Abhinav Siwach: GS4 answer copy

The questions

1. Q1While one group considers abortion as unmitigated evil, the other sees it as morally acceptable. Analyse various ethical concerns related to abortion and give your opinion on the issue.10 marks
2. Q1(a)"Ethics is not just a contemplative discipline. What we believe to be good or bad has implications on our actions." Discuss how different schools of ethics help us in making moral decisions.10 marks
3. Q2(a)What lessons can be learnt from the life of Mahatma Gandhi for promoting social harmony today's times?10 marks
4. Q2(b)What is Kant's categorical imperative? How does it compare with the doctrine of Nishkama Karma?10 marks
5. Q3(a)Emotional intelligence (EI) not only helps in managing stress but also transforms distress into eustress. Elaborate with relevant examples.10 marks
6. Q3(b)Differentiate between the following: i. Gratitude and Gratification ii. Moral myopia vs Moral muteness10 marks
7. Q4(a)Although attitude and behaviour are interrelated, the former is a predisposition while the latter is an option. Discuss the structure of attitude and explain the relationship between attitude and behaviour.10 marks
8. Q4(b)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
9. Q5(a)What does each of the following quotation mean to you? a) A man can give up a right, but he may not give up a duty without being guilty of a grave dereliction.10 marks
10. Q5(b)Justice without force is futile, force without justice is tyrannical.10 marks
11. Q6(a)Success may not lead you to happiness, but happiness is definitely the key to success. Discuss this statement based on your understanding of happiness and success.10 marks
12. Q6(b)"To delight in war is a merit in the soldier, a dangerous quality in the captain, and a positive crime in the statesman." - George Santayana. Can war be ethically justified? Discuss the moral Principles related to war.10 marks
13. Q6(c)Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel. What do you understand by this statement? In your opinion, which five values should Indian education system inculcate in every student? Justify your choice.10 marks
14. Q7Samuel is a famous tennis player. He is at the top of his career and had won three grand slams last year. The first major tournament of this year is scheduled for next week in country A. Samuel is the defending champion and crowd favourite. Organizers of the tournament expect Samuel to be a crowd puller for his matches. Many aspiring tennis players and youth look up to Samuel as their idol. The tournament is being organized amidst the deadly third wave of Covid infection in country A. Country A has declared a public health emergency due to the rising number of Covid cases. Keeping in mind medical exigency, the organizers have mandated that every participating athlete as well as the attending audience should be fully vaccinated with two doses. However, Samuel refused to get vaccinated as he believes that vaccines can negatively impact his performance in the tournament. Samuel also argued that mandatory vaccination is a violation of his right to choose and goes against his individual liberty. The organizers of the tournament knew that if Samuel is denied entry in the tournament, their revenue from ticket sales may go down. They hesitantly allowed Samuel to participate in the tournament even without his compliance with vaccine mandate. To tackle the surging wave of pandemic, country A has prescribed two weeks quarantine for anyone who has visited any other pandemic affected country. Samuel has visited one such country. But such a declaration from Samuel would mean that he would miss the tournament as only one week is left for the start of matches. To avoid quarantine, Samuel lied in his affidavit and claimed that he had not visited any other pandemic affected country. Samuel's popularity became his enemy as people quickly found that he had lied in his affidavit and photos of him vacationing last week in a pandemic affected country went viral on social media. There was a huge outrage against the conduct of Samuel. Samuel was arrested, fined and deported from country A. But there was also a section of the population who wanted to see Samuel in action and was upset that Samuel was forced to leave country A. Based on this case study, answer the following: a) Identify various ethical issues involved in this incident. b) In your opinion, whether vaccine mandates are a violation of individual liberty or a reasonable restriction on personal freedom. Justify. c) Discuss the ethical responsibility of famous personalities while conducting themselves in public.20 marks
15. Q7(अ, ब, स)इस केस स्टडी के आधार पर, निम्नलिखित के उत्तर दें : अ) इस घटना में शामिल विभिन्न नैतिक मुद्दों की पहचान करें। ब) आपकी राय में, क्या वैक्सीन अधिदेश व्यक्तिगत स्वतंत्रता का उल्लंघन है या व्यक्तिगत स्वतंत्रता पर उचित प्रतिबंध है। औचित्य सिद्ध करें। स) सार्वजनिक रूप से स्वयं का संचालन करते समय प्रसिद्ध व्यक्तियों की नैतिक जिम्मेदारी पर चर्चा करें। (20 अंक, 250 शब्द)20 marks
