Ethics, integrity and aptitude

Greed is a bottomless pit which is harmful not only for self but for the entire society. Discuss. How can such negative desires be controlled?

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2022

Dimensions of EthicsHuman Values

You live in a poor urban area bereft of basic amenities. The community faces many problems like lack of health and sanitation facilities. The people are not able to afford education for their children. The pleas of the people have fallen on the deaf ears of the concerned politicians and government officials. You feel cheated that politicians forget about their promises after getting your votes. You have seen officials indulging in corruption. Your pleas to media to cover your issue have been ignored as there is not much matter for increasing the viewership of their channel. You and your best friend have a strong desire to do something for the people of your locality. Your friend lands up in a dream role in one of the biggest movies of the year. He earns a lot of money in the next few years. He decides to work for your locality. He has decided to fund education up to graduation level of 100 students from the locality. He has also decided to provide funds to the local people to get their medical treatments done from private clinics. He also plans to address their other concerns. In an interaction with him you get to know that he indulges in tax evasion. He says that he does not trust the public authorities as they are corrupt and have never used public funds to address the local concerns. He says it is logical for him to directly take the responsibility of the area and help the people out of their misery. You agree with the ends he intends to achieve. However, you are not comfortable about the means used. (a) What are the ethical issues involved in the situation? (b) What shall be your course of action to address the various concerns?

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 1 topper

Ethical Dilemmas in GovernmentCorruption

You are the District Magistrate of district, which has recently witnessed rapid transmission of the Covid-19 pandemic. The district has high population density and a sizeable chunk of migrant workers. There has been a shutdown of business activities and the workers are yearning to go back to their native places. The administration has announced a strict lockdown and divided the district into containment zones. There is a severe shortage of people, material and money in the administration and fear and panic is seen to be gripping them. (a) What are the qualities of a civil servant that are revealed in such testing times? (b) What measures would you suggest for: (i) Dealing with the current issue. (ii) Making the district administration more resilient to respond to such a critical situation in the future.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2020

Crisis Decision MakingCivil Service Values

The challenge of climate change presents the world with several fundamental ethical dilemmas. From a global perspective, it presents the world with a collective action problem: all countries have a collective interest in controlling global carbon emissions. But each individual country also has incentives to over-consume in response to societal demands for economic growth and prosperity. Developing nations faced with these costs may encounter further challenges as the impact of climate change will most likely fall disproportionately on the poor, thus also raising issues of fairness and inequality. As an intergenerational problem, the consequences of actions taken by the current generation will have the greatest impact on future generations. While it is intuitive that the current generation has some ethical responsibility to leave an inhabitable world to future generations, the extent of this obligation is less clear. Answer the following questions in this regard: (a) To what extent do humans have a moral responsibility to future generations that are yet to be born? (b) Do developed countries have a greater responsibility to take action and bear more costs of controlling climate change than developing countries?

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 1 topper

Environmental EthicsEthics in International Relations

"The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2025

Probity in governance is a vital requirement for socio-economic development, without which no real progress is possible in a nation. Discuss. Support your answer with suitable examples.

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2024

Probity in GovernanceAccountability and Ethical Governance

A devastating flood has struck regions of a flood-prone state, leading to widespread humanitarian distress. Amid ongoing rescue operations, social media is flooded with claims that relief efforts are being deliberately delayed for certain communities. These posts go viral, fueling communal tensions and eroding public trust in disaster response agencies. Ishita, a senior officer in the State Information Department, conducts an investigation and finds that most of these claims are either unsubstantiated or manipulated. However, she faces mounting pressure from different stakeholders. Political leaders seize the social media outrage as an opportunity to criticize the ruling party, calling for a judicial inquiry. Activists argue that removing or countering these posts could be seen as a violation of free speech. Further complicating the matter, a high-ranking government official instructs Ishita to refrain from taking action, fearing that any intervention might be perceived as an attempt to suppress dissent. Ishita is deeply concerned that unchecked misinformation could escalate communal tensions and undermine the credibility of the administration. However, intervening too aggressively could trigger accusations of censorship and political bias, placing her in a difficult ethical position. (a) Identify the ethical dilemmas faced by Ishita in dealing with the crisis regarding misinformation. (b) What action should be taken by Ishita in balancing free speech, public order and government directives? Justify your answer. (c) What steps can be taken to curb misinformation during natural disasters?

