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GS Paper 4 UPSC 2020 (Mains) – Question Paper and Analysis

Last updated on January 9, 2022 by ClearIAS Team

GS Paper 4 UPSC 2020 (Mains)

UPSC conducted the General Studies Paper 4 as part of the Civil Services Main Exam 2020 on 10-01-2021.

There were 12 questions split into two sections – A and B. Casestudies were included in Section B. Many questions had sub-sections.

Table of Contents

GS Paper 4 UPSC 2020 UPSC 2020 Instructions

  • Total Marks: 250 marks, Time duration: 3 hours.
  • There are 12 questions divided into two sections and printed both in ENGLISH and HINDI.
  • All questions are compulsory.
  • The number of marks carried by a question/part is printed against it.
  • Answers must be written in the medium authorized in the admission certificate which must be stated clearly on the cover of this question-cum-answer (QCA) booklet in the space provided.
  • No marks will be given for answers written in the medium other than the authorized one.
  • Keep the word limit indicated in the questions in mind.
  • Any page or portion of the page left blank, must be struck off clearly.

GS4 Question Paper Analysis

Most candidates usually expect the question ‘ What are the main factors responsible for gender inequality in India? Discuss the contribution of Savitribai Phule in this regard ‘ in GS Paper 1. But this is asked in GS Paper 4.

New Education Policy 2020 came up as a question in GS Paper 4, again signifying that there is no watertight compartmentalisation between GS1, GS2, GS3, and GS4 papers.

GS Paper 4 which deals with Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude is a dynamic paper – with multiple dimensions.

The first question started with the term ‘Comprehensive National Power (CNP)’. Despite the surprise the term may have created, it was quite answerable, as the question itself had explained the context of the term.

A conceptual question that gathered attention was about the difference between ‘laws’ and ‘rules’. Concepts like laws, rules, acts, regulations etc are discussed in the book “ Important Acts that Transformed India ” as appendices along with 100 must-know acts covering all papers.

The Covid or Lockdown became a theme in GS4 as well just like GS1 , GS2 , and GS3 .

Regarding case studies, most were connected to an ethical angle. However, it was not easy to satisfactorily answer case studies in a time-constraint exam-hall environment.

The paper really checked the quick-decision making skills and overall aptitude of the candidate for the job of a future civil servant.

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UPSC IAS Mains 2020 General Studies (Paper – 4)

  • Categories 2020
  • Published 17th Sep, 2022
  • Download PDF

UPSC IAS Mains 2020 “General Studies (GS Paper 4)” Exam Question Paper

Duration:  3 hours

Exam Date:  10-01-2021

Subject: Paper – V: General Studies – IV: Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude

QUESTION PAPER SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS

Please read each of the following instructions carefully before attempting questions: There are TWELVE questions divided into TWO SECTIONS and printed both in HINDI and in ENGLISH.

All questions are compulsory.

The number of marks carried by a question/part is indicated against it. Answers must be written in the medium authorized in the Admission Certificate which must be stated clearly on the cover of this Question-cum-Answer (QCA) Booklet in the space provided. No marks will be given for answers written in a medium other than the authorized one. Keep the word limit indicated in the questions in mind.

Any page or portion of the page left blank in the Question-cum-Answer Booklet must be clearly struck off.

SECTION ‘A’ 1. (a) Discuss the role of ethics and values in enhancing the following three major components of Comprehensive National Power (CNP) viz. human capital, soft power (culture and policies), and social harmony. (150 words) 1. (b) “Education is not an injunction, it is an effective and pervasive tool for all-round development of an individual and social transformation”. Examine the New Education Policy, 2020 (NEP, 2020) in light of the above statement. (150 words) 2. (a) ‘Hatred is destructive of a person’s wisdom and conscience that can poison a nation’s spirit.’ Do you agree with this view? Justify your answer. (150 words) 2. (b) What are the main components of emotional intelligence (EI)? Can they be learned? Discuss. (150 words) 3. (a) What teachings of Buddha are n Idha are most relevant today and why? Discuss. (150 words) 3. (b) “The will to power exists, but it can be tamed and be guided by rationality and principles of moral duty.’ Examine this statement in the context of international relations. (150 words) 4. (a) Distinguish between laws and rules. Discuss the role of ethics in formulating them. (150 words) 4. (b) A positive attitude is considered to be an essential characteristic of a civil servant who is often required to function under extreme stress. What contributes to a positive attitude in a person? (150 words) 5. (a) What are the main factors responsible for gender inequality in India? Discuss the contribution of Savitribai Phule in this regard. (150 words) 5. (b) “The current internet expansion has instilled a different set of cultural values which are often in conflict with traditional values.’ Discuss. (150 words) 6. (a) “Condemn none: if you can stretch out a helping hand, do so. If not, fold your hands, bless your brothers, and let them go their own way.” – Swami Vivekanand (150 words) 6. (b) “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi (150 words) 6. (c) “A system of morality which is based on relative emotional values is a mere illusion, a thoroughly vulgar conception which has nothing sound in it and nothing true.” – Socrates (150 words)