16. Q8You have recently started working at your dream company. You have been hired in the strategies department along with two other new joiners. All of you have just graduated out of college. You have very friendly relations with your co-joiners. The three of you have been helping each other at work. The experience of working together has built strong camaraderie between the three of you. Your boss has publicly appreciated the strong team-spirit displayed by you and your colleagues. At the annual review, you have been given a higher pay raise, and a more lucrative job profile. The promotion doesn't come as a surprise to you. You have worked beyond office hours more as a rule rather than as an exception. The project you worked on was adjudged 'the best project of the year in business impact' at the annual corporate awards. One of your co-joiners remarks, in presumably good humor, that you should suggest to your boss to allocate similar high impact projects to your friends as well. You also perceive suggestions towards the shared surname being the reason for special affinity of your boss towards you, indicating the fact that your boss and you have the same caste. You feel hurt but you also try to think about the remarks with an open mind. You assess that the three of you have indeed worked hard with sincerity. One of your friends, in fact, worked very efficiently despite a personal tragedy at home. There was already a salary differential between you and your colleagues based on the pedigree of your college. The higher pay raise to you has expanded the differential pay structure further. You always considered the initial pay differential to be against the principle of equal pay for equal work. But now you feel your friends may not have been given equal opportunities as well. a) You are inclined to the belief that the efforts and talent of your colleagues have been under-appreciated and you start feeling guilty about your promotion. b) Based on the given information, discuss the options that are available to you for addressing the guilt. What are the merits and demerits of those choices? Which option would you choose? Justify.20 marks
17. Q8(अ)अ) आप इस विश्वास के प्रति झुकाव रखते हैं कि आपके सहयोगियों के प्रयासों और प्रतिभा को कम आंका गया है और आप अपनी पदोन्नति के लिए दोषी महसूस करने लगते हैं। ब) दी गई जानकारी के आधार पर, अपराध-बोध को दूर करने के लिए आपके पास उपलब्ध विकल्पों पर चर्चा करें। उन विकल्पों के गुण और दोष क्या हैं? आप कौन सा विकल्प चुनेंगे? औचित्य सिद्ध कीजिए।
18. Q8(ब)ब) दी गई जानकारी के आधार पर, अपराध-बोध को दूर करने के लिए आपके पास उपलब्ध विकल्पों पर चर्चा करें। उन विकल्पों के गुण और दोष क्या हैं? आप कौन सा विकल्प चुनेंगे? औचित्य सिद्ध कीजिए। (20 अंक, 250 शब्द)20 marks
19. Q9Kailash is a climate conscious and responsible citizen. Kailash left his well-paying job as a senior manager in a multinational company and started a small firm that manufactures eco-friendly products. The motto of his company is "zero wastage and green for welfare". His firm makes bio-degradable polymer which can be used as an alternative to plastic bags, bottles, plates etc. Kailash thinks that this will promote a healthier environment and will have a positive impact on people's health. It will also help address the problem of climate change by reducing one's carbon footprint. For this to be achieved, he believes that not just products, but the process should be less polluting. This is why, he invested heavily in non-polluting machinery. These machines are certified as "green machines". In fact, some of them were even imported from other countries. All of this has gained him a good reputation in the eyes of critics and environmentalists. But as the technology used in manufacturing these products is new, imported and expensive, the products made by Kailash's firm is costlier than conventional plastic products. Kailash has proved that his product is environmentally benign, but he was unable to scale up production because he ran out of funds. Kailash knows that if he could start manufacturing the polymer at a large scale and leverage economies of scale his product would become more price competitive to conventional plastics. Kailash used last of his funds to publicize his product. Kailash thought that with this publicity, raising funds from the market would be easy. Kailash reached out to many investors, and they showed great interest in Kailash's product. But none of them were willing to invest money in this product. They feared that this new product, being much expensive, would not be able to compete with the conventional plastic products. Kailash's firm is also losing his existing customers who complain about very high cost of his products. Both Kailash's prospective investors and past customers know that this technology is less polluting