ and taking active steps to make changes, you’ll find you are more
productive and can build more productive relationships around you. Emotional
Intelligence is important, it’s intrinsic to who we are, and as such it impacts every facet of our lives,
and most notably the workplace.
EI is important for everyone who wants to be career ready. Drawing on the work of Daniel Goleman,
explain the five pillars of emotional intelligence and how they give you an advantage in the
workforce.
Mention the steps that you would have taken to develop EI.
Conclusion:
Conclude with importance.
Introduction:

Emotional intelligence or EI is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions, and those
of the people around you. Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive emotions, to access and
generate emotions so as to assist thought, to understand emotions and emotional knowledge, and
to reflectively regulate emotions so as to promote emotional and intellectual growth.

Body:

Concept of EI:
According to Daniel Goleman, an American psychologist who helped to popularize emotional
intelligence, there are five key elements to it:

 Self-awareness:

 The ability to recognize and understand personal moods and emotions and drives, as
well as their effect on others.

 Hallmarks of self-awareness include self-confidence, realistic self-assessment, and a self-

deprecating sense of humour.

 Emotional awareness: This deals with knowledge of one’s emotions and their effects.
People having this competency are more aware of their feelings and performance.

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 Accurate self-assessment: This involves being aware of one’s strengths and weaknesses.
One is open to feedbacks, new viewpoints, etc.

 Self-confidence: This relates to complete affirmation of one’s worth and abilities. They
are usually more confident and are able to make sound decisions despite any
uncertainties or pressures

 Self-management:

 Ability to control or redirect disruptive impulses and moods, and the propensity to
suspend judgment and to think before acting. Hallmarks include trustworthiness and
integrity; comfort with ambiguity; and openness to change.

 Adaptability: This involves flexible attitude towards change. People with this
competency find it easy to handle changing routines, multiple roles and even shifting
priorities.

 Innovativeness: This involves getting easy with and open to new information and ideas.
People who possess this are able to gather new ideas from multiple sources, set
challenging roles and are able to take calculated risks. They evolve original solutions to
various problems.

 Social Awareness:

 The ability to understand the emotional makeup of other people. A skill in treating
people according to their emotional reactions.

 Empathy does not necessarily imply compassion. Empathy can be ‘used’ for
compassionate or cruel behaviour. Serial killers who marry and kill many partners in a
row tend to have great emphatic skills.

 Relationship management:

 Proficiency in managing relationships and building networks, and an ability to find

common ground and build rapport. Hallmarks of social skills include effectiveness in
leading change, persuasiveness, and expertise building and leading teams.

 Motivation:

 A passion to work for internal reasons that go beyond money and status -which are
external rewards, – such as an inner vision of what is important in life, a joy in doing
something, curiosity in learning, a flow that comes with being immersed in an activity.

One can mention the ways in which they have personally built their emotional intelligence.

Conclusion:

Good ethics reaffirm the emotional intelligence of a person. High emotionally intelligent individuals
are more adept at reasoning through the emotional antecedents of their own and others’ behavior
and using this information to guide thinking and action. Individuals high on emotional intelligence
will be able to manage their emotions and react less aggressively to the behaviours of others.

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Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration: Status and

problems; ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions;
laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance;
accountability and ethical governance; strengthening of ethical and moral values
in governance; ethical issues in international relations and funding;
The world has not responded responsibly to international refugees’ crisis. Does it show
failure of ethics in international relations? Discuss. (250 words)
Reference: rescue.org
Why the question:
The question is premised on the theme of International Refugee crisis and the associated ethical
concerns.
Key Demand of the question:
Discuss in what way World has failed to responsibly handle the Refugee crisis and how it’s an
indication of failure of Ethics.
Directive:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you have to debate on paper by going through the
details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You have to give reasons for both for
and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Discuss who constitute refugees, provide for key statistics to highlight the dismal conditions of them
across the world.
Body:
Globally, more than two-thirds of all refugees come from five countries: Syria (6.7 million),
Afghanistan (2.7 million), South Sudan (2.3 million), Myanmar (1.1 million), and Somalia (0.9 million).
According to the UN’s Global Trends report, there are 37,000 new displacements every day.
Who is a refugee? – The UN defines refugees as those individuals that have fled their own countries
because of persecution, war or violence. “A refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution for
reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group.
Most likely, they cannot return home or are afraid to do so. War and ethnic, tribal and religious
violence are leading causes of refugees fleeing their countries”.
Discuss then who is an internally displaced person?
Explain the current refugee crises across the globe. In detail discuss and elaborate on the ethical
issues involved and in what way world has failed to responsibly handle them.
Conclusion:
Conclude with suitable solutions.
Introduction:

A refugee is defined as a person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons
of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside
the country of his nationality and is unable or is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that
country. In the seven decades since it became an independent country, India has seen and largely
welcomed waves of migrants fleeing conflict in neighbouring nations.

Body:

In today’s borderless world, there are a lot of interactions at various levels (country, professional,
personal). The difference in the value systems and diversity makes Ethics in International relations
imperative. Ethics provides guidance to the people in their international affairs.
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Refugee crisis in on the rise across the globe:

 Globally, more two-thirds of all refugees come from five countries: Syria (6.7 million),
Afghanistan (2.7 million), South Sudan (2.3 million), Myanmar (1.1 million), and Somalia (0.9
million).

 Countries in the developed regions host 16 per cent of refugees; one-third of the refugee
population (6.7 million people) are in the Least Developed Countries.