SECTION ‘B’ 7. Rajesh Kumar is a senior public servant, with a reputation of honesty and forthrightness, currently posted in the Finance Ministry as Head of the Budget Division. His department is presently busy in organising the budgetary support to the states, four of which are due to go to the polls within the financial year. This year’s annual budget had allotted ₹8300 crores for the National Housing Scheme (NHS), a centrally sponsored social housing scheme for the weaker sections of society. ₹775 crores have been drawn for NHS till June. The Ministry of Commerce had long been pursuing a case for setting up a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in a southern state to boost exports. After two years of detailed discussions between the centre and state, the Union Cabinet approved the project in August. Process was initiated to acquire the necessary land. Eighteen months ago a leading Public Sector Unit (PSU) had projected the need for setting up a large natural gas processing plant in a northern state for the regional gas grid. The required land is already in possession of the PSU. The gas grid is an essential component of the national energy security strategy. After three rounds of global bidding the project was allotted to an MNC, M/s XYZ Hydrocarbons. The first tranche of payment to the MNC is scheduled to be made in December Finance Ministry was asked for a timely allocation of an additional ₹6000 crores for these two developmental projects. It was decided to recommend re-appropriation of this entire amount from the NHS allocation. The file was forwarded to Budget Department for their comments and further processing. On studying the case file, Rajesh Kumar realized that this re-appropriation may cause inordinate delay in the execution of NHS, a project much publicized in the rallies of senior politicians. Correspondingly, non-availability of finances would cause financial loss in the SEZ and national embarrassment due to delayed payment in an international project. Rajesh Kumar discussed the matter with his seniors. He was con politically sensitive situation needs to be processed immediately. Rajesh Kumar realized that diversion of funds from NHS could raisé difficult questions for the government in the Parliament. Discuss the following with reference to this case : (a) Ethical issues involved in re-appropriation of funds from a welfare project to the developmental projects. (b) Given the need for proper utilization of public funds, discuss the options available to Rajesh Kumar. Is resigning a worthy option ? (250 words)

8. The Chairman of Bharat Missiles Ltd (BML) was watching a program on TV wherein the Prime Minister was addressing the nation on the necessity of developing a self-reliant India. He subconsciously nodded in agreement and smiled to himse as he mentally reviewed BML’s journey in the past two decades. BML had admirably progressed from producing first generation anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) to designing and producing state of the art ATGM weapon systems that would be the envy of any army. He sighed in reconciliation with his assumptions that the government would probably not alter the status quo of a ban on export of military weaponry. To his surprise, the very next day he got a telephone call from the Director General, Ministry of Defence, asking him to discuss the modalities of increasing BML production of ATGMs as there is a possibility of exporting the same to a friendly foreign country. The Director General wanted the Chairman to discuss the details with his staff at Delhi next week. Two days later, at a press conference, the Defence Minister stated that he aims to double the current weapons export levels within five years. This would give an impetus to financing the development and manufacture of indigenous weapons in the country. He also stated that all indigenous arms manufacturing nations have a very good record of international arms trade. As Chairman of BML, what are your views on the following points ? (a) As an arms exporter of a responsible nation like India, what are the ethical issues involved in arms trade ? (b) List five ethical factors that would influence the decision to sell arms to foreign governments. (250 words)

9. Rampura, a remote district inhabited by a tribal population, is marked by extreme backwardness and abject poverty. Agriculture is the mainstay of the local population, though it is primarily subsistence due to the very small land holdings. There is insignificant industrial or mining activity. Even the targeted welfare programs have inadequately benefited the tribal population. In this restrictive scenario, the youth has begun to migrate to other states to supplement the family income. Plight of minor girls is that their parents are persuaded by labour contractors to send them to work in the Bt Cotton farms of a nearby state. The soft fingers of the minor girls are well suited for plucking the cotton. The inadequate living and working conditions in these farms have caused serious health issues for the minor girls. NGOs in the districts of domicile and the cotton farms appear to be compromised and have not effectively espoused the twin issues of child labour and development of the area. You are appointed as the District Collector of Rampura. Identify the ethical issues involved. Which specific steps will you initiate to ameliorate the conditions of minor girls of your district and to improve the over-all economic scenario in the district ? (250 words)

10. You are a municipal commissioner of a large city, having the reputation of a very honest and upright officer. A huge multipurpose mall is under construction in your city in which a large number of daily wage earners are employed. One night, during monsoons, a big chunk of the roof collapsed causing instant death of four labourers cluding two minors. Many more were seriously injured requiring immediate medical attention. The mishap resulted in a big hue and cry, forcing the government to institute an enquiry. Your preliminary enquiry has revealed a series of anomalies. The material used for the construction was of poor quality. Despite the approved building plans permitting only one basement, an additional basement has been constructed. This was overlooked during the periodic inspections by the building inspecto municipal corporation. In your enquiry, you noticed that the construction of the mall was given the green signal despite encroaching on areas earmarked for a green belt and a slip road in the Zonal Master Plan of the city. The permission to construct the mall was accorded by the previous Municipal Commissioner who is not only your senior and well known to you professionally, but also a good friend. Prima facie, the case appears to be of a widespread nexus between officials of the Municipal Corporation and the builders. Your colleagues are putting pressure on you to go slow in the enquiry. The builder, who is rich and influential, happens to be a close relative of a powerful minister in the state cabinet. The builder is persuading you to hush up the matter, promising you a fortune to do so. He also hinted that if this matter is not resolved at the earliest in his favour there is somebody in his office who is waiting to file a case against you under the POSH Act.