and environmentally benign and has a positive attitude towards it. But consumer concern and attitude about the environment does not readily translate into the purchase of environmentally friendly products. Academic research has also identified this gap between purchase intentions and behaviors. Kailash knows that if he changes the production procedure, things can look better for the company on the financial front, but that can take away his reputation and will also be against his own beliefs. The only possible hope is to expand his consumer base, sell his products at full capacity and convince investors to invest in his eco-friendly venture to keep his green industry running. Consider yourself in Kailash's position and answer the following questions: a) How will you induce behavioral change to nudge people to move towards eco-friendly products? b) What factors will you have to consider while inspiring such a change?20 marks
20. Q9(अ)स्वयं को कैलाश की स्थिति में रखें और निम्नलिखित प्रश्नों के उत्तर दें: अ) आप लोगों को पर्यावरण अनुकूल उत्पादों की ओर बढ़ने हेतु प्रेरित करने के लिए व्यवहार परिवर्तन को कैसे प्रेरित करेंगे? ब) इस तरह के बदलाव को प्रेरित करते समय आपको किन कारकों पर विचार करना होगा?20 marks
21. Q9(ब)ब) इस तरह के बदलाव को प्रेरित करते समय आपको किन कारकों पर विचार करना होगा?20 marks
22. Q10Ashmita is a respected doctor who runs her own maternity clinic in a small town. She is a mother of two and her husband is also a doctor. Ashmita handles multiple cases of child delivery every day and is known for her compassionate treatment of patients. Her clinic enjoys a good reputation in town. Among other expecting mothers, Shikha, daughter-in-law of an MLA, was admitted to Ashmita's maternity clinic for child birth. The MLA met Ashmita and expressed his confidence in her skills. He requested her to personally take extra care of Shikha, to which Ashmita agreed happily. Shikha unexpectedly went into labour in the early hours the next day. During this time, Ashmita was performing an emergency surgery on another patient, so she could not attend to Shikha. Shikha was taken care of by other qualified doctors and hospital staff. The MLA was visibly unhappy that Ashmita did not attend Shikha herself. Once the emergency surgery was completed, Ashmita joined her staff and attended Shikha. However, Shikha passed away due to excess bleeding from Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) during childbirth. Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) is unpredictable heavy bleeding and Ashmita did everything that she could have done to try to save Shikha's life. The MLA blamed Ashmita for Shikha's death. Ashmita was beaten by the MLA and his staff. When her husband tried to save Ashmita, he was dragged out of the hospital and thrashed. A police complaint was also lodged against Ashmita accusing her of murder due to negligence. For many days after the incident, she and her family faced constant harassment by police and supporters of the MLA. Ultimately, Ashmita could not take any more humiliation and committed suicide. The news of suicide by the doctor spread like wildfire. Indian Medical Association took cognizance of the case and warned of a nationwide strike of doctors if appropriate actions in this case were not taken. The state government has appointed a committee to investigate the matter and recommend suitable actions. You are the Chairperson of this committee. In this scenario, answer the following: a) Why do doctors face violence in the country? b) Identify various moral-ethical and administrative lapses in this case. c) What would you recommend in this case? Give rationale behind giving those recommendations.20 marks
23. Q10(case study)घटना के बाद कई दिनों तक उन्हें और उनके परिवार को पुलिस और विधायक के समर्थकों द्वारा लगातार उत्पीड़न का सामना करना पड़ा। अंततः अश्मिता और अधिक अपमान सह नहीं पाई और आत्महत्या कर ली। डॉक्टर द्वारा आत्महत्या की खबर जंगल में आग की तरह फैल गई। इंडियन मेडिकल एसोसिएशन ने मामले का संज्ञान लिया और इस मामले में उचित कार्रवाई नहीं होने पर डॉक्टरों की देशव्यापी हड़ताल की चेतावनी दी। राज्य सरकार ने मामले की जांच और उचित कार्रवाई की सिफारिश करने के लिए एक समिति नियुक्त की है। आप इस समिति के अध्यक्ष हैं। इस परिदृश्य में, निम्नलिखित का उत्तर दें : अ) देश में डॉक्टरों को हिंसा का सामना क्यों करना पड़ता है? ब) इस मामले में विभिन्न नैतिक-नीति विषयक और प्रशासनिक खामियों की पहचान करें। स) इस मामले में आप क्या सुझाव देंगे? उन सिफारिशों को देने के पीछे तर्क दीजिए।20 marks
