GS4 · Topic
Human Values
Values as such and where they come from: lessons from the lives of leaders, reformers and administrators, and the values named in the syllabus.
490 UPSC Mains GS4 questions on Human Values that toppers answered in test series, CSE 2014–2025, most answered first. Open one to see how toppers opened, built and closed it.
The core of Gandhiji's philosophy lies in internal moral power. Discuss.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 2 toppers · CSE 2022–2025
Indian ThinkersHuman Values
Differentiate between the following: ii. Moral myopia vs Moral muteness
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 2 toppers
Dimensions of EthicsHuman Values
What do each of the following quotations mean to you? "There is no school equal to a decent home and no teacher equal to a virtuous parent." - Mahatma Gandhi
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 2 toppers · CSE 2024–2025
Family, Society and EducationHuman Values
"Whatever a person having authority does, other people do the same thing; whatever standards he sets up, all people follow the same." Examine, with reference to real-life examples.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 2 toppers · CSE 2018
Human ValuesSocial Influence and Persuasion
Given below are three quotations of great thinkers. What do each of these quotations convey to you in the present context? (a) "Good government...depends...(on) the qualities of the human beings composing the society over which the government is exercised." J S Mill
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 2 toppers · CSE 2023–2025
World ThinkersAccountability and Ethical Governance
How could social intelligence and attitudinal change contribute to the success of 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao'?
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 2 toppers · CSE 2018
Social Influence and PersuasionAttitude
Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them- Dalai Lama
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 2 toppers · CSE 2024–2025
Human ValuesEmpathy and Compassion
Samuel is a famous tennis player. He is at the top of his career and had won three grand slams last year. The first major tournament of this year is scheduled for next week in country A. Samuel is the defending champion and crowd favourite. Organizers of the tournament expect Samuel to be a crowd puller for his matches. Many aspiring tennis players and youth look up to Samuel as their idol. The tournament is being organized amidst the deadly third wave of Covid infection in country A. Country A has declared a public health emergency due to the rising number of Covid cases. Keeping in mind medical exigency, the organizers have mandated that every participating athlete as well as the attending audience should be fully vaccinated with two doses. However, Samuel refused to get vaccinated as he believes that vaccines can negatively impact his performance in the tournament. Samuel also argued that mandatory vaccination is a violation of his right to choose and goes against his individual liberty. The organizers of the tournament knew that if Samuel is denied entry in the tournament, their revenue from ticket sales may go down. They hesitantly allowed Samuel to participate in the tournament even without his compliance with vaccine mandate. To tackle the surging wave of pandemic, country A has prescribed two weeks quarantine for anyone who has visited any other pandemic affected country. Samuel has visited one such country. But such a declaration from Samuel would mean that he would miss the tournament as only one week is left for the start of matches. To avoid quarantine, Samuel lied in his affidavit and claimed that he had not visited any other pandemic affected country. Samuel's popularity became his enemy as people quickly found that he had lied in his affidavit and photos of him vacationing last week in a pandemic affected country went viral on social media. There was a huge outrage against the conduct of Samuel. Samuel was arrested, fined and deported from country A. But there was also a section of the population who wanted to see Samuel in action and was upset that Samuel was forced to leave country A. Based on this case study, answer the following: a) Identify various ethical issues involved in this incident. b) In your opinion, whether vaccine mandates are a violation of individual liberty or a reasonable restriction on personal freedom. Justify. c) Discuss the ethical responsibility of famous personalities while conducting themselves in public.
