Social Influence and Persuasion

Problems surrounding air pollution present an urgent challenge for many countries, including India. Among other reasons, this challenge has been exacerbated by the indifferent attitude of people towards it. Various studies have pointed out the harmful effects of air pollution. Despite the government bringing various regulations on activities like stubble burning and bursting fire crackers, people violate them. (a) Discuss the reasons behind such behaviour on part of society towards air pollution. (b) Suggest measures that are required to be undertaken to nudge people towards pro-environment behaviour.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 7 toppers · CSE 2020

AttitudeEnvironmental Ethics

Marketing has become a crucial link in the success of a business. With suitable examples, discuss the ethical issues involved in marketing of a product or service. How can these issues be resolved?

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 7 toppers · CSE 2017–2019

Corporate GovernanceDimensions of Ethics

Analyse the importance of both influence and persuasion for effective leadership.

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 7 toppers · CSE 2019–2021

Social Influence and PersuasionAttitude

Write short notes on the following in 30 words each :

2 marks · 30 words · Answered by 7 toppers · CSE 2023–2024

Impartiality and ObjectivityDedication to Public Service

Write short notes on the following in 30 words each: ii) Conflict of interest

10 marks · 30 words · Answered by 7 toppers · CSE 2025

Conflict of InterestDimensions of Ethics

With proliferation of social media, people have got the opportunity to express their views anonymously and more freely. (a) What according to you, is its effect on the social and political culture of the country? (b) Discuss the role of social media in changing one's attitude, particularly the youth.

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 7 toppers · CSE 2017–2018

AttitudeSocial Influence and Persuasion

You are a young officer posted as the Superintendent of Police (SP) in a district. You have received information that at a party some people were harassed by your subordinate police officer. On further inquiry, you came to know that two complaints have been filed - one by the police and the other by people who organised the party. According to the police, people had gathered without permission and were not following COVID-19 appropriate behaviour and social distancing norms. But on the other hand, the complaint filed by the party organisers says that police entered the private venue due to loud noise and harassed everyone at the party including women guests. According to them, your subordinate police officer even tore apart the document, which granted permission to organise the party. A video of this incident, showing your subordinate officer tearing off a document, is being widely circulated on social media platforms. Due to this, social activists want you to take strict action against your subordinate police officer. (a) Identify the ethical issues in the case. (b) What are the factors that can influence decision by competent authorities in such instances? Do you think mobilising public opinion through social media is a fair way to influence the decision in such cases? (c) As the SP, what will be your course of action in this situation?

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 7 toppers · CSE 2021

Ethical Dilemmas in GovernmentCrisis Decision Making

Social media has played a key role in influencing political opinions and social attitudes in India. Comment.

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 6 toppers · CSE 2018–2019

Social Influence and PersuasionAttitude

You have been appointed by Election Commission as a booth level officer to oversee the conduct of elections in a remote and under-developed area. For the preparations of elections, you have been instructed to ensure maximum voter turnout. For this, you conduct a series of meetings with the people in villages encouraging them to vote in large numbers. However, they confront you with the fact that despite so many previous elections, the promises made by representatives remain unfulfilled and even the basic necessities of livelihood are not available. As such, they are ignorant of your appeals and are subsequently not forthcoming even to listen to you, let alone giving assurances to vote. Based on this information, answer the following questions: 20 (a) Identify the stakeholders in the situation along with their interests. (b) What are the factors that you will take into account to convince the people and ensure maximum voter turnout?

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 6 toppers · CSE 2018–2019

Social Influence and PersuasionCrisis Decision Making

If not faith leaders, what are your other options for breaking the behavioral barriers? (d) Do you think it is ethically right for a civil servant to involve faith leaders in promoting government schemes?