Discuss the ethical issues involved in the case. What are the options available to you in this situation ? Explain your selected course of action. (250 words)

11. Parmal is a small but underdeveloped district. It has rocky terrain that is not suitable for agriculture, though some subsistence agriculture is being done on small plots of land. The area receives adequate rainfall and has an irrigation canal flowing through it. Amria, its administrative centre, is a medium sized town. It houses a large district hospital, an Industrial Training Institute and some privately owned skill training centres. It has all the facilities of a district headquarters. A trunk railway line passes approximately 50 kilometres from Amria. Its poor connectivity is a major reason for the absence of any major industry therein. The state government offers a 10 years tax holiday as an incentive to new industry. In 2010 Anil, an industrialist, decided to take benefits to set up Amria Plastic Works (APW) in Noora village, about 20 km from Amria. While the factory was being built, Anil hired the required key labour and got them trained at the skill training centres at Amria. This act of his made the key personnel very loyal to APW. APW started production in 2011 with the labour drawn fully from Noora village. The villagers were very happy to get employment near their homes and were motivated by the key personnel to meet the production targets with high quality. APW started making large profits, a sizeable portion of which was used to improve the quality of life in Noora. By 2016, Noora could boast of a greener village and a renovated village temple. Anil liaised with the local MLA to increase the frequency of the bus services to Amria. The government also opened a primary health care centre and primary school at Noora in buildings constructed by APW, APW used its CSR funds to set up women’s self-help groups, subsidize primary education to the village children and procure an ambulance for use by its employees and the needy. In 2019, there was a minor fire in APW. It was quickly extinguished as fire safety protocols were in place in the factory. Investigations revealed that the factory had been using electricity in excess of its authorized capacity. This was soon rectified The next year, due to a nationwide lockdown, the requirement of production fell for four months. Anil decided that all employees would be paid regularly. He employed them to plant trees and improve the village habitat. APW had developed a reputation of high quality production and a motivated workforce. Critically analyse the story of APW and state the ethical issues involved. Do you consider APW as a role model for development of backward areas ? Give reasons. (250 words)

12. Migrant workers have always remained at the socio-economic margins of our society, silently serving as the instrumental labour force of urban economics. The pandemic has brought them into national focus. On announcement of a countrywide lockdown, a very large number of migrant workers decided to move back from their places of employment to their native villages. The non-availability of transport created its own problems. Added to this was the fear of starvation and inconvenience to their families. This caused, the migrant workers to demand wages and transport facilities for returning to their villages. Their mental agony was accentuated by multiple factors such as a sudden loss of livelihood, possibility of lack of food and inability to assist in harvesting their rabi crop due to not being able to reach home in time. Reports of inadequate response of some districts in providing the essential boarding and lodging arrangements along the way multiplied their fears. You have learnt many lessons from this situation when you were tasked to oversee the functioning of the District Disaster Relief Force in your district. In your opinion what ethical issues arose in the current migrant crisis ? What do you understand by an ethical care giving state ? What assistance can the civil society render to mitigate the sufferings of migrants in similar situations ? (250 words)

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UPSC Mains 2020 GENERAL STUDIES PAPER 4 (ETHICS – GS4) – UPSC CIVIL SERVICES (CSE) MAINS EXAMINATION 2020

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  • January 12, 2021
  • Mains , UPSC

UPSC GS paper 4 questions

[UPSC Mains 2020] GENERAL STUDIES PAPER 4 (ETHICS – GS4) – UPSC CIVIL SERVICES (CSE) MAINS EXAMINATION 2020

1.(a) Discuss the role of ethics and values in enhancing the following three major components of Comprehensive National Power(CNP)viz. human capital, soft power(culture and policies), and social harmony. (150 words)

  • (b) “Education is not an injunction, it is an effective and pervasive tool for all-round development of an individual and social transformation”.Examine the New Education Policy,2020(NEP,2020)in light of the above statement. (150 words)
  • (a) ‘ Hatred is destructive of a person‘s wisdom and conscience that can poison a nation’s spirit. Do you agree with this view? Justify your answer. (150 words)
  • (b) What are the main components of emotional intelligence (EI) ? Can they be learned? discuss. (150 words)
  • (a) What teachings of Buddha are most relevant today and why? Discuss. (150 words)
  • (b) ‘The will to power exits, but it can be tamed and be guided by rationality and principles of moral duty.’ Examine this statement in the context of international relations. (150 words)
  • (a) Distinguish between laws and rules. Discuss the role of ethics in formulating them. (150 words).
  • (b) A positive attitude is considered to be an essential characteristic of a civil servant who is often required to function under extreme stress. What contributes a positive attitude in person.? (150 words).
  • (a) What are the main factors responsible for gender responsibility in India ? Discuss the contribution of Savitribai Phule in this regard. (150 words).
  • (b) The current internet expansion has instilled a different set of cultural values which are in conflict with traditional values. Discuss. (150 words).
  • What do each of the following quotations mean to you?
  • (a) ” Condemn none: if you can stretch out a helping hand do so. If not fold your hands, bless your brothers and let them go their own way.” – Swami Vivekanand (150 words).
  • (b) “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in service of others .” Mahatma Gandhi (150 words).
  • (c) ” A system of morality which is based on relative emotional values is a mere illusion, a thoroughly vulgar conception which has nothing sound in it and nothing true.” – Socrates. (150 words).

Read UPSC 2021 Mains Complete Questions

  • Rajesh Kumar is a senior public servant, with a reputation of honesty and forthrightness, currently posted in the Finance Ministry as the Head of the Budget Division. His department is presently busy in organizing the budgetary support to the states, four of which are due to the polls within the financial year.

This year’s annual budget had allotted Rs 8300 crores for the National Housing Scheme (NHS), a centrally sponsored social housing scheme for the weaker sections of society. Rs 775 crores have been drawn for NHS till June.

The Ministry of Commerce had long been pursuing a case for setting up a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in a southern state to boost exports. After two years of detailed discussion between the center and state, the Union Cabinet approved the project in August. The process was initiated to acquire the necessary land.