 The largest host countries are Turkey (3.7 million), Pakistan (1.4 million), Uganda (1.2 million),
Sudan (1.1 million), and Germany (1.1 million).

 According to the UN’s Global Trends report released in June this year, there are 37,000 new
displacements every day.

 In 2018, 13.6 million people were newly displaced due to conflict and or persecution.

Ethical issues in IR with respect to refugee crisis:

 In the face of the desperate plight of refugees, virtually all moral and political philosophers,
regardless of their general position on immigration controls, argue that states have a duty to
grant asylum: people must not be turned back to countries where they would face persecution
or severe human rights violations.

 Yet this consensus obscures a number of thorny ethical issues raised by the plight of the
displaced.

 Drawing on the normative standards of both the humanitarian and human rights movements,
we can affirm that all persons deserve equal protection from grave threats to their worth as
persons.

 Denial of Protection: the ethical question lies in the cause of the so called “migration” which is
not more of voluntary but undertaken to escape the instability and fear of persecution in the
African and other countries. So the labelling of these people as migrants and not “refugees”
itself denies them the protection under the international law – refugee convention of UNHCR.
They are being considered mere economic subjects migrating due to economic hardships

 Lack of humanitarian consideration: These migrants have been considered as a problem to deal
with than as people in need of humanitarian relief. This underlies the political preference than
humanitarian.

 Consideration as a local problem: The problem is being looked at as one of the source countries
and an integrated approach is lacking

Measures needed:

 Firstly, the community where the crisis is occurring bears prime responsibility.
 The criterion of capability also sheds light on positive duties to respond to crises that displace
large numbers of people

 Countries with greater economic and political capacities to help have proportionally greater
responsibilities to do so.

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 These responsibilities may be carried out by granting asylum to more refugees, by providing
larger opportunities for resettlement, and, perhaps most importantly today, by providing
economic and other forms of assistance to countries like Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan, who are
already carrying a disproportionate burden.

 the world leaders who should come forward and declare their stand and has to fix the problem
at multilateral level.

 It’s the time for the world to take the task into its hand, and engage the stakeholders into an
effective dialogue. And fix this problem once and forever.

Conclusion:

Ultimately, refugee crises end when their root causes are addressed. Ending conflicts and
widespread human rights abuses are objectives that states should pursue, but they are difficult to
achieve. However, individual states and the international community as a whole must recognize that
they can lessen the devastating consequences of the refugee crisis on people. For this, a global
approach to the problem is needed. Ethics and Morality demands humanism should be the pioneer
ideology in 21st century.

‘Problem-preventing values’ have more importance than ‘Problem solving skills.’ Do you
agree? Substantiate your opinion with suitable illustration. (250 words)
Reference: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by Lexicon Publications
Why the question:
The question is premised on the importance of problem preventing values in ethics and
administration.
Key Demand of the question:
Discuss in what way ‘Problem-preventing values’ have more importance than ‘Problem solving skills.’
Use suitable examples to justify the same.
Directive:
Substantiate – When you are asked to Substantiate, you have to pass a sound judgement about the
truth of the given statement in the question or the topic based on evidences. You have to appraise
the worth of the statement in question using suitable case studies or/ and examples.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Briefly first explain what you understand by ‘Problem solving skills’ and ‘problem preventing values’.
Body:
Skill depicts the professional competence of the human being, his expertise in handling a situation.
But problem preventing values receive much more importance as compared to solving skills these
days. However, anticipating a problem in advance helps in facing it with strong determination and
strength. This saves time and resources both, and creates a responsible society.
For example – the concept of sustainable development is based on this thought only. It states that by
conservation of natural resources in advance we can save a better future for near generations. It
emphasis or problem preventing values by – conserving water, air biodiversity, forest rather than
solving the issue using skill once the damage has been done . The GHGs during industrial revolution
are leading to climate change and global warming in this millennium. This shows that prevention is
better than cure and this requires creativity & innovation.
Conclusion:
Conclude by highlighting the importance of such values.
Introduction:

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Problem solving skills refers to our ability to solve problems in an effective and timely manner
without any impediments. Problem preventing values are those which help in avoiding the problem
itself before it occurs. They include compassion, empathy, vision, foresightedness, inclusiveness,
accountability and transparency and sustainability to mention a few.

Body:

The age-old saying of ‘Prevention is better than cure’ truly justifies the above statement of ‘Problem-
preventing values’ have more importance than ‘Problem solving skills.’ Problem preventing values
receive much more importance as compared to solving skills these days. However, anticipating a
problem in advance helps in facing it with strong determination and strength.

Importance of problem-preventing values:

 Saves effort

 Saves time, unnecessary wastage of money.

 Better utilization of resources.

 Lesser harm to man and material.

 On-time service delivery.

 Sustainable development.

For instance, the concept of sustainable development is based on this thought only. It states that by
conservation of natural resources in advance we can save a better future for near generations. It
emphasis or problem preventing values by – conserving water, air biodiversity, forest rather than
solving the issue using skill once the damage has been done. The GHGs during industrial revolution
are leading to climate change and global warming in this millennium. This shows that prevention is
better than cure and this requires creativity & innovation.

The problem preventing values are imperative from the perspective of Public health, Disaster
management, Governance etc. The problem preventing values further help in Good governance,
increasing the trust of the public and promoting inclusiveness.

Conclusion:

No man is perfect and we all commit mistakes. But with the help of prevention, one can avoid many
disasters, complexities, confusion and destruction. We can check ourselves from doing something by
thinking about the outcome first and then take appropriate action. Every action should be measured
carefully because solving the problem will be more time-consuming and more painful compared to
taking precaution.

