AIR 29 · CSE 2017 · GS4 · 58 pages

Keerthi Vasan: GS4 answer copy

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

The questions

  1. Q1(a)The seeds of patriarchy and gender inequality are sown at home, which manifest as a weed at the societal level. Elucidate. Suggest an ethical framework to systematically address the issue of patriarchy in the Indian society.10 marks
  2. Q1(b)What are the factors which drive people to take law in their own hands rather than following the due process of law? Discuss ways to address the problem of mob justice.10 marks
  3. Q2(a)In a democracy, the purpose of the government should be to make it easy for people to do good and difficult to do wrong. Comment.10 marks
  4. Q2(b)Discuss John Stuart Mill's idea on freedom of thought and expression. Also, give reasons as to why, according to Mill, representative democracy is the best form of government despite its inherent weaknesses.10 marks
  5. Q3(a)It is argued by some that nuclear weapons have acted more as a deterrent than leading to war and mass destruction. In this context, discuss whether it is ethically right to possess nuclear weapons to create nuclear deterrence.10 marks
  6. Q3(b)Differentiate between administration and leadership. Highlighting the traits which characterize an effective leader, discuss the importance of leadership in ensuring effective public service delivery in a bureaucratic setup.10 marks
  7. Q4(a)Apart from functional knowledge and expertise, the efficacy of a civil servant also depends upon his emotional intelligence. How does emotional intelligence contribute to efficacy? How can civil servants enhance their emotional intelligence?10 marks
  8. Q4(b)Enumerate the mechanisms that promote accountability of public officials in discharging their functions and responsibilities in India. Also discuss why ensuring accountability for performance is not a simple task in government service.10 marks
  9. Q5(a)Given below are two quotations of moral thinkers/philosophers. For each of these, bring out what it means to you in the present context. (a) "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."10 marks
  10. Q5(b)“Prejudices are what fools use for reason.”10 marks
  11. Q6Ensuring that government decisions are not influenced by public officials' private interests is a growing concern. Discuss in the context of India. Also enumerate the core principles reflected by OECD guidelines for managing conflict of interest in the public sector.10 marks
  12. Q7Discuss, with examples, the significance of principles of public life as recommended by Nolan committee. Why are these principles considered as an essential set of expectations from public servants?10 marks
  13. Q8A peculiar inhuman situation exists for the people fleeing from war zones - they cannot go back to their homeland for fear of being persecuted and no country is ready to bear their burden due to various reasons. Citing contemporary examples, discuss the ethical issues involved in such situations.10 marks
  14. Q9As the administrator in-charge of your area, you are witness to the widespread food wastage in lavish parties as well as in restaurants and eateries, on one hand and people starving due to inability to ensure one square-meal a day, on the other. Realizing that it is not the scarcity of resources, but the habit of people that is causing paucity in availability of food, you decide that certain measures are needed to be taken in order to deal with the issue of starvation at the grassroot level. 20 Given the situation, answer the following questions: (a) Identify the ethical issues involved in this case. (b) What measures would you take to deal with wastage of food in your area? (c) What explains this co-existence of affluence and hunger in developing countries like India?20 marks
  15. Q10The excluded and marginalized section of society are worst hit by globalization. Take the case of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) like Sentinelese of Andaman & Nicobar islands; their population has reduced drastically and they are facing various other problems as well. In this context answer the following questions: 20 (a) What are the challenges faced by PVTGs due to globalisation? (b) If you are posted as a Development Officer in such an area, what will be your priorities to reduce their vulnerabilities and ensure welfare?20 marks
  16. Q11Undercover journalism exposes injustices, negligence, corruption and wrongdoing and yet going undercover to expose wrongdoing remains controversial. But, undercover journalists contend that they are fulfilling a fundamental duty of finding truth through their journalism. They argue that public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy and the duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues. So, there are some supporters of this kind of journalism, which sometimes infringe the privacy of individuals. However, some journalists also urge avoiding surreptitious methods of gathering information except when traditional open methods will not yield information vital to the public. In this context, answer the following questions: 20 (a) What are the ethical issues involved in the practice of undercover journalism? (b) Do you support the practice of undercover investigation by journalists? Give reasons in support of your answer.20 marks
  17. Q12You are the chief executive of ABC Ltd., an automotive component manufacturing company. Until recently, all of your production plants were located in City X. However, the cost of production has risen, causing profits to decline. A number of factors have led to an increase in the production costs. First, the union representing the workers in your plant waged a successful strike resulting in increased salary and benefits. A second factor has been imposition of stringent environmental regulations. Shareholders are concerned about the declining fortunes of the company. Many of the competitors have moved their operations to less-developed cities, where the operating costs are less than in City X. ABC Ltd. is a major employer in the city where it is located, and you know that a plant closure will cause economic dislocation in the city. 20 Given the situation, answer the following questions: (a) What are the ethical issues involved in this case? (b) How can the interests of different stakeholders be reconciled in this case?20 marks
  18. Q12(b)How to reconcile interests?
  19. Q13You are posted as a District Education Officer (DEO) in a Maoist affected district. You have been specifically given the responsibility to work on the literacy mission. After reading the education reports and doing field visits, you find that the number of out of school children has increased drastically and the motivation among students and teachers is also low. While certain basic infrastructure is already in place, the major hurdle in attracting students to these schools include the attitude of inhabitants towards education and the security risks involved in sending children to schools. Given the situation, answer the following questions: (a) Analyse the reasons behind such an attitude. (b) As a DEO, what are the steps that you would take in order to increase the school attendance and change the prevalent attitude of inhabitants towards education?20 marks
  20. Q14Mr. Pradeep is a senior civil servant in the central government and is involved in the budgeting department. In the course of performing his duties, he comes to know about diversion of funds earmarked for SC/ST sub-plan for other purposes. While he is not directly responsible for this aspect of the budget, he raised his concerns to the department concerned. He also learns that the minister responsible as well as senior most civil servants are aware of the practice and have given tacit approval for it. Soon thereafter, Pradeep was summoned to talk on the issue and was told that since the matter is not within his jurisdiction, he should 'keep his nose out of it'. After much soul searching, Pradeep decided to obey his supervisors by leaving the matter alone. Based on the information given, answer the following questions: 20 (a) Elaborate on the internal dissonance that Pradeep faces in the given situation. (b) On what basis can the decision of Pradeep be justified? (c) Had you been in Pradeep's place, what would have been the course of action chosen by you? Recognise the merits and demerits, if any.20 marks

The answers

Question 1(a) · 10 marks · 151 words written

The seeds of patriarchy and gender inequality are sown at home, which manifest as a weed at the societal level. Elucidate. Suggest an ethical framework to systematically address the issue of patriarchy in the Indian society.

Opening

Patriarchy is strongly imbedded in our society, that it manifests itself in the form of gender inequality. These values of a society are influenced by various means. But, the seeds of patriarchy are believed to be sown at the home. Simone de Beauvoir says "One is not born a woman, but is made a woman". By this, we can understand that sex is by birth and gender is what society defines us as.

The authority of the father over the mother in a family is considered natural by the children, which manifests itself in the society also.

In order to address the issue:

Body · points and prose

The authority of the father over the mother in a family is considered natural by the children, which manifests itself in the society also.

In order to address the issue:

  • educating the youngsters is of primary importance.
  • manifestation of patriarchy in family needs to be prevented.
  • economic freedom of women to be promoted.
  • use of technology in alleviating the challenges faced by women.

Close · a summary

So, patriarchy is neither good for women, nor for the men.