Eighteen months ago a leading Public Sector Unit (PSU) had projected the need for setting up a large natural gas processing plant in a northern state for the regional gas grid. The land is already in possession of the PSU. The gas grid is an essential component of the national energy security strategy. After three rounds of global bidding, the project was allotted to an MNC, M/s XYZ Hydrocarbons. The first tranche of payment to the MNC is scheduled to be made in December.

Finance Ministry was asked for a timely allocation of an additional Rs 6000 crores for these two developmental projects. It was decided to recommend re-appropriation of this entire amount from NHS allocation. The file was forwarded to the Budget Department for their comments and further processing. On studying the case file, Rajesh Kumar realized that this re-appropriation may cause an inordinate delay in the execution of NHS, a project much publicized in the rallies of senior politicians. Correspondingly, the non-availability of finances would cause a financial loss in the SEZ and national embarrassment due to delayed payment in the international project.

Rajesh Kumar discussed the matter with seniors. He was conveyed that this politically sensitive situation needs to be processed immediately. Rajesh Kumar realized that diversion of funds from the NHS could raise difficult questions for the government in the Parliament.

Discuss the following with reference to this case:

  • Ethical issues involved in re-appropriation of funds from a welfare project to the development projects.
  • Given the need for proper utilization of public funds, discuss the options available to Rajesh Kumar. Is resigning a worthy option? (250 words)
  • The Chairman of Bharat Missiles Ltd (BML) was watching a program on TV wherein the Prime Minister was addressing the nation on the necessity of developing a self-reliant India. He subconsciously nodded in agreement and smiled to himself as he mentally reviewed BML’s journey in the past two decades. BML had admirably progressed from producing first-generation anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) to designing and producing state of the art ATGM weapon systems that would be the envy of any army. He sighed in reconciliation with his assumptions that the government would probably not alter the status quo of a ban on the export of military weaponry.

To his surprise, the very next day he got a telephone call from the Director-General, Ministry of Defence, asking him to discuss the modalities of increasing BML production of ATGMs as there is a probability of exporting the same to a friendly country. The Director-General wanted the Chairman to discuss the details with his staff in Delhi next week.

Two days later, at a press conference, the Defence Minister stated that he aims to double the current weapons export levels within five years. This would give an impetus to financing the development and manufacturing of indigenous weapons in the country. He also stated that all indigenous arms manufacturing nations have a very good record of the international arms trade.

As the Chairman of BML, what are your views on the following points?

  • As an arms exporter of a responsible nation like India, what are the ethical issues involved in arms trade?
  • List five ethical factors that would influence the decision to sell arms to foreign governments. (250 words)
  • Rampura, a remote district inhabited by a tribal population, is marked by extreme backwardness and abject poverty. Agriculture is the mainstay of the local population, though it is subsistence due to the very small landholdings. There is insignificant industrial or mining activity. Even the targeted welfare programs have inadequately benefited the tribal population. In this restrictive scenario, the youth has begun to migrate to other states to supplement the family income. Plight of minor girls is that their parents are persuaded by labour contractors to send them to work in the Bt Cotton farms of a nearby state. The soft fingers of the minor girls are well suited for plucking the cotton. The inadequate living and working conditions in these farms have caused serious health issues for the minor girls. NGOs in the districts of domicile and the cotton farms appear to be compromised and have not effectively espoused the twin issues of child labour and development of the area.

You are appointed as the District Collector of Rampura. Identify the ethical issues involved. Which specific steps will you initiate to ameliorate the conditions of minor girls of your district and to improve the overall economic scenario in the district (250 words)

  • You are a municipal commissioner of a large city, having the reputation of a very honest and upright officer. A huge multipurpose mall is under construction in your city in which a large number of daily wage earners are employed. One night, during monsoons, a big chunk of the roof collapsed causing instant death of four labourers including two minors. Many more were seriously injured requiring immediate medical attention. The mishap resulted in a big hue and cry, forcing the government to institute an enquiry.

Your preliminary enquiry has revealed a series of anomalies. The material used for the construction was of poor quality. Despite the approved building plans permitting only one basement, an additional basement has been constructed. This was overlooked during the periodic inspections by the building inspector of the municipal corporation. In your enquiry, you noticed that the construction of the mall was given the green signal despite encroaching on areas earmarked for a green belt and a slip road in the Zonal Master Plan of the city. The permission to construct the mall was accorded by the previous Municipal Commissioner who is not only your senior and well known to you professionally, but also a good friend.

Prima facie, the case appears to be of a widespread nexus between officials of the Municipal Corporation and the builders. Your colleagues are putting pressure on you to go slow in the enquiry. The builder, who is rich and influential, happens to be a close relative of a powerful minister in the state cabinet. The builder is persuading you to hush up the matter, promising you a fortune to do so. He also hinted that if this matter is not resolved at the earliest in his favour there is somebody in his office who is waiting to file a case against you under the POSH act.

Discuss the ethical issues involved in the case. What are the options available to you in this situation? Explain your selected course of action. (250 words)

  • Parmal is a small but underdeveloped district. It has a rocky terrain that is not suitable for agriculture, though some subsistence agriculture is being done on small plots of land. The area receives adequate rainfall and has an irrigation canal flowing through it. Amria, its administrative centre, is a medium-sized town. It houses a large district hospital, an Industrial Training Institute and some privately owned skill training centres. It has all the facilities of a district headquarters. A trunk railway line passes approximately 50 kilometers from Amria. Its poor connectivity is a major reason for the absence of any major industry therein. The state government offers a 10 year tax holiday as an incentive to new industry.

