Vaibhav Rawat: GS4 answer copy

The questions

1. Q1(a)Highlighting the significance of ethical work culture, suggest ways by which it can be imbibed in an organization.10 marks
2. Q1(b)Upholding probity in governance is not only contingent on values of an individual but also the processes of the institution. Discuss.10 marks
3. Q1(b)(c)(b) बहुत दूर स्थित एक और स्थान है जहां कभी एक फैक्ट्री स्थापित थी। यहां सभी आवश्यक नागरिक सुविधाएं मौजूद हैं और फैक्ट्री को उपयुक्त मकानों में परिवर्तित किया जा सकता है जिसमें सार्वजनिक उपक्रम (PSU) को कम लागत आएगी। परन्तु, इस क्षेत्र में पुनर्स्थापन से आजीविका या रोजगार का नुकसान होगा क्योंकि यह मलिन बस्तियों के वर्तमान स्थान से बहुत दूर है। (c) एक अन्य स्थान भी है जिसका उपयोग उचित लागत पर पुनर्वास के लिये किया जा सकता है। न तो यह बहुत दूर है और न ही इसमें अत्यधिक धन की आवश्यकता है, लेकिन इस विकल्प के प्रयोग में बड़ी संख्या में वृक्षों को काटना पड़ेगा जो क्षेत्र की पारिस्थितिकी को विपरीत रूप से प्रभावित कर सकता है। इसमें पर्यावरण समूहों के प्रतिरोध का सामना करना पड़ सकता है। उपर्युक्त विकल्पों और संबंधित चुनौतियों के परिप्रेक्ष्य में मलिन बस्ती वासियों के पुनर्वास के लिए आप इनमें से किस स्थान का चयन करेंगे? अपने चयन के समर्थन में यथोचित प्रमाण प्रस्तुत कीजिए।
4. Q2(a)The nature of a business's operations has a major influence on the ethical issues with which it must contend. Giving examples, discuss how business ethics is crucial in today's world.10 marks
5. Q2(b)An honest bureaucrat can be put to inconvenience but the dishonest one is more likely to suffer in the long run. Comment.10 marks
6. Q3(a)The notion of an ethical foreign policy downplays the realities of international politics. Critically discuss.10 marks
7. Q3(b)Conscience can neither be silent nor delayed as a source of ethical guidance. Elaborate.10 marks
8. Q4(a)Given below are quotations of moral thinkers/philosophers. Bring out what they mean to you in the present context: (a) To educate a person in the mind but not in morals is to educate a menace to society. - Theodore Roosevelt10 marks
9. Q4(b)Right is right even if no one is doing it; wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it. — Saint Augustine10 marks
10. Q5(a)“Children are great imitators, so give them something great to imitate.” In this context, discuss the importance of role models in inculcating values in children.10 marks
11. Q5(b)The Covid-19 pandemic has brought with itself an environment of uncertainties and hardships. In this context, discuss the significance of emotional intelligence in dealing with the situation.10 marks
12. Q6Bring out the role of social media in shaping one's moral and political attitude.10 marks
13. Q7Environmental ethics is about the moral relationship of human beings to, and also the value and moral status of, the environment and its non-human contents. Elaborate.10 marks
14. Q9You are the District Magistrate of district, which has recently witnessed rapid transmission of the Covid-19 pandemic. The district has high population density and a sizeable chunk of migrant workers. There has been a shutdown of business activities and the workers are yearning to go back to their native places. The administration has announced a strict lockdown and divided the district into containment zones. There is a severe shortage of people, material and money in the administration and fear and panic is seen to be gripping them. (a) What are the qualities of a civil servant that are revealed in such testing times? (b) What measures would you suggest for: (i) Dealing with the current issue. (ii) Making the district administration more resilient to respond to such a critical situation in the future.20 marks
15. Q10In recent times, the country witnessed protests based on opposition to some steps taken by the government. Whereas, mostly these were peaceful protests, at a few places these activities turned violent leading to destruction of public property. In some places government arrested few of the protesters and imposed heavy fines on them for the destruction of the property. In case they could not pay, their private property was confiscated by the government to pay for the damage done to the public property. In addition to this, some governments published the photographs, names and addresses of those accused of vandalism during protests at various locations. (a) What are the issues of public importance at stake in this case? (b) Are their any ethical or legal principles at play here which may be conflicting? (c) What should be the principles guiding a democratic state in such circumstances?20 marks
