AIR 25 · CSE 2021 · GS4 · 58 pages

Shruti Rajlakshmi: GS4 answer copy

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

The questions

  1. Q1(a)Do laws need to be consistent with the prevalent moral norms? Discuss with examples.10 marks
  2. Q1(b)“People's indifference is the best breeding ground for corruption to grow”. Comment.10 marks
  3. Q2(a)In the context of COVID-19 pandemic, discuss the importance of Emotional Intelligence among healthcare workers.10 marks
  4. Q2(b)It is the 'spirit of service' that motivates a public servant to serve the country's interests and address people's issues. Discuss.10 marks
  5. Q3(a)Ethics does its work in the world by granting and withdrawing legitimacy. Discuss in the context of role of ethics in international relations.10 marks
  6. Q3(b)Sustainable growth of an organisation can result only by aligning its decisions to the interests of all stakeholders, not merely its shareholders. Do you agree? Justify with logical arguments.10 marks
  7. Q4(a)Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri's life exemplifies value-driven public service of the highest order. What are the values one can learn from his life to be a good citizen and a good administrator?10 marks
  8. Q4(b)There is a view that the institutional mechanisms to ensure accountability of civil servants have weakened over time. In this context, discuss the need of a social accountability law in India.10 marks
  9. Q5(a)Why has anonymity of civil servants traditionally been seen as an important arrangement? In this context, discuss your opinion on the doctrine of facelessness in civil services.10 marks
  10. Q5(b)In the age of social media, influencers have a huge following and have gained prominent marketing roles. In this context, discuss the ethical issues involved in influencer marketing.10 marks
  11. Q6(a)What do each of the following quotations mean to you? (a) Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or the darkness of destructive selfishness. – Martin Luther King Jr.10 marks
  12. Q6(b)Let us sacrifice our today so that our children can have a better tomorrow. -- A.P.J. Abdul Kalam10 marks
  13. Q6(c)I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved. - B.R. Ambedkar10 marks
  14. Q7You are a young officer posted as the Sub Divisional Magistrate in a district which houses factories for making match boxes and fire crackers. It is brought to your notice that a large number of children are working in these hazardous activities. The government had previously released a notification that owners of these manufacturing units need to report on the profiles of their employees annually to prevent child labour. These manufacturing units, abiding by the directives of the government, publish such reports annually and claim to have successfully put an end to employment of child labour. However, there are reports that these units are taking advantage of loopholes in the law. They are using contractors to continue to indirectly hire children without them officially being on the payroll of the units. Families of these child labourers are poor and see this as an essential source of income. An influential local politician also owns some of these manufacturing units and is known to put pressure on the officers involved for not taking any action against child labour. (a) Identify the stakeholders and ethical issues in this case. (b) How would you approach the problem and what would be the main elements of your action? (c) What medium to long-term measures will you propose to tackle the problem of child labour in the district?20 marks
  15. Q8Many states in India have experimented with prohibition of liquor at various times. However, it is common knowledge that many such states have a thriving illegal liquor industry. Moreover, it is ironical that while many political parties have prohibition prominently mentioned in their manifestos, it is politicians who distribute alcohol among voters during their election campaigns. This also gives rise to illicit liquor trade and many people lose their lives to it. (a) What are the socio-economic problems that are widely attributed to alcoholism? (b) Do you think prohibiting liquor creates more problems than it proposes to solve? (c) Short of prohibition, what can be done to tackle the problem of rising alcoholism, particularly among the youth of the country?20 marks
  16. Q9You are posted as a District Magistrate (DM) of a district where residents are facing the menace of stray dogs. Instances of dogs chasing two-wheelers, cyclists and attacking pedestrians are on the rise. Elderly persons as well as children are the worst-hit and recently, an 8 year old girl was severely injured by a pack of dogs. The perceived magnanimity of the problem and inaction from government authorities have prompted vigilante groups to cull dogs in mass numbers. However, local NGOs have come out against such a practice of mass culling and are calling for stringent action against those killing stray dogs. (a) What are the ethical issues involved in the above case? (b) As the DM, suggest short-term and long-term measures to tackle the above issue.20 marks
  17. Q10You are a young officer posted as the Superintendent of Police (SP) in a district. You have received information that at a party some people were harassed by your subordinate police officer. On further inquiry, you came to know that two complaints have been filed - one by the police and the other by people who organised the party. According to the police, people had gathered without permission and were not following COVID-19 appropriate behaviour and social distancing norms. But on the other hand, the complaint filed by the party organisers says that police entered the private venue due to loud noise and harassed everyone at the party including women guests. According to them, your subordinate police officer even tore apart the document, which granted permission to organise the party. A video of this incident, showing your subordinate officer tearing off a document, is being widely circulated on social media platforms. Due to this, social activists want you to take strict action against your subordinate police officer. (a) Identify the ethical issues in the case. (b) What are the factors that can influence decision by competent authorities in such instances? Do you think mobilising public opinion through social media is a fair way to influence the decision in such cases? (c) As the SP, what will be your course of action in this situation?20 marks
  18. Q1120 marks
  19. Q12In India, there exists a huge gap between demand for organ transplants and available donors, both living and cadaver. Besides a lack of awareness on organ donation, the rise of non-communicable and lifestyle diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes have led to increased instances of organ failure, in turn putting even more pressure on the demand for vital organs. According to reports, an estimated four lakh people die in India every year waiting for an organ transplant. Other than the legal and administrative issues, there are various ethical issues related to organ donation and transplantation in India. Provide an account of these ethical issues in detail. Also, discuss how the gap between demand and supply of organs in India can be closed.20 marks

The answers

Question 1(a) · 10 marks · 124 words written

Do laws need to be consistent with the prevalent moral norms? Discuss with examples.

Opening · a definition

Laws are rules made by governments or people with authority to regulate the behaviors of members under their jurisdiction.

Body · continuous prose

Laws may not always be consistent with prevalent moral norms. Moral norms may be based on religion which are sometimes inconsistent with laws.

For example, homosexuality is legal as per Indian law but may be inconsistent with certain religious views.

Sometimes Moral norms are derived from our conscience, and may be hard on our interpretations of write or wrong. Laws are made for the collective good. For example - Lying to my friend would be morally wrong for me but completely lawful if it is on a trivial issue.

Close · a summary

Laws seek to maintain peace and order in the society whereas moral norms regulate our minds.