How can a public servant empathize with public? Discuss with suitable examples. (250
words)
Reference: Ethics by Lexicon Publications
Why the question:
The question is based on the virtue of empathy and its importance to Public servants.
Key Demand of the question:
Discuss the methods and means by which public servant should and can empathize the public with
suitable examples.
Directive:
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Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you have to debate on paper by going through the
details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You have to give reasons for both for
and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Define what you understand by Empathy.
Body:
Every public servant is an individual who is to some extent endowed with natural ability to empathize
with people he is serving. However, with the information and knowledge at her disposal, a public
servant has the opportunity to empathize at a greater degree.
The official data can give the public servant a detailed idea of the situation the people are living in.
She can conduct surveys and seek feedback from the people about the issue concerning the activities
taken up by the officials. This way, the public servant is in a good position to understand the
situation, feelings, and motives of the people at a higher level.
Give suitable examples/present case study to substantiate your answer.
Conclusion:
Conclude with its significance.
Introduction:

Empathy is the ability to be aware of, understand, and appreciate the feelings and thoughts of
others. Empathy is “tuning in” (being sensitive) to what, how, and why people feel and think the way
they do. Being empathic means being able to “emotionally read” other people.

Body:

Empathy helps in the following:

 Understands Unspoken content:

 Demonstrates active listening skills (such as asking probing questions, not interrupting)

 Picks up signals when others are not feeling comfortable and displays consideration.

 Has concern for others:

o Open to diversity of opinion.

o Probes to understand people’s issues, unspoken thoughts, and feelings

 Expresses concern for Others:

o Demonstrates empathy by correctly understanding reactions or emotions of others.

o Builds trust by demonstrating respect for other’s point of view.

 Acts as a Role-model:

o Makes a balanced assessment of a person’s strengths and weaknesses based on a

deeper understanding of the individual

 Creates and provides an environment of Respect:

o Creates a culture of mutual trust and respect

Public Servants are the glue between the State and the people. Empathy is important for public
services and a public servant can empathize with the people by the following:

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 Practice active listening: This means actively trying to understand what the other person is
saying and mirroring it back to them to be sure you heard it correctly, rather than focusing part
of your attention on what your next point will be.

 For instance, to make the person in front of you the most important thing in your world while
they speak, just as you would want to be if you were them. By this half of the problems of the
people is solved.

 Understand yourself: Don’t pretend your feelings don’t affect you. How you feel will affect how
well you can hear someone or put yourself in their shoes. It takes energy and emotional strength
to do that, so monitor and manage those reserves. Also, no one comes to the table without
biases. Know your own so you can be sure you are controlling them and they’re not controlling
you.

 Be patient: Showing empathy takes time, so you won’t be able to move as quickly through
meetings, conversations and tasks as you might have done before. The extra time now will be
balanced by having more satisfied customers, better relationships and better results. And be
patient with yourself as you learn how to do this. Empathy is a skill and a habit like any other
that takes time to master.

 Step into their shoes: Find ways to see things from the perspective of others, especially the
citizens you serve. A key principle of human-centred design is to approach the system or product
being created from the standpoint of the person who will use it. One way to do this is to form
connections with the people you serve as equals by reaching out to them and their communities,
which has the added benefit of helping to address the loneliness crisis.

Conclusion:

Empathy is a vital skill for the public sector. Seeing the government work through a lens of empathy
makes them better at their jobs and helps fulfil the purpose. Civil servants must be cool-headed, but
must be warm-hearted too.

Discuss how lateral entries in administration can help overcome existing inefficiencies
and what are its future prospects? (250 words)
Reference: 2nd ARC report / Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by Lexicon Publications
Why the question:
The question is premised on the idea of lateral entry in civil services of the country.
Key Demand of the question:
The question is straightforward; discuss how lateral entries in administration can help overcome
existing inefficiencies and what its future prospects are.
Directive:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you have to debate on paper by going through the
details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You have to give reasons for both for
and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Present a brief introduction of lateral entry.
Body:
What is lateral entry?
It is the appointment of private sector professionals and academicians in the government
organisation bypassing the traditional route.

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Traditionally to get into the posts of Deputy Secretary, Director and Joint Secretary in Government
organisations, the candidate has to belong to Indian Civil Services which is filled by personals from –
Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service and Indian Revenue Service.
Discuss the fatigue and inefficiency in the present IAS dominated administrative structure.
Discus how lateral entry will help improving the administration.
Bring out both pros and cons.
Conclusion:
Suggest some measure for further reforms in Indian Administration; any new system will take time to
evolve. So one can only hope that those at the top see this through till it becomes efficient and
transparent and ensure a way to keep the public informed about it objectively.
Introduction:

The lateral entry mode, which pertains to the appointment of specialists from private sector in
government organisations, is an attempt by the government to bring in fresh talent into the
bureaucracy. While the nine lateral entrants, all set to join government soon, the latest attempt to
reform the bureaucracy has raised more questions than answers

Body:

Possible advantages:

 Civil servants enter public service as generalists and have grassroots realities. Building specific
domain expertise starts quite late for career bureaucrats.

 To bring in fresh ideas and new approaches to governance. Expert advice and opinion for
efficient administration and fulfilling the aspirations of people

 The present system of frequent and arbitrary transfers hinders gaining of the relevant
experience by incumbent officers. They spend less than 16 months, on average, in any post; and
studies shows only 24% of postings are viewed as “merit-based” by bureaucrats themselves.