In 2010 Anil, an industrialist decided to take benefits to set up Amria Plastic Works (APW) in Noora village, about 20km from Amria. While the factory was being built, Anil hired the required key labour and got them trained at the skill training centres at Amria. This act of his made the key personnel very loyal to APW.

APW started production in 2011 with the labour drawn fully from Noora village. The villagers were very happy to get employment near their homes and were motivated by the key personnel to meet the production targets with high quality. APW started making large profits, a sizeable portion of which was used to improve the quality of life in Noora. By 2016, Noora could boast of a greener village and a renovated village temple. Anil liaised with the local MLA to increase the frequency of the bus services to Amria. The government also opened a primary health care centre and primary school at Noora in buildings constructed by APW. APW used its CSR funds to set up women’s self-help groups, subsidize primary education to the village children and procure an ambulance for use by its employeed and the needy.

In 2019, there was a minor fire in APW. It was quickly extinguished as fire safety protocols were in place in the factory. Investigations revealed that the factory had been using electricity in excess of its authorized capacity. This was soon rectified. The next year, due to nationwide lockdown, the requirement of production fell for four months. Anil decided that all employees would be paid regularly. He employed them to plant trees and improve the village habitat.

APW had developed a reputation of high-quality production and a motivated workforce.

Critically analyse the story of APW and state the ethical issues involved. Do you consider APW as a role model for the development of backward areas? Give reasons. (250 words)

  • Migrant workers have always remained at the socio-economic margins of our society, silently serving as the instrumental labour force of urban economics. The pandemic has brought them into national focus.

On announcement of a countrywide lockdown, a very large number of migrant workers decided to move back from their places of employment to their native villages. The non-availability of transport created its own problems. Added to this was the fear of starvation and inconvenience to their families. This caused, the migrant workers to demand wages and transport facilities for returning to their villages. Their mental agony was accentuated by multiple factors such as a sudden loss of livelihood, possibility of lack of food and inability to assist in harvesting their rabi crop due to not being able to reach home in time. Reports of inadequate response of some districts in providing the essential boarding and lodging arrangements along the way multiplied their fears.

You have learnt many lessons from this situation when you were tasked to oversee the functioning of the District Disaster Relief Force in your district. In your opinion what ethical issues arose in the current migrant crisis? What do you understand by an ethical care giving state? What assistance can the civil society render to mitigate the sufferings of migrants in similar situations? (250 words)

GENERAL STUDIES PAPER 4

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UPSC GENERAL STUDIES PAPER 4 | Ethics| Civil Services MAINS Examination – 2020

Upsc civil services (main) exam 2020 | general studies paper 4 | ethics, integrity and aptitude.

There are Twelve Questions divided in 2 Sections. All Questions are compulsory.

Maximum marks 250 | Time allowed 3 hours

1. (a) Discuss the role of ethics and values in enhancing the following three major components of Comprehensive National Power(CNP) viz. human capital, soft power (culture and policies), and social harmony. (150 words) 10 Marks

1. (b) “Education is not an injunction, it is an effective and pervasive tool for all-round development of an individual and social transformation”.Examine the New Education Policy, 2020 (NEP,2020)in light of the above statement. (150 words)

2. (a) ‘Hatred is destructive of a person‘s wisdom and conscience that can poison a nation’s spirit.’ Do you agree with this view? Justify your answer. (150 words)

2. (b) What are the main components of emotional intelligence (EI) ? Can they be learned? discuss. (150 words)

3. (a) What teachings of Buddha are most relevant today and why? Discuss. (150 words)

3. (b) ‘The will to power exists, but it can be tamed and be guided by rationality and principles of moral duty.’ Examine this statement in the context of international relations. (150 words)

4. (a) Distinguish between laws and rules. Discuss the role of ethics in formulating them. (150 words).

4. (b) A positive attitude is considered to be an essential characteristic of a civil servant who is often required to function under extreme stress. What contributes a positive attitude in person.? (150 words).

5. (a) What are the main factors responsible for gender responsibility in India ? Discuss the contribution of Savitribai Phule in this regard. (150 words).

5. (b) The current internet expansion has instilled a different set of cultural values which are in conflict with traditional values. Discuss. (150 words).

6 . What do each of the following quotations mean to you?

6. (a) ” Condemn none: if you can stretch out a helping hand do so. If not fold your hands, bless your brothers and let them go their own way.” – Swami Vivekanand (150 words).

6. (b) “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in service of others .” Mahatma Gandhi (150 words).

6. (c) ” A system of morality which is based on relative emotional values is a mere illusion, a thoroughly vulgar conception which has nothing sound in it and nothing true.” – Socrates. (150 words).

7. Rajesh Kumar is a senior public servant, with a reputation of honesty and forthrightness, currently posted in the Finance Ministry as the Head of the Budget Division. His department is presently busy in organizing the budgetary support to the states, four of which are due to the polls within the financial year.

This year’s annual budget had allotted Rs 8300 crores for the National Housing Scheme (NHS), a centrally sponsored social housing scheme for the weaker sections of society. Rs 775 crores have been drawn for NHS till June.

The Ministry of Commerce had long been pursuing a case for setting up a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in a southern state to boost exports. After two years of detailed discussion between the center and state, the Union Cabinet approved the project in August. The process was initiated to acquire the necessary land.

Eighteen months ago a leading Public Sector Unit (PSU) had projected the need for setting up a large natural gas processing plant in a northern state for the regional gas grid. The land is already in possession of the PSU. The gas grid is an essential component of the national energy security strategy. After three rounds of global bidding, the project was allotted to an MNC, M/s XYZ Hydrocarbons. The first tranche of payment to the MNC is scheduled to be made in December.