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 6 toppers · CSE 2023–2025

Social Influence and PersuasionEthical Dilemmas in Government

You have been recently appointed as the head of tourism department of a state in India that has many places of great historical importance. In the past few years, the state has witnessed a decrease in tourist inflow. Upon enquiry, you come to know that this decrease is largely attributed to the influence of touts and harassment of tourists, including unwanted advances and grossly overcharging them for various services. You also did a quick search about your state on leading travel advisory websites and found that it has earned a dubious reputation for being particularly unsafe for women tourists. Given the situation, answer the following: (a) Do you think that such a state of affairs can be attributed to insensitivity prevailing in the society? How can the community be made more sensitive towards tourists? (b) Suggest some measures to make a quick turnaround in terms of reputation, employment generation and rebuild the reputation of the state as a safe haven for tourists.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 6 toppers · CSE 2019–2021

Civil Service ValuesCrisis Decision Making

What do you understand by cognitive dissonance? Giving examples, discuss how it influences one's behavior and attitude.

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 6 toppers · CSE 2018–2019

AttitudeSocial Influence and Persuasion

As India's vaccination drive against the COVID-19 pandemic breaches the 100 crore inoculation mark, some of the most backward tribal districts of the country still remain unvaccinated. You are the new District Magistrate (DM) in one such tribal district. The vaccination drive has been unsuccessful in the district so far despite imminent threats of the virus. It is believed that the tribals of the district refuse to get vaccinated due to their personal beliefs regarding immunization. Further, the community doctor who works in geriatrics and has almost daily contact with members of the district, too has refused to be vaccinated based on his personal beliefs. This has made the people more adamant about their decision to remain unvaccinated. Additionally, rumours of a few deaths post-vaccination have spread in the district. There is also a high risk of rising cases in the nearby districts spilling over to your district. There is a dire need for assuaging the fear of people and extreme pressure on the administration to take action and conduct the vaccination drive smoothly. (a) What are the ethical issues in the given case? (b) As the DM in charge, what steps will you take to tackle the issues? (c) Discuss how persuasion can be used to convince people to voluntarily get vaccinated.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 6 toppers · CSE 2021

Social Influence and PersuasionCrisis Decision Making

You are waiting in your car for your turn at a toll tax booth. You suddenly witness some men heckling and manhandling the toll booth operator and vandalising the property at the toll booth. They are accompanying a local politician who was passing through. Disgruntled with the fact that they were asked to pay the toll, they began to argue that the toll is too high and the public is being exploited by charging an unreasonable toll fee. At the same time they are also warning others against paying the toll fee. However, the other people around you are keeping with themselves, without anyone coming forward to intervene. While you also felt that the toll was quite high, you believe that this is not the right thing to do. (a) Bring out the ethical issues in the case above. (b) What accounts for such an overt display of hooliganism in our country. (c) What is the course of action that you would take? Justify with appropriate reasons.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 5 toppers · CSE 2018–2019

Ethical Dilemmas in GovernmentCivil Service Values

Given the effects that cultural attitudes about menstruation have on women, there is need to follow a strategic approach in combating these. Discuss.

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 5 toppers · CSE 2018–2019

AttitudeSocial Influence and Persuasion

A renowned and critically acclaimed producer-director has come up with a new movie based on retelling of the freedom movement. The trailer of this project depicts prominent freedom fighters and various aspects of their personalities. It is a project that involves substantial sums of money and has taken collaborative efforts of 3 years. However, certain political and social activists have objected to what they perceived as negative portrayal of some freedom fighters. As such, they have opposed the release of this movie and issued threats with serious consequences. This has come in the context of increase in the number of instances involving many groups issuing threats against one or the other movie. In such a context you have been designated as the head of a special committee with the broad responsibility of reviewing the film certification process in general as well as the checking the historical accuracy of the events depicted in this particular movie. (a) Who are the key stakeholders you would involve as part of the consultation process? (b) What are the principles that you would consider while giving your recommendations to the government? Also, provide an outline of a solution that you deem appropriate in the prevailing context.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 5 toppers · CSE 2018–2019

Ethical Dilemmas in GovernmentCivil Service Values

"Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time." – Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 5 toppers · CSE 2020–2024

