A topper · GS4 · 28 pages

Harshvardhan Ashok Tidke: GS4 answer copy

9 answers by Harshvardhan Ashok Tidke, as written in the test. Each question opens a page with how other toppers answered it.

The questions

Q1(a)What do you understand by value conflict? Give an example from your personal life where you faced a conflict between two values. How did you resolve it?10 marks
Q1(b)The philanthropy of influential personalities can serve as a catalyst for fostering ethical conduct and responsibility in society. Explain with the help of examples.10 marks
Q2(a)How does persuasion help achieve a desired change in attitude? What are the elements of an effective persuasive approach?10 marks
Q2(b)“In an increasingly complex world, emotional intelligence is a vital skill for civil servants, enabling them to navigate challenges, engage with diverse communities, and drive positive change.” Elaborate.10 marks
Q3What do the following quotes mean to you: a) "To worship my country as a God is to bring curse upon it." Rabindranath Tagore10 marks
Q3(b)"Your goodness is an impediment in your way, so let your eyes be red with anger, and try to fight the injustice with a firm hand."- Sardar Patel10 marks
Q4You are a young and sincere employee who has recently joined a government office as an assistant to the director of your department. Being new to the workplace, you are eager to learn and grow in your role. Your superior, the director, is an experienced and intelligent person with extensive knowledge of various departments. You respect him not just for his professional skills but also for his willingness to guide and mentor you. You have built a good rapport with him and appreciate the chance to learn from such an accomplished individual. As your relationship with your boss grows, he begins to rely on you more for work-related tasks. One day, due to ill health, he invites you to his home to help with some urgent work. When you reach his house and are about to ring the doorbell, you hear shouting from inside. Unsure of what to do, you pause for a moment but then decide to enter. Your boss greets you warmly and explains the work, but throughout, you are distracted by the sound of a woman crying in the background. Initially, you hesitate to ask about the situation, but your concern grows. Finally, you ask your boss about the noise, but his answer is vague and unsatisfactory. He quickly dismisses the matter. Although you finish the work, the unsettling environment leaves you feeling uneasy. The next day, you discreetly inquire at the office and learn more about the situation. You discover that, despite your boss's calm and professional demeanour at work, he is abusive toward his wife at home. His wife is a simple woman, not highly educated, and suffers from regular domestic violence. This information shocks you, as it conflicts with the positive image you had of him based on your interactions at work. This knowledge puts you in a difficult moral dilemma. On one hand, you respect your boss for his guidance, intelligence, and professionalism. On the other hand, you are aware of his unethical behaviour at home, which violates basic human rights and ethical principles. You struggle to reconcile the two sides of his character, finding it hard to balance your professional relationship with the awareness of his abusive actions at home. a) Under the given conditions, what are the options available to you? Evaluate each of the options listed by you. b) What course of action would you adopt and why?20 marks
Q5In a southern Indian state, a globally renowned high end mobile manufacturing company advertised job vacancies, attracting many hopeful applicants. Among them were two sisters from a nearby village who applied after seeing advertisements on WhatsApp. Upon arrival at the factory's main gate, a security guard met them and asked a series of questions, including an inquiry about their marital status. After confirming that they were married, they were informed that they could not proceed further. No explanation was provided, leaving them confused and disappointed. Back in their village, the sisters reflected on their experience and felt dismayed at being denied an opportunity without a clear reason. Even the auto-rickshaw driver who took them to the facility had hinted that married women might not be hired, yet they still hoped for a fair chance. Subsequent investigations by a prominent international news agency revealed a pattern at the manufacturing facility where married women were systematically excluded from employment opportunities. This practice was not officially documented but was communicated verbally to recruitment agencies responsible for hiring. The revelations sparked significant media uproar, drawing public attention to the issue. The Union Labour Ministry also took cognizance of the situation and sought a report from the state government regarding these discriminatory hiring practices. Unfortunately, such discriminatory practices are not uncommon in various parts of the world, reflecting broader issues of gender attitudes that persist in many societies. a. Discuss the ethical issues involved in the case study. b. What can be the underlying reasons for discriminatory attitudes toward hiring married women by the company? c. How can organizations promote gender equity in their hiring practices?20 marks
Q6Ramesh has been appointed as the Municipal Commissioner of a coastal city that is grappling with the recurring problem of flooding. Over the years, these floods have led to significant loss of life and extensive property damage, raising serious concerns among residents and policymakers alike. In response to this persistent challenge, Ramesh is committed to finding effective solutions. To identify and address the root causes of the flooding, he established an expert committee tasked with analyzing the situation comprehensively and proposing actionable recommendations. Following extensive and thorough field surveys, the committee identified two primary factors contributing to the city's increasing vulnerability to floods. The first factor is the degradation of wetlands, which serve as critical natural buffers against flooding and play a vital role in maintaining the ecological balance. The second factor is the illegal encroachments on the flood plains of seasonal streams. These encroachments have significantly reduced the streams' ability to carry water, increasing the risk of flooding. In light of these findings, the committee proposed two major interventions: the restoration of wetlands and the removal of unauthorized encroachments on the flood plains. These actions are aimed at effectively restoring the city's natural drainage system and mitigating future flood risks. Ramesh recognizes the necessity of implementing these measures to ensure the city's long-term safety and resilience against flooding. However, he is also aware of the potential human cost associated with these interventions. The illegal structures in question are inhabited by marginalized neighbor-ers, and their removal would render many families homeless, significantly impacting their livelihoods. Despite his personal reservations regarding the social implications of these actions, Ramesh feels compelled to proceed with the committee's recommendations, as he believes they are essential for preventing future disasters. Subsequently, the operation to remove encroachments was launched with the deployment of a police force to ensure safety and order throughout the process. As the clearance of encroachments commenced, the affected residents expressed their opposition vigorously. Protests escalated into violent confrontations, resulting in assaults on officers and vandalism of government vehicles. The situation quickly deteriorated. When the police attempted to disperse the crowd, a stampede ensued. Tragically, this chaos resulted in the deaths of two elderly men. As the in-charge of the situation, Ramesh feels that these lives could have been saved if he had acted differently. a. Identify the various value conflicts faced by Ramesh in his role as Municipal Commissioner. b. Analyze the decision to remove unauthorized encroachments on the flood plains from an ethical perspective. c. If you were in Ramesh's position and in charge of the situation, how would you have approached the challenges presented by the encroachment clearance and the resulting protests?25 marks