20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 2 toppers · CSE 2022
Ethics in Private and Public LifeLaw and Morality
What does the following quotation mean to you? "The greatest wealth is to live content with little." - Plato.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 2 toppers · CSE 2023
World ThinkersHuman Values
Even though the incidents of wars are detrimental to all, it is the women who have been the worst sufferers of all forms of human conflicts. Historical evidences from throughout the globe have highlighted the skewed vulnerability of women to violence in all its manifestations. In the medieval period, the situation of women remained particularly vulnerable; treated as second class citizens in comparison to men, their condition became particularly deplorable during wartime excesses. Invariably, women were considered as part of the plunder, leading to their sexual and psychological exploitation. Similarly, during the second world war, the then Imperial Japanese Army exploited women, pushing them into sexual slavery. These women were euphemistically termed as comfort women. The objectification of women as a commodity for comfort made their exploitation complete and absolute. Issue of comfort women, one of the largest incidents of human trafficking, continues to be a diplomatic flash point between South Korea and Japan. In contemporary times too, we get to see the manifestation of various social crimes against women. Dharmendra, a young District Magistrate, posted in Khainom, capital of Ranipur recently became witness to such an incident. Ranipur is one of the North Eastern states of India. Ranipur has a rich ethnic diversity consisting of both tribal and non-tribal population. Issues such as access and ownership over resources, settling of outsiders (non-tribals) in tribal areas, dominance/ influence over government appointments etc., have remained the bone of contention between the tribal and non-tribal people. However, the matters came to a head when the demands from the non-tribal community for being recognized as tribals started gaining force. These demands were fiercely opposed by the tribals fearing that it will reinforce the positions of non-tribals; allow them to buy land in tribal areas and therefore will marginalize the already backward tribal community in the state. Within no time the situation took a communal turn. Khainom was particularly worst hit. In addition to the incidents of plunder and loot, Khainom gained global attention when a video of a tribal girl being sexually assaulted by non-tribal men surfaced in the social media. The video clearly depicted a group of 20-25 men molesting a tribal girl in front of entire village. A police car, and few police personnel were also visible in the video. The passivity of armed police personnel towards safeguarding the women was being severely criticised across all quarters. Even though this particular incident came into public domain, it was by no measure an isolated happening. Many such occurrences of targeting women from both the communities were reported throughout Ranipur. The political leadership of the state has taken cognizance of the events in Khainom. Dharmendra has been instructed to prepare a holistic plan to avoid such incidents in the future. a) What recommendations should Dharmendra make to create a safe environment for the women? b) What are the factors that have led to victimization of women, especially during conflicts?
20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 2 toppers · CSE 2022–2024
Empathy and CompassionEthical Dilemmas in Government
The teachings of Arya Samaj present key ethical lessons for present day India. Discuss.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 2 toppers · CSE 2022–2025
Human ValuesIndian Thinkers
What does each of the following quotation mean to you? a) A man can give up a right, but he may not give up a duty without being guilty of a grave dereliction.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 2 toppers · CSE 2022
Dimensions of EthicsEthical Theories
You are an honest and responsible civil servant. One evening when you reached home, you found that your wife was upset with you. On inquiring, you found the following: a) She asked that whom you actually are making happy with your morals and values- government or society? Because neither of the two is supportive and appreciative of the way you work. b) She questioned how even your juniors are better well-off than you, and the way she feels marginalized in the lavish parties of his seniors, given the ordinary lifestyle they live in. c) She also complained that how your work culture and value-filled lifestyle has disturbed the peace & harmony of the family, especially the children who have to change schools due to frequent transfers. After a small quarrel with her, at night you were thinking about the matter and were in a dilemma about it. You, yourself were convinced by her complaints to an extent. In this situation, explain how will you convince your wife and even yourself for the right? Also, discuss how will you keep your conscience intact with your founding values?
20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 2 toppers · CSE 2018
Ethics in Private and Public LifeEthical Dilemmas in Government
Social values are not merely the context in which the public agency operates; they form its essence. Analyse.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 2 toppers · CSE 2018
Civil Service ValuesFamily, Society and Education
Embracing a scientific mindset involves setting aside impulsive inclinations in favor of the pursuit of truth. In your view, how does the integration of scientific thinking contribute to addressing contemporary challenges and promoting societal progress? How can we effectively cultivate a scientific attitude in society?
