Akhil Pilani: GS4 answer copy

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. Q4(c)Talk of empowerment of women when all institutions run by ideology of patriarchy discriminate against women on various grounds.
10. 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 5. (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. Q9(a)
15. Q9(b)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.
16. 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
17. 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. (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
18. 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
19. Q12(b)Social media has revolutionized our interactions. The need for having reasonable restrictions has to be analysed from viewpoint of different stakeholders.
20. Q13You and your friend are living together in a metropolitan city and preparing for civil service examinations. While you manage to meet your daily targets, you sense that your friend is unable to cope up with the pressure of the exam. Fear of not passing the exam and meeting the expectations of his family is stressing him further. You realise that with time your friend is losing interest in everything and often talks about committing suicide if he is unable to meet his goal. He is also missing out on meals and prefers to stay indoors when asked to venture out. When you sought professional help, the doctor diagnosed your friend with clinical depression. Being aware that your friend needs professional counselling and psychiatric care, you reach out to his parents who reside in a rural area. They rebuff you for suggesting counselling and instead reiterate that nothing is wrong with him. They sternly mention that your bringing up the matter will only make people engage in loose talk. They also ignore you when you politely inform them that it is not wise to ignore one's mental health. Your friend's parents see his state as a sign of failure and decide to call him home where he can continue with his preparation. You are aware of the gravity of the situation if your friend goes back to his house. You also know that there is very little awareness about mental health and that the solution is not to ignore it but to take necessary measures to tackle it. 20 (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 reasons20 marks
21. Q14सुनिश्चित करते हैं कि जिस जलपात्र से वह पानी पीती है उसके वे पानी न पिएं और कार्यालय की महिलाएं उसकी वैवाहिक स्थिति पर टीका-टिप्पणी करती रहती हैं। विभागीय चर्चाओं के दौरान उनसे अलग बैठने के लिए भी कहा जाता है। वह मानसिक उत्पीड़न के लिए कंपनी पर मुकदमा करना चाहती हैं। अगर वह यह कदम उठाती हैं, तो कंपनी की सार्वजनिक छवि को क्षति पहुंचेगी और इसकी गैर-भेदभावपूर्ण नीतियों पर प्रश्न उठेंगे। कंपनी के प्रबंध निदेशक के रूप में इस स्थिति से निपटने के लिए आपको सुझाए गए कुछ विकल्प निम्नलिखित हैं। इनमें से प्रत्येक विकल्प के गुणों और अवगुणों का मूल्यांकन कीजिए: (a) आप उनका त्यागपत्र स्वीकार कर लेते हैं और उन्हें एक क्षतिपूर्ति पैकेज का सुझाव देते हैं ताकि वह कंपनी पर मुकदमा न करें। (b) आप उन्हें अपना त्यागपत्र जमा नहीं करने के लिए मनाते हैं और दूसरे विभाग में उसका स्थानांतरण कर देते हैं। (c) आप उन्हें उनका जॉब जारी रखने और उनके विरुद्ध भेदभाव करने वाले सहकर्मियों के विरुद्ध कठोर कार्रवाई करने के लिए कहते हैं। साथ ही (अनिवार्य रूप से केवल उपर्युक्त विकल्पों तक ही सीमित रहे बिना) उचित कारण बताते हुए अपनी कार्यवाही भी बताइए।20 marks

The answers