GS4 · Practice questions
Ethics, integrity and aptitude
2,285 questions, with how toppers answered each. Years are the CSE year of the toppers who answered.
All 36 themesFewer themes
Bring out the difference between accountability and responsibility. Also, discuss the significance of accountability in ensuring ethical governance in the context of India.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2022–2024
Accountability and Ethical GovernanceCivil Service Values
You are a manager in a sales firm. Mr. A and Mr. B are two juniors working under you. Mr. A is a hardworking person who completes his work before time and hardly takes a leave. His work is meticulous and you have never received any complaint about his work. However, in your personal meetings with Mr. A, you realized that he kept to himself and spoke only when required. You received similar feedbacks from his colleagues as well. Mr. B is not as hard working and completes his work at the very last moment. You also come to know that using his rapport with his colleagues he gets his work done by them. In your meetings with him, he comes across as a confident person but lacking in sincerity. Both are expecting promotion this year, but you can promote only one of them as you have only one vacant position. In this context, answer the following questions: (a) Discuss the merits and demerits of choosing one amongst the two for promotion. (b) Based on your evaluation, whom will you choose for the job? (c) What steps will you take to keep all the employees motivated who did not get promotion on expected lines?
20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2017–2018
Civil Service ValuesWork Culture
Emotional Intelligence is an essential ingredient for managing personal and organizational change. Comment.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2019–2024
Emotional IntelligenceWork Culture
The foreign policy of nations is primarily guided by national interests. Do you think the pursuit of such exclusive concerns leaves little scope for ethics in international relations? Discuss.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2019–2024
Ethics in International RelationsDimensions of Ethics
You are posted as a Superintendent of Police (SP) in a district where people of different religious communities are living together peacefully. The district is also famous for its architectural heritage and is regularly visited by tourists from all around the world. However, there has been an incident in the nearby state where people of two different communities have started fighting over religious issues. This incident has a spillover effect over the whole country. In your own area of jurisdiction, you have come to know from various sources about circulation of some hate speech videos, which have the potential to destabilise the law and order situation. You are also aware that some outsiders with dubious intentions have started pouring in your district. In one locality, a shopkeeper who had earlier filed a complaint regarding threats he received for posting something on the internet, is found murdered in cold blood. This incident has stunned the nation. You are being informed that hundreds of people of the community to which the shopkeeper belonged are planning to stage a massive protest in your district. (a) In the given situation, what are the options available to you to ensure that the law and order situation in the district remains stable. Provide a detailed account of your course of action. (b) Do you think the present legal and institutional mechanisms are sufficient to tackle the menace of hate speech in the society?
20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2022–2023
Crisis Decision MakingEthical Dilemmas in Government
Citizen empowerment is a natural outcome of a Citizen’s Charter. Critically evaluate in the Indian context.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2021
Citizens ChartersAccountability and Ethical Governance
What do each of the following quotations mean to you? (a) "The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts."- Marcus Aurelius
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2022–2024
Dimensions of EthicsHuman Values
An ethical action is rooted in the temporal and spatial dimensions of societies. Discuss with adequate examples.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2021–2022
Dimensions of Ethics
"Wars begin in the minds of men, and in those minds, love and compassion would have built the defences of peace."
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2024–2025
Dimensions of EthicsHuman Values
Transparency is vital to cultivate public trust in government and to prevent, detect and deter corruption effectively. Comment.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2022–2024
Transparency and InformationCorruption
"Not everybody can be famous, but everybody can be great because greatness is determined by service"- Martin Luther King.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2019–2022
Human ValuesDedication to Public Service
Discuss the contributions of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar to the idea of social justice in India.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2019–2024
Indian ThinkersHuman Values
How does the use of social media influence political participation and civic engagement? Discuss with examples.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2017–2018
Social Influence and PersuasionAttitude
You have recently graduated from college and are now preparing for the civil services examination. While reading the newspaper, you come across a news report of a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), working for child rights, challenging a provision of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, in the Supreme Court of India. The said provision provides for the option of Children in Conflict with Law (CCL) to be tried as adults under certain circumstances. The NGO's plea is that children are not able to understand the gravity of crimes. It has also contended that the criminal acts committed by children are a reflection of failure of the society to take care of its children. In the context of this situation, as a young aspirant, answer the following questions: (a) What are the possible factors that can drive a child towards committing heinous crimes? (b) Is it ethical to punish children as adults rather than giving them a chance for reformation?