 Former instances:

o Lateral entry into finance ministry produced illustrious public servants like Manmohan
Singh, Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Vijay Kelkar etc.

 Outside talent from the private sector is more likely to be target-oriented, which will improve
the performance of the government.

 Lateral entry scheme, if implemented properly, may foster more competitive spirit, break the
complacency of the higher civil servants and eventually prove to be a pioneering initiative in
public interest.

 Question often raised in this context is whether the higher bureaucracy is equipped to
comprehend complex economic and technical issues in order to properly aid and advise the
Minister. Doubts are raised whether civil servants can handle diverse portfolios from civil
aviation to power to defence.

 The three-year action agenda released by NITI Aayog in August 2017 said “policymaking is a
specialized activity” and “lateral entry will have the beneficial side effect of bringing competition
to the established career bureaucracy”.

 Lateral entry at the level of Secretary has met with some success earlier:

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o Besides, Secretaries to the Departments of Atomic Energy, Science & Technology,

Scientific and Industrial Research, Health Research, and Agricultural Research have
always been scientists of eminence.

o Similarly, in departments like the Railways, Posts, etc., all senior positions are manned
by Indian Railway or Postal Service officers. Therefore, there is nothing very original in
the new initiative to allow entry at the level of Joint Secretary.

However, it has challenges too:

 Many serving Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers see this move as threatening their
hegemony.

 Experts criticize this move as the beginning of the end of a neutral and impartial civil service with
the likely induction of loyalists to the current dispensation.

 Doubts have been expressed if private business houses would plant their people in order to
influence government policies.

 Differences in work culture may often come in the way.

 The width and depth of field experience which the civil services provide is not available with
outside talent.

 Interests and motivation vary from person to person. Therefore, short term entry of officers
through lateral entry might lead to corrupt practices.

 The private sector who ran Air India, Indian Airlines and Vayudoot proved to be failures.

 Lateral entry into civil services undermines reservation policy.

 If a person from a private infrastructure company is appointed in an infra ministry it will lead to
questions of morality, ethics and conflict of interest.”

 Lack of transparency, honesty and political interference in the selection process.

 Nobody knows why a particular individual was selected and why others more qualified were left
out.

 It is difficult to assess the performance of a secretary to the government due to complex nature
of the job. So it would be difficult to measure the performance of lateral entrants.

 If the selection is politically motivated, it may degrade the system.

Way forward:

 Government must ensure that only candidates, the likes of whom are not available in the
existing system, are appointed. If they turn out to be truly outstanding, there should be
provisions to induct them permanently in the government, with approval of the UPSC, and
consider them for higher postings.

 Government must also allow deputation of its officers to private sector as well so that they get

 exposure to market practices and fresh ideas.

 The remedy lies not through lateral induction but through more rigorous performance appraisal

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 and improved personnel management.

 The government can consider lateral entry to head certain mission-mode projects and public-
sector entities where private-sector expertise actually matters.

 The process of selection needs to be transparent.

 A credible statutory agency like UPSC should be entrusted with the responsibility of recruitment.

A bureaucrat is needed to be politically neutral, not programme neutral. Justify. (250

words)
Reference: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by G Subba Rao and P N Chowdhary
Why the question:
The question is premised on the concept of political neutrality of the bureaucrats.
Key Demand of the question:
Directive:
Justify – When you are asked to justify, you have to pass a sound judgement about the truth of the
given statement in the question or the topic based on evidences. You have to appraise the worth of
the statement in question using suitable case studies or/ and examples.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Define first what you understand by political neutrality.
Body:
Persons working in the civil services are required to act in the course of their duties in a
politically neutral manner. This includes the requirement to act impartially and to implement the
Government’s policies.
Recently, there has been a debate whether bureaucracy is being neutral or not. Involvement of
bureaucracy in politics has become a very controversial issue.
When caught between various political ideologies and in conflicts of opinion, officials are supposed to
maintain their neutrality. But there is an opposite view—that the top civil servants are not neutral at
all, on the contrary, they are very “hungry for power” and to satisfy their hunger they participate in
politics.
Discuss the need for Neutral Bureaucracy, explain in what way a bureaucrat is needed to be
politically neutral, not programme neutral. Explain with suitable case studies.
Conclusion:
Conclude by highlighting the importance of political neutrality for bureaucrats.
Introduction:
Bureaucracy refers to a specialized system and processes designed to maintain uniformity and
controls within an organization. Bureaucratic processes are most common in large organizations or
governments. Political neutrality is an essential complement to the merit system for it guarantees
that the civil servants who have been recruited and promoted by merit will give the minister -
whatever be his political complexion – impartial advice and criticism whenever he needs it.

Body:

A bureaucrat is needed to be politically neutral:

 Neutrality depicts that public officials are not slaves to either the politicians or any other
authority other than the moral authority of the Constitution.

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 It shows that the principle of neutrality implies a measure of independence both from the
partisan interests of the government of the day and the exogenous agenda that prompts certain
social groups to cow others down to humiliating vulnerability.

 Bureaucracy should be neutral in terms of ideology and politics. So that there will not be an
affinity to a particular class or ideology.

 For a genuine public official, commitment to constitutional principles is not only a lifelong
project but, more importantly, it can be carried out without any political or ideological
mediation.

 If bureaucracy won’t be neutral then it cannot lend its whole-hearted support to the existing
political system, and to the economic and political system if any radical changes are introduced.

 Without neutrality, there can be a close nexus between bureaucracy and large-scale enterprises
which could further lead to crony capitalism.