24. Q11Bhuvan-ultra is a famous real estate developer engaged mostly in housing projects. It has a very good track record of timely delivery of housing projects and enjoys a high level of trust among buyers. One of the ongoing projects of Bhuvan-ultra is a housing project with six residential towers. The construction has been in full swing for the last four years. Given the good record of the builder, all the flats have already been sold. Four out of six towers are complete and people have started living in these towers. Two other towers are near completion and it is expected that these would be ready in the next few months. Satish lives in a rented house and he daily crosses through this project on his commute to office. Satish always wanted to buy a flat in one of these towers. One day while reading the newspaper Satish came across a news article on the ongoing project of Bhuvan-ultra. Through the news article, he came to know that Bhuvan-ultra had permission to construct only four towers and it has illegally constructed two more towers in the project. The two illegal towers were standing on ground which was supposed to be a wetland. The entire conundrum points toward massive corruption and negligence by state development authorities. The matter went into the court and the court has ordered demolition of the two illegal towers. However, as the two illegal towers lie in close proximity with the other four legally constructed and inhabited towers, demolishing them is not only expensive but also a risky affair. Further, as all the six towers share a common basement, demolition of two towers can have implications for structural integrity of other four towers. Satish sits there thinking about the pain of the people who have invested their life's savings in the project and questioning whether he should ever invest in a residential property. He is also questioning himself whether demolition of a residential apartments in a country where lakhs of people are homeless, is justified or not. On the basis of above case study, answer the following: a) Identify various ethical dilemmas involved in this case study. b) What can be the other options to achieve justice in the given case, apart from demolition of the illegal towers? Evaluate each of these options and suggest the most suitable option.20 marks
25. Q12Universal Sisterhood of Dreams (USD) is an NGO run by Ms. Anuradha Sen, a popular celebrity. The NGO champions the cause of woman and child rights including issues like trafficking of women and children, bonded labor, child labor, underpaid-forced labor etc. USD has won multiple awards for running a shelter and a rehabilitation programme for victims of human trafficking. Due to the good work and direct involvement of a famous personality like Ms. Anuradha, USD receives substantial donations from corporate houses and philanthropists. Ms. Anuradha also owns a clothing brand ‘Sensation’ and uses the profits from Sensation for funding USD. The manufacturing of the merchandise sold under the brand has been outsourced to a thirdparty vendor located in a country named Taba. Taba is an under-developed country with weak labor protection laws. The textile industry in Taba is infamous for sweatshops. In these sweatshops working conditions are miserable, labors are paid meager wages for long working hours, child labor and bonded labor is rampant and workplace safety is absent resulting in frequent industrial accidents. Recently, there was a huge fire in a textile factory manufacturing goods for Sensation. Seventeen people including nine children were killed in this fire. After the industrial accident, the issue of exploitation of laborers in Taba became a matter of global debate. Sensation is facing heat and bad publicity on social media because of the use of sweatshops for manufacturing of its products. Ms. Anuradha and her NGO USD are becoming victims of online trolls. This entire fiasco has negatively impacted the image of her NGO. Many former donors and philanthropists have preferred to disassociate themselves from the USD resulting in fund shortage in the NGO. Ms. Anuradha discusses the entire situation with her financial and legal team. Her legal team tells her that all the relevant laws in Taba were followed by her contractor and the wage paid by it was above the minimum wages prescribed by law. Sensation has done nothing illegal and has no legal liability in this case. But Ms. Anuradha decided that she will ensure that her contractors are paying adequate wages and providing good working conditions to their employees. This can help in not only rebuilding her own reputation and image of USD also re-attract donors. However, her financial team advises her against this move as it will involve substantial cost for the company. This can lead to a profitable brand turning into a loss-making brand. Further, it will also negatively impact the finances for USD which is already facing a resource crunch. Lack of resources can lead to closure of the shelter home and rehabilitation programme run by her NGO. Now, Ms. Anuradha is in a dilemma about her future course of action. a) Bring out and discuss various ethical dilemmas faced by Ms. Anuradha in this case. b) If you were in her position, how would you approach the problem and what would be your course of action? Justify your choices.20 marks

The answers