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 2 toppers · CSE 2022–2024
AttitudeHuman Values
Examine with the help of examples how living in harmony with nature has always been an integral part of Indian cultural traditions and social values.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 2 toppers · CSE 2022
Environmental EthicsHuman Values
What does each of the following quotation mean to you? a) "Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom"-Thomas Jefferson
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 2 toppers · CSE 2023–2024
Human ValuesDimensions of Ethics
Pratap is a data engineer working in ABC Infocom. Pratap is a sincere employee who is liked equally by his superiors, colleagues, and subordinates. One day, during the lunch hour, a few colleagues were discussing a news item. There was a rally/parade in support of the LGBTQIA+ community which was to be held on the coming Sunday. While the news item was a matter of intrigue and fun for all, Pratap was sensitive about the issue. He explained to his colleagues the importance of understanding the demands of the LGBTQIA+ for equal civil rights as enjoyed by others. Kamal, a colleague of Pratap, believed such tendencies are not in the favour of the traditional values of the society. Another employee, Sushma, said that she has heard some experts on various news channel talking about how the demands being raised by the LGBTQIA+ community are against the laws of nature. Bhanu, the sales team manager, too agreed with the majority opinion. Bhanu said that his parents believe that the inclinations of LGBTQIA+ people are a manifestation of mental illness. Pratap's reasoning in favour of equal rights for all was of no consequence to his colleagues who seemed to have a rigid attitudinal build up against the community as a whole. On the designated day when the rally was to take place, Kamal was watching the coverage of the parade live from his home. To his astonishment, he saw Pratap in the LGBTQIA+ rally. Next day at the office, when Kamal told Pratap that he saw him participating in the parade. Pratap agreed, and told Kamal that he was gay. After this incident Pratap began to see visible changes in the behaviour of not only his colleagues and subordinates but also the management of the office. While earlier all pestered Pratap to be present for various official and personal occasions, now he increasingly felt unwanted. Even his colleagues started taking their lunch separately. Pratap was earlier respected and revered by all for his sincerity and dedication. But now his professional qualities were overlooked and he became an object of amusement for all. He noticed that people started calling him by different names which he realized were a slur on his personality. Matters came to head when Pratap was overlooked for promotion. Earlier, Pratap's superiors on various occasions had told him that his good work has benefitted the organization immensely and he was due for promotion after the next appraisal. Therefore, this supersession came as a rude and disappointing shock to Pratap, and he fell into a mire of self-doubt and loathing. The conditions came to such a pass that, Pratap, was earlier a happy go lucky, caring, and a self-aware person, started remaining depressed. a) What are the qualities lacked by the colleagues and superiors of Pratap? b) What could be the possible reasons behind the negative attitude of office employees towards LGBTQIA+ community? c) As a friend of Pratap, what advice will you give him?
20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 2 toppers · CSE 2023–2024
AttitudeEthics in Private and Public Life
"It is compassion, the most gracious of virtues, which moves the world."
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 2 toppers · CSE 2022
Empathy and CompassionHuman Values
What were the major teachings of Swami Dayanand Saraswati? Explain their relevance in addressing the current ethical and social challenges in India.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 2 toppers · CSE 2024–2025
Indian ThinkersHuman Values
To see what is right and not do it is the want of courage- Confucius
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 2 toppers · CSE 2024–2025
World ThinkersDimensions of Ethics
"When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad, and that is my religion" - Abraham Lincoln.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 2 toppers · CSE 2023–2024
Dimensions of EthicsHuman Values
"No society can surely be flourishing and happy of which by far the greater part of the numbers are poor and miserable" – Adam Smith.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 2 toppers · CSE 2022
Dimensions of EthicsHuman Values
Explain the difference between end-oriented values and means-oriented values. In your opinion, which is more important for a public servant?
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 2 toppers · CSE 2022–2025
Aptitude for Civil ServiceDimensions of Ethics
"Starvation must not be used as a weapon of war." Yet, parties involved in conflicts often resort to the blockade of food and medical aid to civilians in conflict zones, deepening the humanitarian crisis. Powerful nations, despite their capacity to intervene, tend to prioritise strategic interests over humanitarian concerns. What ethical considerations should guide powerful nations in preventing such actions and ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access?
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 2 toppers
Ethics in International RelationsEthical Theories
"I understand democracy as something that gives the weak the same chance as the strong." - Mahatma Gandhi
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 2 toppers · CSE 2022
Human ValuesIndian Thinkers
"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself." - Leo Tolstoy
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 2 toppers · CSE 2024–2025
Human ValuesDimensions of Ethics
What does each of the following quotations mean to you in the present context? a) "In a conflict between the heart and the brain, follow your heart"- Swami Vivekananda
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 2 toppers · CSE 2024–2025
Indian ThinkersDimensions of Ethics
"The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good." - Samuel Johnson
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 2 toppers
Human ValuesDimensions of Ethics
"To see what is right and not do it is a lack of courage." - Confucius
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 2 toppers · CSE 2024–2025
Human ValuesDimensions of Ethics