 By and large, the spirit of neutrality imbedded by civil servants enables them to perform their
duties in a detached and impartial manner.

However, a bureaucrat should not be programme neutral:

 Democratically elected leaders legislate and make policy, the permanent executive of civil
servants is meant to advise and execute it, irrespective of their own views.

 Policies and programmes are drafted with a greater vision and objective of achieving welfare of
the entire population.

 Individual interests, partisanship of bureaucrat towards a political party should not jeopardize
the implementation of the programmes which lead to service delivery to people.

Conclusion:

The main reason for advocacy of civil service neutrality is that the civil servant can serve the
changing governments drawn from different parties with the same vigour and honesty. While
rendering advice to his minister, the civil servant has to place all the facts before him as also to
explain the possible alternative courses of action.

While acting for ‘change’ and ‘progress’, should an administrator be disappointed

because s/he can do too little? Substantiate. (250 words)
Reference: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by Lexicon publications
Why the question:
The question is based on the two factors of change and progress and in what way Public
administrators usually face the crisis of choosing between them.
Key Demand of the question:
Explain the dilemma involved in choosing change or progress in the lives of civil servants while
making decisions.
Directive:
Substantiate – When you are asked to Substantiate, you have to pass a sound judgement about the
truth of the given statement in the question or the topic based on evidences. You have to appraise
the worth of the statement in question using suitable case studies or/ and examples.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Define what you understand by “Change” and “Progress” in the context of the question.
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Body:
The process of change in a large-scale system is a mix of art and science. It requires scientific
principles to bring change and progress as well as requires social and human emotions for strong
determination and will power.
But a system is “any collection of things that have some influence on one another.” If we take the
example of Environment – Individual things like plants, people, schools, communities, and
watersheds – are all systems of interrelated elements. All have well-defined niche and role in the
maintenance of system whether small or big.
Conclusion:
Hence one should not be disappointed that he can do nothing big to change the system, even small
and genuine steps can bring change.
Introduction:

Administrators or public servants are the glue between the State and the people. They have a wide
array of responsibilities from formulation, implementation of various rules, policies to service
delivery to citizens. They are granted with sufficient powers to carry on their work in an unhindered
manner. The vast scope of operations can give rise to situations where they are faced with various
challenges which could lead to disappointments.

Body:

Change and progress is an important part in everyone’s society for the general public welfare.
Administrators are put in charge to bring about these necessary changes so that there is social and
economic justice delivered to every citizen as envisaged by our constitution.

However, there can be situations during the process of bringing about change and progress which
could lead to disappointments for administrators.

For instance, consider the case of building a multipurpose dam which needs evacuation of many
people from few villages. Here the dilemma could bring about disappointment to administrators as
s/he cannot do much from people being evacuated from their places. But, keeping in mind the
utilitarian view of how the multipurpose dam would be of great use for greater number of people,
an administrator must go on with project although he can do very little for the evacuees. However,
s/he can quickly take other measures to ensure the evacuated people are rehabilitated and
normalcy in their lives is restored.

Measures to overcome those challenges and disappointments:

 Personal self-interest should be secondary to the common good in all situations, especially when
such circumstances give rise to conflict of interest.

 A challenge should be dealt appropriately by considering and reformulating all the options in a
systematic and coherent manner.

 To resolve such challenges, an order or a sequence of logical reasoning is must to integrate and
rearrange the process of dealing with challenges.

 The decisions should be guided by following principles:

 The provisions of Indian Constitution.

 Democratic accountability of administration.

 The rule of law and the principle of legality.

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 Professional integrity.

 Impartiality and neutrality.

 Larger public good.

 Responsiveness to civil society.

 The bureaucracy should be loyal to the country and its people while decision making considering
consequences of such decisions.

 It is fundamental ethical duty of civil servants to show a spirit of neutrality and discretion and
keep their own personal preferences out in the performance of their duties and responsibilities.

Conclusion:

A public servant is bound to be faced by many such challenges during his course of work. Adhering
to the ethical values like integrity, objectivity, transparency, working with conscience and application
of wisdom can help in overcoming the challenges and dilemmas.

Probity in Governance: Concept of public service; Philosophical basis of

governance and probity; Information sharing and transparency in government,
Right to Information, Codes of Ethics, Codes of Conduct, Citizen’s Charters, Work
culture, Quality of service delivery, Utilization of public funds, challenges of
corruption.
Highlighting their significance, discuss the issues with Citizen’s Charter in India.(250
words)
Reference: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by Lexicon Publications
Why the question:
The question is premised on the concept of citizen’s charter; its importance and issues associated
with it.
Key Demand of the question:
Discuss briefly the concept of citizen’s charter, its significance and bring out the associated issues
while suggesting solutions to address the same.
Directive:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you have to debate on paper by going through the
details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You have to give reasons for both for
and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Define citizen’s charter; A Citizen’s Charter is a document of commitments made by an organization
regarding the delivery of services to citizens with specified standards, quality and time frame. It seeks
to make an organisation transparent, accountable and citizen friendly. The 2nd Administrative
Reforms Commission describes it as a tool to ensure that the citizen is always at the heart of any
service delivery mechanism.
Body:
Introduce by defining Citizen’s Charter and its objective.