250 words · Answered by 1 topper

Gandhi's compassion towards the weaker sections makes him different from other social reformers. What are the lessons that it conveys? Discuss a situation where you have shown compassion towards weaker sections of the society.

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2014

Empathy and CompassionIndian Thinkers

Define “Techno-ethics”. How is it becoming increasingly relevant in AI-driven governance?

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2025

Technology and EthicsDimensions of Ethics

Natural and man-made disasters require a multi-pronged strategy of response & rehabilitation. Given the gravity of the situation in the present railway accident, my role as commanding officer of NDRF, would be to ensure speedy rescue & relief to the victims. This shall be followed by rooting rehabilitation & mitigation approaches as a long term solution.

Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2024

Crisis Decision MakingEmotional Intelligence

Explain the relevance of the following in the context of civil services:

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper

Civil Service ValuesImpartiality and Objectivity

“Never say ‘no’, never say ‘I cannot’, for you are infinite. All the power is within you. You can do anything.” In your opinion what is the role of a positive attitude in the decision-making process.

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2024

AttitudeEthical Theories

The politically charged, non-violent and ethical Gandhian philosophy is based on the idea of truth (satya) and ahimsa to achieve the idea of Sarvodaya (welfare of all).

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2024

Indian ThinkersHuman Values

“A popular government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy; or perhaps both.”- James Madison

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2023

Transparency and InformationAccountability and Ethical Governance

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

What do each of the following quotations mean to you? (30) (a) "We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far." - Swami Vivekananda

30 marks · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2022

Indian ThinkersHuman Values

Capital punishment, or “death penalty,” is an institutionalized practice designed to result in deliberately executing persons in response to actual or supposed misconduct and following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that the person is responsible for violating norms that warrant execution. Punitive executions have historically been imposed by diverse kinds of authorities, for an expansive range of conduct, political or religious beliefs and practices, for a status beyond one’s control, or without employing any significant due process procedures. Punitive executions also have been and continue to be carried out more informally, such as by terrorist groups, urban gangs, and mobs. For centuries in Europe and America, discussions have focused on capital punishment as an institutionalized, rule-governed practice of modern states and legal systems governing serious criminal conduct and procedures. In light of the above debate of capital punishment, answer the following questions: (a) What are the arguments in favour of and against having capital punishment in the criminal justice system? (b) Do you think capital punishment has a place in modern civilised society? Examine in the context of moral implications involved in awarding it.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2022

Ethical Dilemmas in GovernmentLaw and Morality

What do you understand by a situation of 'crisis of conscience'? Also, explain how a public servant can deal with such a situation.

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2025

Ethical Dilemmas in GovernmentSources of Ethical Guidance

In the context of public service what does "responsibility" mean? What measures can be adopted to ensure individual and collective responsibility of public servants?

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper

Accountability and Ethical GovernanceCivil Service Values

“Two things define you: Your patience when you have nothing and your attitude when you have everything.” What roles do attitude and patience play in the personal and professional lives of civil servants?

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper

AttitudeAptitude for Civil Service

"Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently." - Henry Ford

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper

Human ValuesDimensions of Ethics

Due to the recent proliferation of social media, influencers have become important agents of change in the society. Discuss with examples. Also, highlight the ethical issues involved.

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2023

Social Influence and PersuasionTechnology and Ethics

What do you understand by political neutrality? Explain its significance in public service.

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper

Impartiality and ObjectivityCivil Service Values

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 1 topper · CSE 2023

Ethical Dilemmas in GovernmentCorporate Governance