A topper · GS4 · 66 pages

Abhilasha: GS4 answer copy

20 answers by Abhilasha, as written in the test. Each question opens a page with how other toppers answered it.

The questions

  1. Q1(a)Examine how role models influence ethical behaviour. What actions can leaders take to integrate ethical conduct in their organisations?10 marks
  2. Q1(b)According to Aristotle, for persuasion, not only Ethos (credibility of the speaker) and Logos (logical argument) but Pathos (emotional connection to the audience) is equally important. Comment.10 marks
  3. Q2(a)With appropriate examples, discuss various ethical challenges associated with the utilization of public funds in India. Suggest strategies to effectively deal with these challenges.10 marks
  4. Q2(b)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
  5. Q3(a)What are the various components of an organization's work culture? What are key issues that need to be addressed in any organisation to create a more developmental and performance oriented culture?10 marks
  6. Q3(b)There is a difference between what a person has a right to do and what the right thing to do is and often there is a conflict between these two. (a) Illustrate with examples the ethical issues that can arise because of such a conflict. (b) How does this conflict play out if someone wants to protest against injustice?10 marks
  7. Q4(a)It is vain to talk of the interest of the community, without understanding what is the interest of the individual. Discuss the statement in the present context.10 marks
  8. Q4(b)Vision and intentions are necessary components of political ethics. However, equally important are the process of implementation, tools used and the established system. Elaborate with examples.10 marks
  9. Q5(a)Swami Vivekanand brought religion to the centre-stage and gave a new meaning to it while stressing the need for harmony among faiths. In this context, discuss the relevance of his teachings in contemporary society.10 marks
  10. Q5(b)Access to quality basic services plays a critical role in enhancing individual capabilities to participate fully in the growth of the nation. (a) Discuss the statement in the context of vulnerable sections of India. (b) Analyse the challenges with regard to quality service delivery in India.10 marks
  11. Q6Is Emotional Intelligence influenced by cultural moorings? How would you differentiate the applicability of Emotional Intelligence in Indian society from that of Western society?10 marks
  12. Q7Evaluate the success of RTI in bringing governance reforms in the country. Examine whether it has served the purpose it was meant for.10 marks
  13. Q8The decisive role that money plays in elections creates a vicious cycle of corruption. (a) Elaborate in the context of India. (b) Discuss whether state funding of elections can help in curbing the menace of political corruption in India.10 marks
  14. Q9You are the officer in charge of development planning of a state whose capital is the technology hub of the country. However, the capital city is overcrowded and marred by traffic congestion. A group of top MNCs have approached you and showed their interest in expanding their operations in the capital provided that the highway connecting the SEZ to airport is widened. This has been cited as an important business requirement. The expansion of MNC operations is expected to create numerous jobs and would bring in huge revenues to the State. At the same time, the road connectivity in rest of the state, especially the rural areas, is abysmal and is in need of urgent attention. Media has been highlighting the incidents of deaths due to delay in hospitalization and other such issues which can be directly attributed to poor condition of roads. As the officer in charge of the development planning you find that the road widening project will entail huge cost and would severely curtail the rural road development programme currently being undertaken by the state. 20 (a) What challenges do you face as the officer in charge, in this situation? (b) State your priorities and discuss how you plan to achieve them in the context of given challenges.20 marks
  15. Q10You are the SP of a district where a large number of followers of a particular sect reside. The district also hosts a large Ashram where regular gathering of the followers take place. The leader of the sect has been under the scanner of the judiciary for his involvement in illegal activities. Now the court has ordered his immediate arrest and an order pronouncing the same has been sent to you. You have been asked to comply with the orders within two days. A large number of followers, which include women and children, have already thronged the Ashram in anticipation of arrest of the leader. Intelligence units have informed about the presence of not only large stock of food and water but also ammunition, inside the Ashram. Your request urging the followers to vacate the site has failed. 20 (a) What could be the reason for people's defiance? (b) List the issues involved in the case. (c) What will be your plan of action?20 marks
  16. Q11Ramesh, a very hardworking person, is the sole bread earner in his family. He has worked with an oil company's local affiliate for several years, and has established a strong, trustworthy relationship with Suresh, manager of the local facility. Suresh has recently recommended Ramesh to be recruited as the corporate consulting engineer for the company, which would be a position of greater responsibility along with a stable income. During a casual conversation, Suresh mentions an incident in the 1960s wherein 10,000 gallons of a petrochemical was leaked into the local environment by the company due to negligence, though at the time no damage was found, and no mention of this leak was made to the press. When Ramesh mentions that the state law requires him to report all spills, Suresh reminds him that no harm had been done and reminds him that the company can't have a consulting engineer who does not value loyalty and respect confidentiality. 20 (a) Identify the ethical issues involved in the given case. (b) What are the options available to Ramesh in this situation? Evaluate each of them. (c) Had you been at Ramesh's place, what would have been your course of action? Give reasons for the same.20 marks