Human ValuesDimensions of Ethics

You are posted as a District Education Officer (DEO) in a Maoist affected district. You have been specifically given the responsibility to work on the literacy mission. After reading the education reports and doing field visits, you find that the number of out of school children has increased drastically and the motivation among students and teachers is also low. While certain basic infrastructure is already in place, the major hurdle in attracting students to these schools include the attitude of inhabitants towards education and the security risks involved in sending children to schools. Given the situation, answer the following questions: (a) Analyse the reasons behind such an attitude. 20 (b) As a DEO, what are the steps that you would take in order to increase the school attendance and change the prevalent attitude of inhabitants towards education?

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 5 toppers · CSE 2017–2018

Social Influence and PersuasionAttitude

Singh Garh is a primarily rural district with minimal relatively insignificant industrial activity, except for one consumer goods manufacturing plant, which was the primary source of employment. Development indicators such as health, literacy, etc., were much below the national average. Along with developmental issues, another grave concern was the slow rise in child marriages. Despite the legal sanctions, child marriage continued to rise unabated. Rashmi, a social work postgraduate who escaped an early marriage, started an NGO for rescuing and rehabilitating child marriage victims. In the last five years, she saved a lot of young girls from becoming victims of child marriage. Her modus Operandi was simple. She had developed a network of informants in villages who relayed information to her, and after verifying, Rashmi with help from local law enforcement personnel, prevented the marriage from happening. Rashmi did commendable work, but she made some enemies in the process. The local leaders resented her popularity with women and young girls in particular. To expand her activities, Rashmi contacted the management of the only industrial unit in the district. She successfully persuaded the company to contribute to her activities and the NGO. The company even gave her access to their facilities to conduct workshops for workers to raise awareness about the issue of child marriage. As she started her workshops and campaign on the company premises, the initial response was lukewarm and, at times, complete indifference. But she persevered. After a couple of months, one day, the company union members stopped her from entering the company and even threatened her with violence. Rashmi spoke with the management, who supported her and ensured her safety. The management issued a circular supporting Rashmi and her NGO. To management's surprise, after a week of the circular, the Union called for a flash strike and threatened to continue the work stoppage if the NGO activities continued. The workers believed that Rashmi's campaign was corrupting the women's minds and disrespecting their traditions. The company's management seeing the aggressive reaction sought to assuage the workers by stopping the NGO activities. Rashmi tried to persuade the management by highlighting their social responsibility to the community. But the management was curt in replying that every social problem is not their moral responsibility. Rashmi was disappointed with the management's decision and wondered how best to involve the company in her campaigns. (a) What are the issues involved in the above case? (b) What do you think Rashmi should do? Would it be a good idea for Rashmi to involve local administration? Suggest an implementable course of action. (c) Do you think companies should also accept responsibility for the social problems of the region where they operate? Why/why not? (d) What could be the reasons for such an aggressive reaction from the workers union? How do you think Rashmi should handle the workers union?

