AIR 25 · CSE 2021 · GS4 · 58 pages

Shruti Rajlakshmi: GS4 answer copy

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

The questions

Q1(a)An ethical action is rooted in the temporal and spatial dimensions of societies. Discuss with adequate examples.10 marks
Q1(b)Unstable marriages and families can lead to failures of moral development in children and overall moral decline in the society. Discuss.10 marks
Q2(a)An ethical work culture is a prerequisite for sustainable growth of an organization. Discuss and suggest some measures to build an ethical work culture in an organization.10 marks
Q2(b)Crises, humanitarian or economic, often create the perfect storm for corruption to thrive. Discuss with examples. What measures can be taken to mitigate corruption during a crisis?10 marks
Q3(a)Discuss the various ethical concerns associated with vaccine passport for international travel. Also, suggest the measures that can be taken to deal with these concerns.10 marks
Q3(b)The edifice of good corporate governance is dependent on the efficacy and effectiveness of independent directors. Discuss.10 marks
Q4(a)What do each of the following quotations mean to you? (a) "Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-incurred immaturity."10 marks
Q4(b)'Knowledge gives us power, love gives us fullness.' - Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan10 marks
Q5(a)The issue of marital rape is often ignored due to the belief that marriage is a sacred institution. In this context, discuss whether marital rape should be criminalised.10 marks
Q5(b)Students should be taught the importance of "doing what's right" at a young age. Discuss how the New Education Policy seeks to impart value based education to students of all age groups.10 marks
Q6(a)The role of emotional intelligence is crucial for public servants in overcoming adversity. Discuss.10 marks
Q6(b)What are the important learnings from the life and teachings of Sri Adi Shankaracharya that can help public servants in their personal and professional lives.10 marks
Q6(c)Citizen's Charters are tools that help conventional organizations develop socially sensitive and ethically oriented professional conduct. Elaborate.10 marks
Q7You are working as the Head of the Human Resources Department in a consultancy firm ABC Corp. A female employee of the firm comes to you complaining about sexual harassment in the company premise at the hands of the CEO of one of your clients, XYZ Corp., when the latter visited your firm for a client interaction. XYZ Corp. happens to be a major source of revenue for your company. Also, the CEO of XYZ Corp. is considered as a very reputed professional and is highly regarded by the senior management of your firm. In the past, you have witnessed members of your senior management praise the professional and no-nonsense attitude of the CEO of XYZ Corp. However, the female employee, who has approached you, is also sure that the CEO knowingly misbehaved with her. In light of the situation: (a) Discuss the issues involved in this case. (b) What are the options available to you and what course of action would you take? Give logical arguments to support your answer.20 marks
Q8Records show that there have been numerous cases of custodial deaths in the last 20 years in India. Very few policeman have been convicted so far in such cases. Recently, you come across the case of custodial death of a youth in one of the backward districts of the country. It has been reported that the youth was detained on frivolous grounds of kidnapping a girl from another community. As a young graduate student, preparing for the civil services examination conducted by the UPSC, answer the following: (a) Why is there a frequent violation of the code of conduct and abuse of authority by law enforcement officers at various levels in India? (b) Is the use of violence and show of 'quick justice' by the policemen increasingly becoming acceptable by the society? Justify your stand with relevant arguments. (c) What can be done to comprehensively deal with the issue of torture and custodial deaths in India?20 marks
Q9A prominent stand-up comedian from your country has recently delivered a performance at an event in another country. Owing to the fame and hype associated with this event, the performance has been broadcast across the globe to millions of viewers. In the performance, the comedian brings up the dichotomy and paradoxes associated with the society and culture of your country. He brings up issues like status of women, violence against women, caste, politics etc. in his monologue. The performance touches upon such sensitive issues that it has polarised the audience. A vast section of people are affected by this and have organized huge demonstrations and have appealed the government to direct the broadcasting platform to remove this content from their platform. They are also pushing the government to take action against the comedian. An FIR too has been filed against him. On the other hand, there is also a significant outpour of support for the comedian. (a) What are the core ethical issues arising from this case? (b) The recent spate of FIRs against show creators, artists etc. highlight the need of regulation of content that is circulated online. Should such a step be taken by the government? Substantiate with reasons.20 marks
