GS4 · Topic
Utilisation of Public Funds
Stewardship of money that is not one's own: waste, diversion, and the duty to spend well.
70 UPSC Mains GS4 questions on Utilisation of Public Funds that toppers answered in test series, CSE 2015–2025, most answered first. Open one to see how toppers opened, built and closed it.
What ethical principles should govern the utilization of public funds? Discuss the moral implications of using taxpayer money to bail out large corporations.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper
Utilisation of Public FundsCorporate Governance
Huge sums of public funds are used in populist measures for electoral gains. What are the ethical issues associated with the freebie culture?
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2024
Utilisation of Public FundsProbity in Governance
"Civil servants are the custodian of public resources." In the context of this statement, state the importance of holistic competence for civil servants in India.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2024
Civil Service ValuesUtilisation of Public Funds
You have joined a government district hospital as a junior doctor. After working for few months, you find that substantial misappropriation of public funds is taking place. The fund was meant for procurement of medical devices and essential medicines which are being diverted to private clinics of doctors working in the hospital and to the private pharmacies. You report this to your immediate senior and you find that he too is involved in this, along with the chief medical officer. He asks you to keep quiet and come along or face adverse consequences. Every day you find people spending out of their pockets for medicines to which they are entitled free of cost. What options do you have to ensure probity in the utilization of funds in this case? Which one will you choose and why?
20 marks · 300 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2018
CorruptionUtilisation of Public Funds
You are working as an Assistant Section Officer in the District Development and Panchayat Office. One day, one of your close colleagues approaches you in deep distress. She tells you that her father is suffering from a severe liver condition, and the doctors have clearly stated that he must undergo liver transplant immediately in order to survive. She shares that she has no health insurance, and the surgery would cost around Rs 15 lakh. You are aware that her husband passed away a few years ago, and that she also has a four-year-old son with special needs. Just a few weeks ago, she also lost all her savings in a digital arrest scam. As a widow from a lower middle-class family, her options are extremely limited. Although you feel deeply empathetic, you are unable to offer financial assistance, as you do not have the resources to help. A few weeks later, you enquire about her father's health. She informs you that the liver transplant surgery was successful and that her father is now recovering steadily. Relieved, you ask how she managed to arrange the funds. Hesitantly, she confides that the District Development and Panchayat Officer (DDPO) helped her. Moved by her situation, the DDPO facilitated the release of Rs 15 lakh from the fund allocated to a rural sanitation scheme. The implementation of this scheme had been put on hold for a year due to technical issues and pending site approvals. She explains that the amount was provided on the assurance of strict confidentiality and with a commitment to repay it at the earliest. She expresses deep gratitude for the DDPO's timely help, which she believes saved her father's life. She has already begun repaying the money and will continue to do so until it is all returned. a. Discuss the ethical issues involved in the case. b. Examine the behavior of DPDO from an ethical point of view. c. How would you react to the situation?
20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2025
Utilisation of Public FundsEthical Dilemmas in Government
What do you understand by Integrity Pact? Highlight their role in bringing transparency in allotment of public contracts and ensuring proper utilisation of public funds in India.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2019
Probity in GovernanceTransparency and Information
The high debt to GDP ratio of states like Punjab (~53%) have raised questions about the ethics of freebie culture.
Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2025
Utilisation of Public FundsEthical Dilemmas in Government
Mr Pradeep is a senior civil servant in the central government and is involved in the budgeting department. In the course of performing his duties he comes to know of diversion of funds earmarked for SC/ST sub-plan for other purposes. While he is not directly responsible for this aspect of the budget, he raised his concern to the department concerned. He also learns that the minister responsible as well as senior most civil servant are aware of the practice and have given tacit approval for it. Soon, thereafter Pradeep was summoned to talk on the issue and was told that since the matter is not within his jurisdiction, he should "keep his nose out of it". After much soul searching, Pradeep decided to drop his argument by leaving the matter alone. Based on the information given, answer the following questions: (a) Elaborate the ethical dilemma that Pradeep faces in the given situation. (b) On what basis can the decision of Pradeep be justified? (c) Had you been in Pradeep's place, what would have been the course of action taken by you? Recognise the merits and demerits of any.
Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2020
CorruptionEthical Dilemmas in Government
You have recently been promoted as a Branch Manager in a Public Sector Bank. The bank is battling high NPAs and mounting losses. You have been assigned a very high target of loans by the higher management for the current quarter. Your career prospects also depend on your performance in critical times. Few days back you rejected a loan application for a huge sum based on detailed analysis. Today you got a call from the Regional Manager to approve the loan quickly. On your reluctance to approve, he hints that the loan is sought by a person well connected in the finance ministry and that a refusal will have consequences for everyone in the approval chain. You are now a tough spot. Based on the given information, answer the following questions: (a) Bring out the ethical issues in the case above. (b) What are the consequences of agreeing to the demands of the senior in the given case. Assess which of them are meritorious and which are not. (c) Suggest institutional reforms that can result in non-punishment of honest feedback.
20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2019
Ethical Dilemmas in GovernmentPressure and Loyalty
You are working as a Block Development Officer (BDO) in a state and the Lok Sabha elections are around the corner. Two months prior to the elections, a grand rally of a leader from the political party ruling the state is being organized in the neighboring district. All BDOs have received an oral order from the Chief Development Officer directing them to arrange five buses each full of people, who are also beneficiaries of a government's flagship scheme, from their development block to be sent to the rally. The BDOs have to bear the cost of the buses out of the government fund earmarked for development purposes and motivate the people to participate in the rally, so that maximum possible participation level can be ensured. In this context, answer the following: (a) As a civil servant, what values should guide your response in such a situation? (b) Identify the various options that are available to you? (c) What course of action would you choose and why?
20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2019
Ethical Dilemmas in GovernmentUtilisation of Public Funds