Finance Ministry was asked for a timely allocation of an additional Rs 6000 crores for these two developmental projects. It was decided to recommend re-appropriation of this entire amount from NHS allocation. The file was forwarded to the Budget Department for their comments and further processing. On studying the case file, Rajesh Kumar realized that this re-appropriation may cause an inordinate delay in the execution of NHS, a project much publicized in the rallies of senior politicians. Correspondingly, the non-availability of finances would cause a financial loss in the SEZ and national embarrassment due to delayed payment in the international project.

Rajesh Kumar discussed the matter with seniors. He was conveyed that this politically sensitive situation needs to be processed immediately. Rajesh Kumar realized that diversion of funds from the NHS could raise difficult questions for the government in the Parliament.

Discuss the following with reference to this case:

Ethical issues involved in re-appropriation of funds from a welfare project to the development projects.

Given the need for proper utilization of public funds, discuss the options available to Rajesh Kumar. Is resigning a worthy option? (250 words)

8. The Chairman of Bharat Missiles Ltd (BML) was watching a program on TV wherein the Prime Minister was addressing the nation on the necessity of developing a self-reliant India. He subconsciously nodded in agreement and smiled to himself as he mentally reviewed BML’s journey in the past two decades. BML had admirably progressed from producing first-generation anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) to designing and producing state of the art ATGM weapon systems that would be the envy of any army. He sighed in reconciliation with his assumptions that the government would probably not alter the status quo of a ban on the export of military weaponry.

To his surprise, the very next day he got a telephone call from the Director-General, Ministry of Defence, asking him to discuss the modalities of increasing BML production of ATGMs as there is a probability of exporting the same to a friendly country. The Director-General wanted the Chairman to discuss the details with his staff in Delhi next week.

Two days later, at a press conference, the Defence Minister stated that he aims to double the current weapons export levels within five years. This would give an impetus to financing the development and manufacturing of indigenous weapons in the country. He also stated that all indigenous arms manufacturing nations have a very good record of the international arms trade.

As the Chairman of BML, what are your views on the following points?

As an arms exporter of a responsible nation like India, what are the ethical issues involved in arms trade?

List five ethical factors that would influence the decision to sell arms to foreign governments. (250 words)

9. Rampura, a remote district inhabited by a tribal population, is marked by extreme backwardness and abject poverty. Agriculture is the mainstay of the local population, though it is subsistence due to the very small landholdings. There is insignificant industrial or mining activity. Even the targeted welfare programs have inadequately benefited the tribal population. In this restrictive scenario, the youth has begun to migrate to other states to supplement the family income. Plight of minor girls is that their parents are persuaded by labour contractors to send them to work in the Bt Cotton farms of a nearby state. The soft fingers of the minor girls are well suited for plucking the cotton. The inadequate living and working conditions in these farms have caused serious health issues for the minor girls. NGOs in the districts of domicile and the cotton farms appear to be compromised and have not effectively espoused the twin issues of child labour and development of the area.

You are appointed as the District Collector of Rampura. Identify the ethical issues involved. Which specific steps will you initiate to ameliorate the conditions of minor girls of your district and to improve the overall economic scenario in the district (250 words)

10. You are a municipal commissioner of a large city, having the reputation of a very honest and upright officer. A huge multipurpose mall is under construction in your city in which a large number of daily wage earners are employed. One night, during monsoons, a big chunk of the roof collapsed causing instant death of four labourers including two minors. Many more were seriously injured requiring immediate medical attention. The mishap resulted in a big hue and cry, forcing the government to institute an enquiry.

Your preliminary enquiry has revealed a series of anomalies. The material used for the construction was of poor quality. Despite the approved building plans permitting only one basement, an additional basement has been constructed. This was overlooked during the periodic inspections by the building inspector of the municipal corporation. In your enquiry, you noticed that the construction of the mall was given the green signal despite encroaching on areas earmarked for a green belt and a slip road in the Zonal Master Plan of the city. The permission to construct the mall was accorded by the previous Municipal Commissioner who is not only your senior and well known to you professionally, but also a good friend.

Prima facie, the case appears to be of a widespread nexus between officials of the Municipal Corporation and the builders. Your colleagues are putting pressure on you to go slow in the enquiry. The builder, who is rich and influential, happens to be a close relative of a powerful minister in the state cabinet. The builder is persuading you to hush up the matter, promising you a fortune to do so. He also hinted that if this matter is not resolved at the earliest in his favour there is somebody in his office who is waiting to file a case against you under the POSH act.

Discuss the ethical issues involved in the case. What are the options available to you in this situation? Explain your selected course of action. (250 words)

11. Parmal is a small but underdeveloped district. It has a rocky terrain that is not suitable for agriculture, though some subsistence agriculture is being done on small plots of land. The area receives adequate rainfall and has an irrigation canal flowing through it. Amria, its administrative centre, is a medium-sized town. It houses a large district hospital, an Industrial Training Institute and some privately owned skill training centres. It has all the facilities of a district headquarters. A trunk railway line passes approximately 50 kilometers from Amria. Its poor connectivity is a major reason for the absence of any major industry therein. The state government offers a 10 year tax holiday as an incentive to new industry.

In 2010 Anil, an industrialist decided to take benefits to set up Amria Plastic Works (APW) in Noora village, about 20km from Amria. While the factory was being built, Anil hired the required key labour and got them trained at the skill training centres at Amria. This act of his made the key personnel very loyal to APW.