16. Q11The global toll of the COVID-19 pandemic is enormous: more than a half-million lives lost, hundreds of millions out of work, and trillions of dollars of wealth destroyed. And the disease has by no means run its course. There is tremendous interest in the development of a vaccine, with more than a hundred initiatives under way around the world. Even if one or more vaccines emerge that promise to make people less susceptible to COVID-19, the public-health problem will not be eliminated. But policymakers can avert some foreseeable problems by starting to address key questions about financing and distribution now. In view of the above scenario, answer the following questions: (a) Identify the different stakeholders involved in this scenario. (b) Identify some of the ethical questions and issues that are likely to emerge as the vaccine becomes available. (c) Who, in your opinion, should be amongst the first recipients of the vaccine? Give reasons for your answer.20 marks
17. Q12You are the head of a PSU, which has recently been entrusted with construction of a new airport in a metropolitan city. However, the area in the immediate neighbourhood of the proposed airport runways have large tracts of land occupied by dense slum settlements. If the airport is to be constructed, approximately 75,000 slum families will have to be humanly rehabilitated. The sheer scale of this rehabilitation, almost similar to an urban renewal, has thrown up many challenges. Foremost among these is identifying an appropriate location for rehabilitation of slum dwellers. You are faced with the following options in this regard, each of which have their own merits and demerits: (a) There is no reasonably priced land in close vicinity of the present slums. A vacant parcel of land that you have identified close-by will have to be developed afresh along with all civic amenities, and this will entail huge cost for the PSU. (b) There is another location, which is very far-off where a factory once stood. All the required civic amenities are in place here and the factory can be converted into appropriate houses at little cost to the PSU. However, there will be loss of livelihood on relocation to this area because of its distance from the current slum location. (c) There is yet another site, which can be used for rehabilitation at reasonable cost. Neither is it too far nor will it entail huge monetary cost, but exercising this option involves cutting a large number of trees, which may adversely affect the ecology of the area. This is likely to face resistance from environmental groups. Given the above options and the associated challenges, which of these sites will you choose for rehabilitation of slum dwellers? Provide adequate justification for your choice.20 marks
18. Q13You are an Indian Forest Service Officer posted in a division which falls in the coastal regulation zone and contains multiple wildlife sanctuaries. Recently, the State government has brought up a proposal of a new food processing park in your division. Under the proposal, around 175 square kilometers of forest land will be acquired as per the law. The developers of the project claim the various socio-economic benefits it can provide to the people in the area. Due to this a sizeable chunk of trees will be uprooted. There are studies which suggest that such initiatives have a long-term impact on wildlife and also leads to human-wildlife conflict. Some residents living in the periphery of the forest have supported this move in hope of employment opportunities. However, traditional dwellers of the forests have protested against this move. The government has constituted a committee to frame guidelines for sustainable operation of this project. The committee has asked for your suggestions in this regard. (a) Identify the principles and values that would guide your suggestions in this regard. (b) What course of action should be taken in order to balance the social and environmental needs in this case?20 marks
19. Q14The RTI Act, which became operational in 2005 empowers the Indian citizens to seek information from public authorities. This, in effect, makes the Government and its functionaries more accountable and responsible. However, it has faced resistance because of the entrenched bureaucratic culture and it is taking time to change the mindset of the people in the government to new realities in wake of the act. This has led to implementation issues and questions have also been raised against the effectiveness of the act in achieving its desired objectives. Apart from this, certain issues related to the information seeker have also been raised from time to time. In view of the innumerable challenges answer the following: (a) Explain the importance of a transparent government system in a democracy, like India. (b) Elaborate on the challenges that the implementation of RTI has faced, in the context of information seeker (demand-side) as well as those entrusted to give information (supply-side). (c) Discuss the role that such a legislation can be expected to play given the ground realities in our country. How can it be ensured that such legislations are effective in achieving their envisaged objectives?20 marks

The answers