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 5 toppers · CSE 2023–2025

Corporate GovernanceEthical Dilemmas in Government

Megha is a first-year sociology student at a reputed college in the national capital. She is originally from Tadchiroli, a tribal village in a western Indian state. Megha's family migrated to the city when she was seven years old and had not visited their village since. Though Megha has fond memories of her childhood there, she never deeply understood the customs and traditions of the region. One day, Megha expresses her wish to visit Tadchiroli. Her father agrees and asks her to inform Ratan, her paternal uncle, who still lives in the village with his family. Megha informs Ratan and travels to the village during a semester break. Upon arrival, she receives a warm welcome from Ratan and his family. Later, Ratan invites her to attend a local festival. During the event, Megha notices that her cousin Rinki is missing. Curious, she asks Ratan's wife Ratna why Rinki is not at the festival. Ratna explains that Rinki is on her period, and as per tradition, menstruating girls must stay separately in small huts built specifically for the purpose. Locally known as 'kurma ghars', they are generally located on the periphery of the village, near a river or pond. She further adds that these girls are not allowed to enter the main house or participate in any social or religious activities. Megha is taken aback. She asks whether all women follow this practice. Ratna nods and says it has been the custom for generations. Even schoolgirls stay in these huts and miss classes during their periods. Ratna admits that many in the village, including herself, never questioned the practice. The explanation unsettles Megha. She finds it hard to believe that a natural biological function leads to such exclusion. Before returning to the city, Megha observes that even educated family members seem to accept and follow these customs. The experience leaves a deep impact on her. She starts reading more about menstrual taboos and their impact on women's health, dignity, and education. As a sociology student, she recognises how such traditions are linked to patriarchy and social stigma. She begins to reflect on what she can do at her level to improve the current situation, without alienating the community or disrespecting its traditions. a. Suggest a course of action Megha can take to sensitize her village community without appearing disrespectful or confrontational. b. What ethical principles and methods should guide her actions while engaging with the community? c. How is menstruation related to human rights?

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 5 toppers · CSE 2025

Human ValuesEmpathy and Compassion

Enumerate the decisive factors behind moral attitude. Also, discuss any incident from your life wherein you brought about a change in someone's attitude around an important social issue.

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 5 toppers · CSE 2021

AttitudeSocial Influence and Persuasion

There have been reports of repeat instances of mob lynching in different states of India. It has been pointed out that these presumably faceless mobs gather impromptu on the basis of unverified information on issues that affect the collective conscience of the society such as child trafficking, sexual harassment, cow slaughter etc. Most of the people don't even regret their action of violating the law and even get away with committing such a heinous crime. (a) What are the socio-psychological factors that motivate people to join the mob and kill fellow human beings? (b) Identify the implications of increasing crime of lynching on society. (c) Examine the role of social media in recent instances of mob lynching. As a law enforcement officer, how will you prevent such incidents from happening in your district?

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 5 toppers · CSE 2018–2019

Social Influence and PersuasionAttitude

Recently, two national level sportspersons who are integral members of their team, made some comments in a talk show which were perceived as being grossly misogynistic and racist. This created a huge controversy and they were temporarily suspended from the team pending an enquiry. In light of these events, answer the following questions: (a) Do you think public figures have an additional responsibility in so far as expressing their views on matters of public importance is concerned? Give reasons. (b) According to you, what are the reasons that some prominent public figures make such misogynistic comments, and even get away without any consequences? (c) As the person in charge to enquire into the conduct, what factors would you consider to examine it and what punishment, if any, would you prescribe in this specific case?

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 5 toppers · CSE 2019–2023

Ethics in Private and Public LifeSocial Influence and Persuasion

Across the world, there is often a taxing demand on correct manners, etiquettes and moral responsibility by celebrities and public figures and there is huge public outrage if they act carelessly. Even for small mistakes, public figures have to apologise, or take an early retirement out of shame. This is often aggravated by the media, which relentlessly reports on the issue and the public who enjoy the voyeurism offered by entertainment - footage of star cars being chased, leaked WhatsApp chats etc. Further, there is hardly any unbiased and civil debate when it comes to celebrities and their social responsibilities. In most cases, the argument does not even centre around the actual issue and gets subsumed by overarching subplots. Messy trolling, often misdirected, is a common feature in all. Even serious issues like suicide and drug use are reduced to parenting problems and witch-hunt is often seen. In this context: (a) Is there any difference between a public figure and private person when it comes to privacy? Should public figures also have some reasonable amount of privacy? (b) Do you think it is fair to expect role models, such as celebrities and public figures, to act more responsibly as compared to ordinary citizens? (c) Discuss the importance of responsible journalism in this context.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2021–2022

Ethics in Private and Public LifeHuman Values

India's abysmal record in sex ratio and gender violence reflects the general attitude of the society towards women. Discuss. In this context, how could an attitudinal change be brought about?