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Proceed to discuss the significance of Citizen’s Charter – It enshrines trust between the service
provider and its users, It ushers in a regime of transparency and openness, enhances administrative
efficiency and promotes good governance, helps to enhance the quality of the services to be provided
etc.
Analyse the issues facing Citizen’s Charter in India such as – Non-existent and out-dated Charters,
Bureaucratic rigidity, Unrealistic targets, Lack of awareness amongst citizens etc. among others.
Conclusion:
Conclude by suggesting a way forward.
Introduction:

A Citizens’ Charter represents the commitment of the Organisation towards standard, quality and
time frame of service delivery, grievance redress mechanism, transparency and accountability. The
concept of Citizens Charter enshrines the trust between the service provider and its users.

Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances in Government of India (DARPG)

initiated the task of coordinating, formulating and operationalising Citizen’s Charters.

Body:

The basic objective of the Citizens Charter is to empower the citizen in relation to public service
delivery.

Importance of Citizen’s charter in the Governance of developing nation like India:

 To make administration accountable and citizen friendly.

 To ensure transparency.

 To take measures to improve customer service.

 To adopt a stakeholder approach.

 To save time of both Administration and the citizen

Problems faced in implementation of Citizen’s charter:

 One size fits all: Tendency to have a uniform CC for all offices under the parent organization. CC
have still not been adopted by all Ministries/Departments. This overlooks local issues.

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 Silo operations: Devoid of participative mechanisms in a majority of cases, not formulated

through a consultative process with cutting edge staff who will finally implement it.

 Non-Dynamic: Charters are rarely updated making it a one-time exercise, frozen in time.

 Poor design and content: lack of meaningful and succinct CC, absence of critical information
that end-users need to hold agencies accountable.

 Lack of public awareness: only a small percentage of end-users are aware of the commitments
made in the CC since effective efforts of communicating and educating the public about the
standards of delivery promise have not been undertaken.

 Stakeholders not consulted: End-users, Civil society organizations and NGOs are not consulted
when CCs are drafted. Since a CC’s primary purpose is to make public service delivery more
citizen-centric, consultation with stakeholders is a must.

 Measurable standards of delivery are rarely defined: making it difficult to assess whether the
desired level of service has been achieved or not.

 Poor adherence: Little interest shown by the organizations in adhering to their CC. since there is
no citizen friendly mechanism to compensate the citizen if the organization defaults.

Way forward:

 Wide consultation process: CC be formulated after extensive consultations within the

organization followed by a meaningful dialogue with civil society.

 Participatory process: Include Civil Society in the process: to assist in improvement in the
contents of the Charter, its adherence as well as educating the citizens about the importance of
this vital mechanism.

 Firm commitments to be made: CC must be precise and make firm commitments of service
delivery standards to the citizens/consumers in quantifiable terms wherever possible.

 Redressal mechanism in case of default: clearly lay down the relief which the organization is
bound to provide if it has defaulted on the promised standards of delivery.
 One size does not fit all: formulation of CC should be a decentralized activity with the head
office providing only broad guidelines.

 Periodic updation of CC: preferably through an external agency.

 Fix responsibility: Hold officers accountable for results: fix specific responsibility in cases where
there is a default in adhering to the CC.

Conclusion:

Citizen’s Charter is playing a prominent part in ensuring “minimum government & maximum
governance”, changing the nature of charters from non-justiciable to justiciable & adopting penalty
measures that will make it more efficient & citizen friendly. The Sevottam model proposed by 2nd
Administrative Reforms Commission for public Service Delivery can be regarded as a standard model
for providing services in citizen centric governance.

Analyse the potential of e-governance in India. (250 words)

Reference: Ethics by lexicon Publications

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Why the question:

The question is straightforward and aims to analyse and present the potential of e-governance in the
country.
Key Demand of the question:
Discuss in detail the potential of e-governance in India.
Directive:
Analyze – When asked to analyse, you have to examine methodically the structure or nature of the
topic by separating it into component parts and present them as a whole in a summary.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Introduce the answer by defining e-governance.
Body:
As per the World Bank, e-governance can be defined as the use by government agencies of
information technologies that have the ability to transform relations with citizens, businesses, and
other arms of government. It aims to create SMART governance which is to provide smart, moral,
accountable, responsive and transparent governance.
Highlight the potential of e-governance in India including examples of different initiatives taken by
government.
Discuss the constraints that limit the potential of e-governance in India.
Conclusion:
Conclude that thus, toward building a digital and inclusive India, various measures addressing above
challenges need to be undertaken to ensure that e-governance initiatives can help the country
achieve its socioeconomic and welfare targets.
Introduction:

E-Governance is basically associated with carrying out the functions and achieving the results of
governance through the utilization of what has today come to be known as Information and
Communications Technology. It is basically the application of ICT to the processes of Government
functioning in order to bring about ‘Simple, Moral, Accountable, Responsive and Transparent’
(SMART) governance.

Body:

Potential of e-governance in India:

 Increased effectiveness and efficiency: Improved government services in terms of

accomplishing the government purpose and functioning

 Better services: E-government can provide quick and timely services to stakeholders

 Transparency by dissemination and publication of information on the web: This provides easy
access to information and subsequently makes the system publicly accountable. Also as the web
enables the free flow of information, it can be easily accessed by all without any discrimination.

 Accessible anytime and anywhere: As e-government services are provided through web-
enabled technology they can be accessed anytime and anywhere

 User-centred ICT enabled services: The services are primarily intended for the use of citizens,
businesses, and the government itself

 Reduced cost and time: As the services are provided through internet they are effective in terms
of time and cost

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 Economic Development: The deployment of ICTs reduces the transaction costs, which makes
services cheaper. For example, rural areas suffer on account of lack of information regarding
markets, products, agriculture, health, education, weather, etc. and if all this could be accessed
online would lead to better and more opportunities and thereby prosperity in these areas.

