AIR 6 · CSE 2023 · GS4 · 57 pages

Srishti Dabas: GS4 answer copy

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

The questions

Q1(a)Ahimsa is not only the negative refusal to do harm, but also the positive doing of good. In this perspective, discuss the significance of ‘ahimsa’ in modern times.10 marks
Q1(b)Which famous personality has influenced you and why? In what ways have you emulated their example in your own life?10 marks
Q2(a)What does the following quotation mean to you? "The greatest wealth is to live content with little." - Plato.10 marks
Q2(b)"Whatever is begun in anger, ends in shame" - Benjamin Franklin.10 marks
Q2(c)"Happiness is that state of consciousness which proceeds from the achievement of one's values." - Ayn Rand.10 marks
Q3(a)Differentiate between the following -10 marks
Q3(b)What do you understand by Emotional Intelligence? Examine the importance of Emotional Intelligence in personal and professional life.10 marks
Q4(a)Political attitude has as much to do with society as with politics. Discuss with suitable illustrations.10 marks
Q4(b)The influence of ethical principles on shaping socially responsible behaviour is widely acknowledged. How do ethical values facilitate individuals in cultivating a proactive & constructive attitude towards fulfilling their social responsibilities? Can the subjective nature of ethical principles lead to divergent attitudes regarding social responsibilities?10 marks
Q5(a)Write short notes on the following:10 marks
Q5(b)Through their actions, interactions & teachings, schools have the power to mold the moral compass of next generation. In this perspective, discuss the significance of value based education in preparing the youth to address contemporary challenges of society.10 marks
Q6(a)What do you understand by the term 'Situation Ethics'? Critically analyze its strengths & weaknesses in making moral judgements.10 marks
Q6(b)Maintaining traditional bonds and familial relationships in an increasingly globalised world requires personal relationships to be governed by ethical principles. Discuss.10 marks
Q7Akhilesh is a young 22-year-old man living in Utsav Nagar, who is preparing for the prestigious Civil Service Examinations, conducted by UPSC. Akhilesh is the younger of the two siblings in the home. The elder sister of Akhilesh, Sarita, is an economic graduate and works as a teacher. Akhilesh and Sarita are from a family of modest means. Their father is a retired government employee and mother is a house wife. Sarita and Akhilesh contribute to the household income by giving tuitions to the children. Recently, Sarita's marriage has been finalized by her parents. Everyone in the family is happy about the prospects of Sarita's marriage. However, the groom's family has expressed their wish for a car and furniture as gifts for the groom. Sarita's father agreed to their demands happily as he did not want to break the prospective alliance. It was also the dream of Sarita's father to wed her daughter in a grand manner. During a dinner conversation at home, he tells his family members that he has decided to sell off their ancestral land in order to arrange for the wedding. Akhilesh and Sarita are well aware that the family has limited means, and a lavish wedding, in addition to the gifts, may further aggravate the already strained financial condition of the family. Akhilesh, in the course of his preparation, has studied about the menace of dowry in the society. He knows that making a demand for dowry, in any form, is illegal and a punishable offence. After consulting his sister, Akhilesh decides to talk to his father. However, when Akhilesh presents his concerns to his father, he gets surprised by his reply. Akhilesh's father tells him that dowry is a social norm and as a member of the society they are duty bound to accept the demands of the groom's family. He also tells Akhilesh that marriage ceremony is a matter of social prestige for the whole family. A lavish wedding will not only appease the groom's family but also increase the social status of their own family. Further, his father tells him that it is out of his own love and volition that he has agreed to the gifts. He also explained to Akhilesh that the car, furniture etc., will be used by Sarita at her in-law's place. Akhilesh could not argue with his father, even though he was not in agreement with his father's view. He and Sarita believe that giving/accepting dowry would lead to propagation of a social evil. They also are of the view that a profligate wedding, without due concern for family's finances, is illogical. a) What are the various ethical issues involved in the above case study? b) You are a close friend of Akhilesh. What advice will you give, in this situation, to Akhilesh in order to convince his father to abstain from giving dowry and organising a lavish wedding?20 marks