The answers

Question 1(a) · 10 marks · 141 words written

What do you understand by value conflict? Give an example from your personal life where you faced a conflict between two values. How did you resolve it?

Opening · a definition

Values are set of principles, that are dear to an individual or organisation that guide action. Value conflict refers to situation where (2 values) are contradictory.

(Value conflict)

Body · points and prose

Values are set of principles, that are dear to an individual or organisation that guide action. Value conflict refers to situation where (2 values) are contradictory.

(Value conflict) → presence of mutually exclusive & contradictory values → acting on one value will lead to compromising of other value

eg IES Satyendra Nath Dubey, exposed corruption, but had to choose between organisational loyalty & integrity & sense of public duty

→ Value conflict → leads to (Cognitive dissonance) → discomfort associated with

Contradictory belief sets, it also leads to attitude ambivalence & ambiguity, leading to unpredictable decision making value conflict in my personal life.

[1] Availability of cheating material during Covid-19 college online exams

value conflict: competitiveness & excellence vs integrity

Diagram

How I solved the value conflict → * Kantian universality principle * Will I cheat in every exam? * Gandhian ends & means dilemma → means to be as pure as ends * Rawlsians Equality → cheating will lead to unethical & unequal playing field

Thus aforementioned approaches along with virtue ethics, inspiration from philosophy such as Voltaire, etc can be taken to resolve value conflict.

Close · a summary

Contradictory belief sets, it also leads to attitude ambivalence & ambiguity, leading to unpredictable decision making value conflict in my personal life.

[1] Availability of cheating material during Covid-19 college online exams

value conflict: competitiveness & excellence vs integrity Thus aforementioned approaches along with virtue ethics, inspiration from philosophy such as Voltaire, etc can be taken to resolve value conflict.