 Social Development: The access to information empowers the citizens. The informed citizenry
can participate and voice their concerns, which can be accommodated in the programme/
project formulation, implementation, monitoring and service delivery. Web-enabled
participation will counter the discriminatory factors affecting our societal behaviour.

 Reduced bureaucracy: E-government minimizes hierarchy of authority for availing any

government services

 Automation of Administrative Processes: A truly e-governed system would require minimal

human intervention and would rather be system driven.

 Enhanced communication and coordination between government organizations: An

automated services can be accessed by different organizations coordination and further
communication became relative
 Paper Work Reduction: An immediate impact of automation would be on the paperwork.
Paperwork is reduced to a greater extent with communication being enabled via electronic route
and storage and retrieval of information in the electronic form. All this has led to the emergence
of less paper office’.

 Quality of Services: ICT helps governments to deliver services to citizens with greater
accountability responsiveness and sensitivity. Quality of services improves, as now the people
are able to, get services efficiently and instantaneously.

 Elimination of Hierarchy: ICT has reduced procedural delays caused by hierarchical processes in
the organisation. Through Intranet and LAN, it has become possible to send information and
data across various levels in the organisation at the same time.

 Change in Administrative Culture: Bureaucratic structures have been plagued by characteristics

aptly described by Victor Thompson as ‘bureau-pathology’. From the day s of New Public
Administration, efforts have been made to find ways to deal with the pathological or
dysfunctional aspects of art.

 Strategic Information System: Changing organisational environment and increasing

competitiveness have put pressures on the performance of the functionaries. Information
regarding all aspects needs to be made available to the management at every point to make
routine as well as strategic decisions.

Some of the e-Governance models implemented in India: Customs and Excise (Government of
India); Indian Railways; Postal Department; Passport/Visa; Bhoomi – Automation of Land Records
(State Government of Karnataka); Gyandoot: Intranet in Tribal District of Dhar (State Government
of Madhya Pradesh); e-Mitra – Integrated Citizen Services Center/ e-Kiosks (State Government of
Rajasthan) etc.

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, former President of India, has visualized e-Governance in the Indian context to
mean: “A transparent, smart e-Governance with seamless access, secure and authentic flow of
information crossing the interdepartmental barrier and providing a fair and unbiased service to the
citizen.”
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Conclusion:

Thus, e-Governance has led to better access to information and quality services for citizens;
Simplicity, efficiency and accountability in the government and expanded reach of governance. In
the light of wide range of e-Governance initiatives that have been carried out in India with varying
degrees of success as well as the diversity of conditions in the country, the report recognizes that e-
Governance projects have to be designed for specific contexts and environments.

Lack of an orientation to take and own responsibility as moral development is the main
cause of poor work ethics in governments’ offices. Do you agree with the statement?
Substantiate. (250 words)
Reference: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by G Subba Rao and P N Chowdhary
Why the question:
The question is based on the work ethics in government offices.
Key Demand of the question:
Discuss the need for proper orientation and need to own responsibility as moral development to
ensure effective functioning of government offices ethically.
Directive:
Substantiate – When you are asked to substantiate, you have to pass a sound judgement about the
truth of the given statement in the question or the topic based on evidences. You have to appraise
the worth of the statement in question using suitable case studies or/ and examples.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Discuss what you understand by lack of an orientation to take and own responsibility as moral
development.
Body:
Discuss the concept of work ethics; explain the need to take responsibility.
Such answers are best explained with case studies/examples, one must give day to day office
situation to explain the need for moral responsibility as a key feature to ensure good work ethics.
Discuss why there is lack of moral development in the government offices? Suggest how it can be
inculcated. Explain and suggest solutions.
Conclusion:
Conclude with way forward.
Introduction:

Work culture is an important part of any organization, especially when it has to provide citizen-
centric service to the public at large. There is a need of reinventing the work culture in the
government offices because of various issues ranging from lack of an orientation to take and own
responsibility, delay in the delivery of service to failed mechanism to address the increasing public
grievances and has put special emphasis to improve the work culture in all the government offices as
part of efforts to ensure improved government functioning.

Body:

Reasons for lack of an orientation to take and own responsibility:

 Lack of Accountability: The present multi-layered organizational structure with fragmented

decision making leads to a culture of alibis for non- performance. The tendency to have a large
number of on file consultations, lead to diffused accountability

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 Centralization of work: A typical characteristic of a government organization is the tendency to

centralize power and avoid delegation of authority to subordinate functionaries or units.
However, this leads to delays, inefficiency, and demoralization of the subordinate staff.

 An extended hierarchy with too many levels: Government of India has an extended vertical
structure which leads to examination of issues at many levels frequently causing delays in
decision making on the one hand and lack of accountability on the other. Another feature of the
structure is that several levels are redundant as they do not contribute to the decision making
process.

 Risk avoidance: A fall-out of a multi-layered structure has been the tendency towards reverse
delegation and avoidance of risk in decision making. Another aspect of the existing structure is
an increasing emphasis on consultations through the movement of files as a substitute for taking
decisions. This leads to multiplication of work, delays, and inefficiency.

 Discipline and order: Lack of discipline at all levels, basic mistrust of authority, poor superior-
subordinate relationships.

 Absence of teamwork: The present rigid hierarchical structure effectively rules out teamwork so
necessary in the present context where an interdisciplinary approach often is the need of the
hour to respond effectively to emerging challenges.

Measures needed to improve the work culture in Government offices:

The 2nd Administrative Reform Commission suggested the following ways to improve work culture
in government offices.