APW started production in 2011 with the labour drawn fully from Noora village. The villagers were very happy to get employment near their homes and were motivated by the key personnel to meet the production targets with high quality. APW started making large profits, a sizeable portion of which was used to improve the quality of life in Noora. By 2016, Noora could boast of a greener village and a renovated village temple. Anil liaised with the local MLA to increase the frequency of the bus services to Amria. The government also opened a primary health care centre and primary school at Noora in buildings constructed by APW. APW used its CSR funds to set up women’s self-help groups, subsidize primary education to the village children and procure an ambulance for use by its employeed and the needy.

In 2019, there was a minor fire in APW. It was quickly extinguished as fire safety protocols were in place in the factory. Investigations revealed that the factory had been using electricity in excess of its authorized capacity. This was soon rectified. The next year, due to nationwide lockdown, the requirement of production fell for four months. Anil decided that all employees would be paid regularly. He employed them to plant trees and improve the village habitat.

APW had developed a reputation of high-quality production and a motivated workforce.

Critically analyse the story of APW and state the ethical issues involved. Do you consider APW as a role model for the development of backward areas? Give reasons. (250 words)

12. Migrant workers have always remained at the socio-economic margins of our society, silently serving as the instrumental labour force of urban economics. The pandemic has brought them into national focus.

On announcement of a countrywide lockdown, a very large number of migrant workers decided to move back from their places of employment to their native villages. The non-availability of transport created its own problems. Added to this was the fear of starvation and inconvenience to their families. This caused, the migrant workers to demand wages and transport facilities for returning to their villages. Their mental agony was accentuated by multiple factors such as a sudden loss of livelihood, possibility of lack of food and inability to assist in harvesting their rabi crop due to not being able to reach home in time. Reports of inadequate response of some districts in providing the essential boarding and lodging arrangements along the way multiplied their fears.

You have learnt many lessons from this situation when you were tasked to oversee the functioning of the District Disaster Relief Force in your district. In your opinion what ethical issues arose in the current migrant crisis? What do you understand by an ethical care giving state? What assistance can the civil society render to mitigate the sufferings of migrants in similar situations? (250 words)

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ethics paper 4 2020

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UPSC Mains Essay Paper-2020: Click here

UPSC Mains GS Paper 1-2020 Question Paper: Click here

UPSC Mains GS Paper 2-2020 Question Paper: Click here

UPSC Mains GS Paper 3-2020 Question Paper: Click here

UPSC Mains GS Paper 4-2020 was held on 10th January, 2021. GS Paper 4 covers Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude. There are 12 questions for a total of 250 marks. The paper is counted for merit ranking. All the questions are compulsory.

1.(a) Discuss the role of ethics and values in enhancing the following three major components of Comprehensive National Power(CNP)viz. human capital, soft power(culture and policies), and social harmony. (150 words)

1. (b) “Education is not an injunction, it is an effective and pervasive tool for all-round development of an individual and social transformation”.Examine the New Education Policy,2020(NEP,2020)in light of the above statement. (150 words)

2. (a) ‘ Hatred is destructive of a person‘s wisdom and conscience that can poison a nation’s spirit. Do you agree with this view? Justify your answer. (150 words)

2. (b) What are the main components of emotional intelligence (EI) ? Can they be learned? discuss. (150 words)

3. (a) What teachings of Buddha are most relevant today and why? Discuss. (150 words)

3. (b) ‘The will to power exits, but it can be tamed and be guided by rationality and principles of moral duty.’ Examine this statement in the context of international relations. (150 words)

4. (a) Distinguish between laws and rules. Discuss the role of ethics in formulating them. (150 words).

4. (b) A positive attitude is considered to be an essential characteristic of a civil servant who is often required to function under extreme stress. What contributes a positive attitude in person.? (150 words).

5. (a) What are the main factors responsible for gender responsibility in India ? Discuss the contribution of Savitribai Phule in this regard. (150 words).

5. (b) The current internet expansion has instilled a different set of cultural values which are in conflict with traditional values. Discuss. (150 words).

6. What do each of the following quotations mean to you?

6. (a) ” Condemn none: if you can stretch out a helping hand do so. If not fold your hands, bless your brothers and let them go their own way.” – Swami Vivekanand (150 words).

6. (b) “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in service of others .” Mahatma Gandhi (150 words).

6. (c) ” A system of morality which is based on relative emotional values is a mere illusion, a thoroughly vulgar conception which has nothing sound in it and nothing true.” – Socrates. (150 words).

7.  Rajesh Kumar is a senior public servant, with a reputation of honesty and forthrightness, currently posted in the Finance Ministry as the Head of the Budget Division. His department is presently busy in organizing the budgetary support to the states, four of which are due to the polls within the financial year.

This year’s annual budget had allotted Rs 8300 crores for the National Housing Scheme (NHS), a centrally sponsored social housing scheme for the weaker sections of society. Rs 775 crores have been drawn for NHS till June.

The Ministry of Commerce had long been pursuing a case for setting up a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in a southern state to boost exports. After two years of detailed discussion between the center and state, the Union Cabinet approved the project in August. The process was initiated to acquire the necessary land.

Eighteen months ago a leading Public Sector Unit (PSU) had projected the need for setting up a large natural gas processing plant in a northern state for the regional gas grid. The land is already in possession of the PSU. The gas grid is an essential component of the national energy security strategy. After three rounds of global bidding, the project was allotted to an MNC, M/s XYZ Hydrocarbons. The first tranche of payment to the MNC is scheduled to be made in December.