Q8Naveen and Vinod, final year undergraduate students at ABC college of engineering, are close friends. Naveen has been a meritorious student and got appointed as the secretary of the training and placement cell, which has the mandate to oversee the campus placements of the students. Vinod, on the other hand, spent more time on leisure activities and paid less attention to his academic performance. However, the lackadaisical attitude of Vinod began to reflect on his grades. His poor performance in the majority of subjects meant that he had to complete some courses again, in order to graduate in time. As Vinod struggled to complete his extra courses, he barely had any time left for anything else. The immense fatigue was also evident from his deteriorating physical and psychological health. Around this time the campus placement in the ABC college had started. While all other students were preparing for the recruitment tests, Vinod had barely any time for the same. Vinod's parents, who had taken loan for Vinod's education, are expecting Vinod to get a good job. The guilt of wasting his college years and letting down his poor parents was becoming unbearable for Vinod, as a result of which he had a nervous breakdown. Naveen, who in his capacity as secretary of training and placement cell, was busy organising the recruitment drive, was aware that the chances of Vinod getting recruited were very slim. He also knew that Vinod was repenting in true sense and working very hard to complete his courses, despite his deteriorating emotional health. Naveen was afraid that if Vinod did not get a job, he may take some extreme step. Naveen has in his possession the question paper for the recruitment test to be held next week. Vinod had in the past requested Naveen to help him in any way possible to get a decent job. While Naveen knows that sharing the questions with Vinod may help him get through the exam, it would be ethically incorrect. Now, Naveen is in a dilemma over the course of action he should take. a) What are the ethical dilemmas before Naveen in this case? b) Identify and evaluate the various courses of actions available before Naveen. If you were in Naveen's shoes, which course of action would you choose and why?20 marks
Q9Alok works in a multinational company in USA. He was visiting his family in India on a vacation. While reading the newspaper at home in India, Alok noticed a particular news article. As per the news article, a family of seven, travelling in an SUV, had died in a road mishap. The vehicle lost control and rammed into a roadside boulder. The police report said that none of the passengers had their seat belts on. It was also highlighted that the fatal injuries could have been avoided by the use of seat belts. A few days later, Alok and his family members who lived in Delhi, decided to travel to the hills of Himachal Pradesh, by road. While driving across Delhi, all the family members had their seat belts on. Alok mentally felt satisfied about the good sense of road safety in his family members. However, as their vehicle crossed the borders of Delhi, all the family members removed their seat belts almost immediately. Alok found this a little unusual. When he enquired about the same, his father told him that wearing a seat belt was necessary in Delhi and non-compliance attracted penal action. However, Alok exhorted all his family members that in USA people wore seat belts not to escape legal action, but to ensure their own safety as they understood the importance of seatbelts in reducing and mitigating the impacts of accidents. At this, his family members made fun of him and also chided him for having become an "angrez". After some time, their vehicle passed by a deep gorge. There they all witnessed a road accident, where a passenger vehicle had lost control and fell into the gorge. Alok immediately remembered the news report he read a few days back. Concerned about the safety of his family members, he again requested them to put on their seat belts. This time, all the family members got irritated and belittled Alok for being so scared. Alok could see that his family members had a very negative attitude with regard to wearing safety belts. Despite the effective role of seat belts in saving human lives, their usage by people in India remains abysmally low. As per a WHO report, wearing a seat belt can reduce the risk of being killed or injured in an accident by 25% and 75% respectively. A study conducted by Maruti Suzuki revealed that approximately 75% of passenger vehicle users in India do not wear seat belts leading to an average 15 deaths every day. a) Why is there a negative attitude in people with regard to wearing seat belts? b) What measures can be taken to bring positive changes with regard to this attitude?20 marks
Q10Prakash and Meena were a married couple living in Gurgaon, Haryana. Both Prakash and Meena were corporate executives, working in XYZ retail and ABC enterprises respectively. The two were leading a rewarding professional life. However, as both worked in different companies and often had different office timings, their personal lives were getting affected. Due to their busy schedules and official commitments, they were unable to find sufficient time for each other. Things came to such a pass that the two could not spend their last anniversary together. While Prakash was working on an important project, Meena was busy with the launch of a new product. Though the two understood the importance of professional commitments, the lack of quality time with each-other was increasingly becoming a cause for concern and frustration. One day Prakash informed Meena about a vacancy in his company for the post of regional manager. Prakash, who himself was