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2017–2018

AttitudeSocial Influence and Persuasion

Differentiate between persuasion and social influence. How can persuasion be made effective to bring about an attitudinal change? Give two examples where you brought about a positive attitudinal change through persuasion.

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2017–2018

Social Influence and PersuasionAttitude

Gendered attitudes convert differences in sexes into discriminations. Examine the factors responsible for negative attitudes toward women in the Indian society. How can these attitudes be changed?

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2023

AttitudeSocial Influence and Persuasion

Social interactions where a person is addressed by their correct name and pronouns, consistent with their gender identity, are widely recognized as a basic and yet critical aspect of gender affirmation. A national university invited speakers for a discussion on rights of sexual minorities in India. The panel included speakers representing a wide variety of opinions and perspectives on the issue. The debates, though largely peaceful, witnessed a controversy. A college association representing sexual minorities took offence against a panellist who cautioned against self-identification by sexual minorities and the liberal use of pronouns. The association reached out to the media and the localised controversy soon turned into a national issue across news networks and social media. The association demanded that the panellist apologise for his views and issue a public statement in this context. The panellist, on the other hand, seemed unmoved by the issue. In the meantime, the University has come under huge pressure to resolve the issue. The Vice Chancellor set up a Committee to look into the matter and its peaceful resolution. You have been appointed as the Chairperson of the Committee. In this regard, answer the following questions: (a) Discuss the various moral issues involved in the case. (b) Keeping the right to freedom of speech and expression in mind, highlight the steps you would take to resolve the issue and list arguments in support.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2022–2023

Ethical Dilemmas in GovernmentLaw and Morality

Do you think it is ethically right for a civil servant to involve faith leaders in promoting government schemes? You are the Head of an Agency, a special purpose vehicle, responsible for overseeing the last-mile delivery of essential services and sorting out bottlenecks and grievances of the citizens within your jurisdiction. The essential services included Maternal and infant health care, nutritional support to BPL families, drinking water availability, etc. Your agency employed a staff of 15 to carry out regular official operations and handle grievances. Since the agency dealt with complaints, there was an enormous amount of public dealing daily. Sometimes the agency officials had to work beyond office hours to finish the regular office work as public dealings took away most of the office hours. The employees were unhappy doing the extra bit as they were not paid any overtime. A few of them informally raised the issue with you, but you were helpless as the agency rules didn't allow any travel or overtime allowances. You tried taking up the matter with HQ but to no avail. The work stress gradually started showing up among the staff, they became irritable with the complainants, and at times they shouted at them. Besides rudeness, the staff's language became abusive, derogatory, and sometimes casteist. You could notice that there were 4 of them in particular who were getting very abusive and discriminatory while handling grievances. As the Head, you warned them, but there was no marked change in your work attitude. To compound your problem, some of the villagers, through their Sarpanch, raised the issue of rude, disrespectful, and discriminatory behavior with your HQ. The HQ immediately instructed you to take action and create a respectful and dignified workspace. (a) What are the issues involved in the above case? (b) What are the action options available to you?

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2023–2025

Crisis Decision MakingSocial Influence and Persuasion

A prominent stand-up comedian from your country has recently delivered a performance at an event in another country. Owing to the fame and hype associated with this event, the performance has been broadcast across the globe to millions of viewers. In the performance, the comedian brings up the dichotomy and paradoxes associated with the society and culture of your country. He brings up issues like status of women, violence against women, caste, politics etc. in his monologue. The performance touches upon such sensitive issues that it has polarised the audience. A vast section of people are affected by this and have organized huge demonstrations and have appealed the government to direct the broadcasting platform to remove this content from their platform. They are also pushing the government to take action against the comedian. An FIR too has been filed against him. On the other hand, there is also a significant outpour of support for the comedian. (a) What are the core ethical issues arising from this case? (b) The recent spate of FIRs against show creators, artists etc. highlight the need of regulation of content that is circulated online. Should such a step be taken by the government? Substantiate with reasons.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2021–2022

Ethical Dilemmas in GovernmentLaw and Morality