20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2022–2023
Ethical Dilemmas in GovernmentEthics in Private and Public Life
One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. In light of this statement, examine the relevance of civil disobedience in a modern democratic society. Discuss the duties and responsibilities of a law enforcing officer in such situations.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2016–2018
Law and MoralityEthical Dilemmas in Government
An essential element that distinguishes a career in public service from jobs elsewhere is its focus on public service ethos. Discuss.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2019–2024
Civil Service ValuesDedication to Public Service
It was Assembly election times, and you were deputed to a constituency on election duty where one of your responsibilities was to monitor candidates' campaign expenses and supervise the campaigns' videography. As you take charge and start working, you realise the challenge you have got into. Two of the candidates had a criminal background, and the whole contest was more or less between these two only. As the campaigns picked pace, you noticed that both the candidates indulged in inciting the voters on caste and religious grounds. Further, they were doling out monetary inducements in blatant violation of the election code of conduct. You had all of it on record, thanks to your videographer. You decided to warn them before taking any strict action, so you called them and confronted them with the evidence. Much to your relief, they quietly accepted the mistake and promised to comply with the codes. Two days after the meeting, you get the news that one of your videographers was severely beaten by the goons of one of the candidates. And the beating of the videographer was meant as a warning to you. Further, the same evening you get a call threatening you with dire consequences if you interfere with the campaigns. You realise that your decisions are proving to be dangerous for the people working with you. You didn't feel good about endangering the safety of your staff. 1. What are the issues involved in the above case? 2. Is it ethically justified to be devoted to duty at the cost of the personal safety of the staff? Discuss. 3. How will you go about doing your election duties without compromising the safety of your staff? Explain.
20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2022–2025
Ethical Dilemmas in GovernmentCrisis Decision Making
You are a young athlete representing India at an international-level competition. To your surprise, during the competition, you witness a few senior athletes injecting something using a syringe in private. When you approach them, they explain that it is a performance enhancing drug, which is very common in such competitions and you should take the same as well. You are aware that if these players get caught in a doping test, it may damage India's reputation. You are confused and afraid of the repercussions and decide to approach the coach to discuss the event you witnessed. However, you get to know that the athletes are taking the drug on the advice of the coach himself. (a) What would you do in this scenario? Discuss the options available to you and chart your course of action. (b) What are the reasons behind the use of performance enhancing drugs in competitive sporting events? How can this practice be minimized?
20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2022–2023
IntegrityEthical Dilemmas in Government
"Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value." - Albert Einstein
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2021
Human ValuesDimensions of Ethics
Given below are two quotations of moral thinkers/philosophers. For each of these, bring out what it means to you in the present context. 10 (a) "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2017–2018
Environmental EthicsHuman Values
Mr. A is an honest senior bureaucrat who retired some time back. He has worked across many positions and wields immense influence in the corridors of power. His wife was working in a consulting firm. She has now quit her job and started her own consulting firm that will bid for government contracts also. Mr. A himself intends to contribute his experience and insider knowledge about the government operations to prepare for the bid. When prodded about any conflict of interest, Mrs. A argued that she always wanted to own her own consulting firm and bid for government projects so that she could improve the quality of government operations through her services. But earlier she could not since her husband was a bureaucrat in the same city and various government rules prevented her from doing so. As he has now retired she can take up this job. (a) What are the ethical issues involved in this case? (b) What are steps that can be taken by Mr. A to resolve these ethical issues? (c) What is the best option for Mr. A? Support your answer with appropriate reasons.
20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2017–2018
Conflict of InterestIntegrity
It is morally permissible to perform an action in pursuit of a good end in full knowledge that the action might also bring about bad results. Critically examine the statement with examples.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2019–2024
Dimensions of EthicsEthical Theories
The bureaucracy technically has been an efficient form of organisation but is seen to have exceeded its administrative powers due to its tendency towards self aggrandisement, permanence in employment, and nearness to the political executive. Discuss.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2018–2019
Civil Service ValuesWork Culture
Given below are three quotations of great thinkers. What do each of these quotations convey to you in the present context? "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 4 toppers · CSE 2023–2025
World ThinkersCivil Service Values