Q10You are a District Magistrate posted in a backward district of the country. You are responsible for getting an Atal Residential School built on the village land in your district. The contract for the construction of the school has been assigned to a popular local leader's son. This land is presently occupied by tribal communities but they cannot produce any ownership records. They claim that they have resided on the land for generations. They also allege that the administration is pressurising them to vacate their land to build the school and have assured that they will be relocated elsewhere. However, they are hesitant to do so as it will uproot them from their homes and will affect their livelihood. One of the prominent tribal leaders has highlighted this issue and it has caught the attention of the mainstream media. In the light of the situation, answer the following: (a) Identify the stakeholders involved in the case and their respective interests. (b) Discuss the various ethical concerns in the given case. (c) What are the options available to you and which of these options you will choose? Justify.20 marks
Q11Across the world, there is often a taxing demand on correct manners, etiquettes and moral responsibility by celebrities and public figures and there is huge public outrage if they act carelessly. Even for small mistakes, public figures have to apologise, or take an early retirement out of shame. This is often aggravated by the media, which relentlessly reports on the issue and the public who enjoy the voyeurism offered by entertainment - footage of star cars being chased, leaked WhatsApp chats etc. Further, there is hardly any unbiased and civil debate when it comes to celebrities and their social responsibilities. In most cases, the argument does not even centre around the actual issue and gets subsumed by overarching subplots. Messy trolling, often misdirected, is a common feature in all. Even serious issues like suicide and drug use are reduced to parenting problems and witch-hunt is often seen. In this context: (a) Is there any difference between a public figure and private person when it comes to privacy? Should public figures also have some reasonable amount of privacy? (b) Do you think it is fair to expect role models, such as celebrities and public figures, to act more responsibly as compared to ordinary citizens? (c) Discuss the importance of responsible journalism in this context.20 marks
Q12You are the Municipal Commissioner of a large city, which has witnessed unprecedented increase in biomedical waste. Recently, 15 sanitation workers lost their lives and close to 100 have been seriously infected owing to this increase in waste. Apart from biomedical waste, the city is also facing a major problem in management of household waste. There is a view that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the problems of the waste management sector. Despite the fact that the government has notified rules regarding disposal, collection and treatment of waste and has initiated numerous awareness campaigns in the past, still, the problem does not seem to be getting under control. In view of this, answer the following questions: (a) Identify the stakeholders and the significance of their involvement in addressing the issue. (b) In your opinion, what are the reasons behind apathy of people towards issues like waste disposal that affect the larger interests of the society? (c) As the Municipal Commissioner, suggest some practical techniques to bring about an attitudinal change among residents of the city towards this issue.20 marks
Q12(b)Reasons behind apathy of people towards issues like waste disposal affecting the larger interests of the society?

The answers

Question 1(a) · 10 marks · 144 words written

An ethical action is rooted in the temporal and spatial dimensions of societies. Discuss with adequate examples.

Opening

An action is ethical as per the constraints of time and place.

Body · points

Influence of time/temporal dimensions

(i) A criminal act may become justified with rationality gained over time e.g. - Decriminalising same-sex couples under Article 377

(ii) Also, socially acceptable customs become criminal acts e.g. - Ban on sati

(iii) Customs, habits ethically not acceptable become part of society with tolerance e.g. - ban on inter-mingling between castes, women in earlier societies

Spatial Dimensions

(i) Respect for elders, taking care of them moral in Indian society but American elderly live alone

(ii) Giving alms to beggars common in India, but crime in countries criminalising begging

(iii) Discharging puja remains in rivers holy for some communities, but seen as dirtying of rivers by many

(iv) US considered ethical to invade Vietnam, but action unethical for Vietnamese

Close · a summary

Cultural relativism helps in respecting morality of every society