working at the same position, knew that this post was an ideal opportunity for Meena professionally. While Meena's work in her company was well appreciated and her prospects for growth were sound, she was still willing to grab the present opportunity. This would have enabled the two of them to work in a common office space, with relatively more coherence in their office timings. Consequently, she applied for the vacancy in Prakash's company. As Meena was reasonably qualified for the job and had good experience, she was hired by Prakash's company. The two were very happy about the prospects of working together. Besides working from a common office space, Prakash and Meena were able to go to and return from work together. The two were, resultantly, very happy about this positive change in their lives. Meena quickly adjusted to the new office environment and began her work in the same department as that of Prakash. Meena's positive work came into the notice of her superiors. She was frequently appreciated for her diligence and sincerity. XYZ retail was in the process of preparing a presentation for a potential government contract. While Prakash was expecting that he would be chosen for preparation, the branch head of XYZ retail entrusted Meena with this strategically important task. Prakash was visibly disappointed with this, as he had been preparing for this task for a long time. Meena could also sense Prakash's dejection, as he not only didn't congratulate Meena but also pointed out how it should have been him doing the job. Meena, as was her nature, worked hard on the report, and successfully made the presentation to the client. As the report was made and presented in an efficient manner, XYZ retail gained a big contract from the government. While the entire office was congratulating Meena for her success, Prakash remained indifferent towards Meena's achievement. Meena was visibly hurt by Prakash's behaviour. Meena's success with the government contract earned her a promotion, and she was made the head of her department. This further enraged Prakash, as now he was supposed to report to Meena. Moreover, Prakash's behaviour at the workplace changed significantly. He started misbehaving with his juniors over small things. He became careless in his work, often leading to mistakes and errors. Prakash's behaviour at office had a spill-over effect on Prakash and Meena's personal lives. One day he slapped an office peon for entering his cabin without knocking. After an enquiry about the incident, Meena recommended suspension of Prakash. While the two had continuously quarrelled over trivial things since her promotion, this time Prakash's career was at stake leading to a huge fight. Earlier Prakash and Meena tried to spend time together whenever possible, now the two despised being together at home and office. While Meena could not comprehend Prakash's behaviour, Prakash was jealous of Meena's success. Meena began to re-evaluate her decision to join XYZ retail. a) In your opinion, what qualities do Prakash lack? Do you think that Meena also lacks some qualities? b) As a common friend of Meena and Prakash, what advice will you give to the couple? c) How can they develop the qualities that could have prevented such a distressing situation?20 marks
Q11Jiya is a first-year student studying political science in a metropolitan city. Jiya belongs to Viddhi, a village located in the state of Satya Pradesh. Even though Jiya is very fond of her ancestral home, she has limited knowledge about the socio-cultural aspects of the region. One day, while talking to her father, Jiya expresses her desire to visit her ancestral place. Her father readily agrees, and advises Jiya to inform her paternal uncle, Suresh, who lives in Viddhi, about her travel plans. On the destined day, Jiya arrives at her village to a grand welcome organised by her uncle. Later in the day, Suresh informs Jiya that in the evening they were all to attend a marriage function in the village. At the function, while having dinner, Jiya noticed that a separate seating arrangement was being made for some people. Unlike others, these people were waiting for their meals sitting on the floor, at a substantial distance from the main dining area. This made Jiya curious. On enquiring, Alakh, a 15-year-old boy, told Jiya that the members of his communities were not allowed to sit on chairs in any public occasion in the village. Alakh also told Jiya that even though he did not like the idea of sitting down in front of his friends, his mother and father, both advised him to follow the norm. Jiya asked him as to why different treatment was meted out to some people despite belonging to the same place. Alakh informed Jiya that even though they all belonged to Viddhi, members of his communities lived in separate habitations; had separate wells; and even worshiped in separate places. He also told her that various prohibitions were put on them like they were not supposed to ride a horse as part of their wedding procession, not allowed to wear turbans, which was a common head gear for others etc. Upon returning from the function, Jiya talked to her uncle about the matter. Suresh told Jiya that it is an accepted practice in the region and it is not wise to question the age-old traditions. Next day, while