 Reorganization of Ministries and Departments: Revisiting and redefining the role of the
Ministries and Departments in the context of the evolving role of governance and the need for
greater collaboration.

 Uniformity: There is a need to bring greater uniformity in the description of the roles and
functions of various Ministries/Departments
 Performance Management System (PMS): For each public service, the major components of
PMS are the service’s aims and mission, strategic objectives set by the organization offering it,
breaking down of the objectives for the components of the organization, the identification of
agreed-upon targets of individual manager and his/her key result areas, periodic reporting of
performance against targets and standards, review by superior authority, and remedial action.

 Strengthening Accountability Mechanisms: Ensuring accountability and promoting an ethical

approach in governance institutions is vital to improved governance. The Commission has
already made detailed recommendations on this issue in its Fourth Report on Ethics in
Governance.

 Timely resolution: Ensure effective and timely resolution of public grievances as part of efforts
to ensure improved work culture in government offices.

 Encourage technology: Identification and repeal of rules or processes and archaic acts and to
encourage the use of information and communication technology in the submission of
information.

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 Redefining role of District Collector: re-defining the collectors’ role, as many schemes or
programs are being executed through the collectors.

 Training: In order to sensitize officers of all India services about the recommendations of the
2nd ARC on issues like citizen centricity, equity, ethics, the primacy of law and accountability, the
central training institutes have been asked to conduct training programs at the induction and
mid-service level.

Way forward:

 Increased people participation in policy and practice decisions that affect service quality and
individual client well-being.

 Decentralization of operations and authority must take into account technological and
operational constraints

 Like private organizations, government organizations are not immune to dynamic changes.
Policies need to be evaluated and reformed periodically to enhance productivity.

 Accountability measures like the RTI, Social Audit should be put in to practice and citizens should
be sensitized to use the same.

Conclusion:

Public administration in India faces immense challenges. These include the need to maintain peace
and harmony, to alleviate deep poverty, to sustain a healthy and inclusive economic growth, to
ensure social justice and to achieve ethical, efficient, transparent and participative governance. The
development of positive work culture with full of ethical values in public administration or
government offices is vital to address all challenges.

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Case Studies on above issues.

You reside in a village notorious for instances of honor killing. You have known some of
you schoolmates being the victims. In this scenario, one of your friends comes to you
seeking help. This time the case is reverse. The father of the boy had threatened to
commit suicide if he marries a girl from a supposedly lower caste. His mother too is
bedridden after knowing this. Their disagreement to for the marriage is solely based on
the girl being from a Lower caste. The parents are also under tremendous pressure
from society. The boy is now under tremendous pressure from the other people from
the society, as he will be considered the reason of his parents’ death if he chooses to
stick with his decision of marrying that girl. He also has two school-going younger
siblings. You personally have always believed that the caste discrimination must go and
have always fought against it. You otherwise share a cordial relationship with the boy
and also with his parents. Analyse the situation with ethical angles involved in it. (250
words)
Why the question: Case Study
Key Demand of the question:
The question is a case study based on caste discrimination and associated honor killing.
Directive:
Analyze – When asked to analyse, you have to examine methodically the structure or nature of the
topic by separating it into component parts and present them as a whole in a summary.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by briefing the case; introduce the issue and ethical angles involved.
Body:
List down the facts in the case and the associated challenges like – honor killing, schoolmates being
victim, family pressure, caste system etc.
The case presented to us is depicts a dilemma between ideological stand against the social situation.
History of honor killing makes the case more sensitive. The strict ideological stand may hamper the
life of the friend too.
Discuss the possible steps that you would take.
Conclusion:
Conclude with a fair and balanced solution to the given situation.
Introduction:

India’s caste system is the world’s one of the longest surviving vertical social hierarchies. It
encompasses a complex ordering of social groups on the basis of descent. The groups at the bottom
like untouchables or Dalits are considered ‘lesser human beings’, ‘impure’ and ‘polluting’ to other
caste groups, it involves gross violations of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights.

Body:

Ethical issues and values involved in the case:

 Social inequality and caste discrimination

 The evil of honor killing

 Stigma attached with inter-caste marriages in our society

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 Empathy and compassion for weaker section

 Peace and harmony in society

 Lack of tolerance

 Injustice meted out to youths who marry different caste partner

In the above situation, I would take following steps in this regard:

 First of all, I would try and talk to my friend’s father and explain the situation. Further, I would
persuade him by explaining the pros and cons of the wedding of my friend with other caste girl.

 Bring the matter into the notice of village panchayat. The elderly and educated from the village
namely the panchayat president, School Headmaster and other like-minded people together and
develop a good social capital. Being influential in the village and can persuade other villagers.

 Evoke empathy and compassion for Dalit community in people by highlighting their
backwardness and emotional vulnerability.

 Take a strong stand and make it clear that he will not budge from his position.

 Request the police to strengthen the security to handle any untoward incidents of inter-
community clash, honour killing etc.

 I would request a few NGOs who are working for the rights of dalits to help out my friend.

 I also would request them to create awareness among the villagers against caste discrimination
and ills against the inter-caste marriages etc. by being an active part of it.

Conclusion:

Social oppression of Dalit community is a harsh reality in our society. The lack of awareness of the
safeguards available to them adds more to the problem. India’s battle against caste discrimination
remains tragically incomplete, casting an aspersion on our status as a civilised liberal democracy. It is
to be ensured that the steps taken to undo the harm done by such medieval practices are made
more effective and do not create further inequality in the society.

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