  17. Q12You are the CEO of a social media company that has a wide user base. The social network offered by your company has emerged as a platform for people to interact with each other and share news, opinions etc. However, at the same time, women are being repeatedly harassed and cyber bullied through this network. Whenever any instance of harassment is brought to notice of the company, your staff members immediately deactivate the account of the culprit. However, since new accounts can be created easily, such incidents continue to happen. Also, the system to verify one's account details has been deemed lax by public authorities and human rights groups. But in order to increase the user base, you have to ensure that it is easy for a new user to sign up. Increase in the user base leads to more advertisements on your network, which is a source of huge annual turnover for the company. At the same time, in wake of increasing instances of harassment, you also need to tighten the process of creating new accounts and deactivate or delete the ones being misused. 20 (a) Highlight the options available to you in this scenario and evaluate each of them. What course of action will you take and why? (b) Is there a need for having reasonable restrictions on social media for it to remain a platform of healthy and fruitful engagement. Analyse from the viewpoint of different stakeholders.20 marks
  18. Q13(a)As a concerned friend and an aspiring civil servant who can frame policies for the public in the future and has a moral duty towards them, what are the options available to you in such a situation? (b) Evaluate each of these options and choose the option you would adopt, giving reasons.
  19. Q13(b)As a concerned friend and an aspiring civil servant who can frame policies for the public in the future and has a moral duty towards them, what are the options available to you in such a situation? (b) Evaluate each of these options and choose the option you would adopt, giving reasons.
  20. Q14You are the Managing Director of a multinational company that prides on hiring people from diverse backgrounds. The company also chooses multiple projects under Corporate Social Responsibility that are geared towards social inclusion and empowerment of vulnerable sections of the society. Miss 'X' who works in your office tells you that she has been diagnosed with HIV. It happened due to malpractice by a medical practitioner who re-used a contaminated syringe that led Miss 'X' to contract the disease. The company has strict policies about toleration and you ensure Miss 'X' that she can continue with her job in the company without facing any form of discrimination. A few days after the revelation, Miss 'X' angrily submits her resignation letter. She states that she has faced discrimination at the workplace everyday after the revelation. Her colleagues are hesitant to eat lunch with her, they make sure they do not drink water from the same source and the females in the office comment on her marital status. She is also asked to sit separately during departmental discussions. She intends to sue the company for mental harassment. If she takes the step, the public image of the company will be maligned and its non-discriminatory policies will be questioned. The following are some suggested options for you to deal with the situation as a Managing Director of the company. Evaluate the merits and demerits of each of the options: (a) You accept her resignation and suggest a compensation package so that she refrains from suing the company. (b) You persuade her not to submit her resignation and transfer her to another department. (c) You ask her to continue with her job and take strict action against the colleagues who discriminated against her Also, state (without necessarily restricting to the above options) your course of action, giving proper reasons.20 marks

The answers

Question 1(a) · 10 marks · 159 words written

Examine how role models influence ethical behaviour. What actions can leaders take to integrate ethical conduct in their organisations?

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Diagram
- Role models can be - Internal: like parents, father, mother etc. - External: teachers, leaders, celebrities etc.
  • Role models set example for their followers. Their actions, behaviour etc are emulated by their followers.
  • They influence Ethical behaviour by:
  1. setting right precedent & leading by example. Eg. Gandhiji served as role model & his 'Truthfulness' & nonviolence inspired generations.
  2. Their mannerism, their behaviour help to shape behaviour of others. for

eg. Vivekananda's empathy towards poor 3) Their talks, deed, action, discipline etc all inspire followers.

  • → Leaders can take following action to integrate ethical conduct :

  1. Set Right Examples. Eg. teach honesty, simplicity and Walk the Talk. for. Eg Abdul Kalam is known for a great role model.

  2. Do not indulge in Controversies

  3. Listen with compassion, Empathise with employees

  4. Have an Open Work Culture, Maintain Transparency & Accountability

  5. Have a Robust Grievance Redressal system, Encourage Innovation, Share ideas

  6. Try to go for multiple group engagements, develop a code of Ethics which can be followed by all.

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