going to the market with her aunt, Jiya passes by the local government school. She at once recognized Alakh in the school uniform. To her surprise, instead of studying inside with other students, he, along with some other students, was sweeping the school corridor. While Jiya was perplexed, her aunt passed it off as a routine affair and told her that it was not out of ordinary for the likes of Alakh to do such jobs. Though Jiya left for her home in a few days, the incidents in Viddhi left an indelible mark on her psyche. As a political science student, Jiya realised that such practices and traditions were a blatant violation of an individual's rights. However, what she did not understand was the reasons behind overt acceptance of such practices by the society. The things witnessed by Jiya at Viddhi are not isolated incidents, but a part of larger systematic cycle of exclusion, and marginalisation. Such incidents are commonplace in many parts of the country even today. a) Discuss the role of various stakeholders in checking such biases and building an egalitarian order. b) Why do such discriminatory practices continue in the society?20 marks
Q12Pratap is a data engineer working in ABC Infocom. Pratap is a sincere employee who is liked equally by his superiors, colleagues, and subordinates. One day, during the lunch hour, a few colleagues were discussing a news item. There was a rally/parade in support of the LGBTQIA+ community which was to be held on the coming Sunday. While the news item was a matter of intrigue and fun for all, Pratap was sensitive about the issue. He explained to his colleagues the importance of understanding the demands of the LGBTQIA+ for equal civil rights as enjoyed by others. Kamal, a colleague of Pratap, believed such tendencies are not in the favour of the traditional values of the society. Another employee, Sushma, said that she has heard some experts on various news channel talking about how the demands being raised by the LGBTQIA+ community are against the laws of nature. Bhanu, the sales team manager, too agreed with the majority opinion. Bhanu said that his parents believe that the inclinations of LGBTQIA+ people are a manifestation of mental illness. Pratap's reasoning in favour of equal rights for all was of no consequence to his colleagues who seemed to have a rigid attitudinal build up against the community as a whole. On the designated day when the rally was to take place, Kamal was watching the coverage of the parade live from his home. To his astonishment, he saw Pratap in the LGBTQIA+ rally. Next day at the office, when Kamal told Pratap that he saw him participating in the parade. Pratap agreed, and told Kamal that he was gay. After this incident Pratap began to see visible changes in the behaviour of not only his colleagues and subordinates but also the management of the office. While earlier all pestered Pratap to be present for various official and personal occasions, now he increasingly felt unwanted. Even his colleagues started taking their lunch separately. Pratap was earlier respected and revered by all for his sincerity and dedication. But now his professional qualities were overlooked and he became an object of amusement for all. He noticed that people started calling him by different names which he realized were a slur on his personality. Matters came to head when Pratap was overlooked for promotion. Earlier, Pratap's superiors on various occasions had told him that his good work has benefitted the organization immensely and he was due for promotion after the next appraisal. Therefore, this supersession came as a rude and disappointing shock to Pratap, and he fell into a mire of self-doubt and loathing. The conditions came to such a pass that, Pratap, was earlier a happy go lucky, caring, and a self-aware person, started remaining depressed. a) What are the qualities lacked by the colleagues and superiors of Pratap? b) What could be the possible reasons behind the negative attitude of office employees towards LGBTQIA+ community? c) As a friend of Pratap, what advice will you give him?20 marks

The answers

Question 1(a) · 10 marks · 106 words written

Ahimsa is not only the negative refusal to do harm, but also the positive doing of good. In this perspective, discuss the significance of ‘ahimsa’ in modern times.

Opening

"Ahimsa Parmo Dharma"

Ahimsa, referred to as 'Non-Violence' has been emphasised upon by Mahatma Gandhi as well as Buddhist philosophy. Hence, ahimsa is a wider concept

Body · points and prose

do harm positive doing of good

not killing anyone, - contributing to including animals welfare of society
philosophy of Jainism - international
not causing harm peace, harmony or injury mutual coexistence
narrow vision - broad vision

Hence, ahimsa is a wider concept → spreading love → tolerance eg Sarva Dharma Sambhav.

Significance of ahimsa in modern times

(1) for individual growth - mental peace and inner harmony. eg self nourishment (2) for society - to enhance brotherhood eg among different religions. (3) for nation - development of ecology and economy Balanced. eg not excess deforestation. (4) Global peace : to avoid war and instead enhance cooperation (sahyog) and dialogue (samvad)

Close · a way forward

Hence, Ahimsa is the torch to light the future of the world.