Finance Ministry was asked for a timely allocation of an additional Rs 6000 crores for these two developmental projects. It was decided to recommend re-appropriation of this entire amount from NHS allocation. The file was forwarded to the Budget Department for their comments and further processing. On studying the case file, Rajesh Kumar realized that this re-appropriation may cause an inordinate delay in the execution of NHS, a project much publicized in the rallies of senior politicians. Correspondingly, the non-availability of finances would cause a financial loss in the SEZ and national embarrassment due to delayed payment in the international project.

Rajesh Kumar discussed the matter with seniors. He was conveyed that this politically sensitive situation needs to be processed immediately. Rajesh Kumar realized that diversion of funds from the NHS could raise difficult questions for the government in the Parliament.

Discuss the following with reference to this case:

  • Ethical issues involved in re-appropriation of funds from a welfare project to the development projects.
  • Given the need for proper utilization of public funds, discuss the options available to Rajesh Kumar. Is resigning a worthy option? (250 words)

8.  The Chairman of Bharat Missiles Ltd (BML) was watching a program on TV wherein the Prime Minister was addressing the nation on the necessity of developing a self-reliant India. He subconsciously nodded in agreement and smiled to himself as he mentally reviewed BML’s journey in the past two decades. BML had admirably progressed from producing first-generation anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) to designing and producing state of the art ATGM weapon systems that would be the envy of any army. He sighed in reconciliation with his assumptions that the government would probably not alter the status quo of a ban on the export of military weaponry.

To his surprise, the very next day he got a telephone call from the Director-General, Ministry of Defence, asking him to discuss the modalities of increasing BML production of ATGMs as there is a probability of exporting the same to a friendly country. The Director-General wanted the Chairman to discuss the details with his staff in Delhi next week.

Two days later, at a press conference, the Defence Minister stated that he aims to double the current weapons export levels within five years. This would give an impetus to financing the development and manufacturing of indigenous weapons in the country. He also stated that all indigenous arms manufacturing nations have a very good record of the international arms trade.

As the Chairman of BML, what are your views on the following points?

  • As an arms exporter of a responsible nation like India, what are the ethical issues involved in arms trade?
  • List five ethical factors that would influence the decision to sell arms to foreign governments. (250 words)

9.  Rampura, a remote district inhabited by a tribal population, is marked by extreme backwardness and abject poverty. Agriculture is the mainstay of the local population, though it is subsistence due to the very small landholdings. There is insignificant industrial or mining activity. Even the targeted welfare programs have inadequately benefited the tribal population. In this restrictive scenario, the youth has begun to migrate to other states to supplement the family income. Plight of minor girls is that their parents are persuaded by labour contractors to send them to work in the Bt Cotton farms of a nearby state. The soft fingers of the minor girls are well suited for plucking the cotton. The inadequate living and working conditions in these farms have caused serious health issues for the minor girls. NGOs in the districts of domicile and the cotton farms appear to be compromised and have not effectively espoused the twin issues of child labour and development of the area.

You are appointed as the District Collector of Rampura. Identify the ethical issues involved. Which specific steps will you initiate to ameliorate the conditions of minor girls of your district and to improve the overall economic scenario in the district (250 words)

10.  You are a municipal commissioner of a large city, having the reputation of a very honest and upright officer. A huge multipurpose mall is under construction in your city in which a large number of daily wage earners are employed. One night, during monsoons, a big chunk of the roof collapsed causing instant death of four labourers including two minors. Many more were seriously injured requiring immediate medical attention. The mishap resulted in a big hue and cry, forcing the government to institute an enquiry.

Your preliminary enquiry has revealed a series of anomalies. The material used for the construction was of poor quality. Despite the approved building plans permitting only one basement, an additional basement has been constructed. This was overlooked during the periodic inspections by the building inspector of the municipal corporation. In your enquiry, you noticed that the construction of the mall was given the green signal despite encroaching on areas earmarked for a green belt and a slip road in the Zonal Master Plan of the city. The permission to construct the mall was accorded by the previous Municipal Commissioner who is not only your senior and well known to you professionally, but also a good friend.

Prima facie, the case appears to be of a widespread nexus between officials of the Municipal Corporation and the builders. Your colleagues are putting pressure on you to go slow in the enquiry. The builder, who is rich and influential, happens to be a close relative of a powerful minister in the state cabinet. The builder is persuading you to hush up the matter, promising you a fortune to do so. He also hinted that if this matter is not resolved at the earliest in his favour there is somebody in his office who is waiting to file a case against you under the POSH act.

Discuss the ethical issues involved in the case. What are the options available to you in this situation? Explain your selected course of action. (250 words)

11.  Parmal is a small but underdeveloped district. It has a rocky terrain that is not suitable for agriculture, though some subsistence agriculture is being done on small plots of land. The area receives adequate rainfall and has an irrigation canal flowing through it. Amria, its administrative centre, is a medium-sized town. It houses a large district hospital, an Industrial Training Institute and some privately owned skill training centres. It has all the facilities of a district headquarters. A trunk railway line passes approximately 50 kilometers from Amria. Its poor connectivity is a major reason for the absence of any major industry therein. The state government offers a 10 year tax holiday as an incentive to new industry.

In 2010 Anil, an industrialist decided to take benefits to set up Amria Plastic Works (APW) in Noora village, about 20km from Amria. While the factory was being built, Anil hired the required key labour and got them trained at the skill training centres at Amria. This act of his made the key personnel very loyal to APW.

APW started production in 2011 with the labour drawn fully from Noora village. The villagers were very happy to get employment near their homes and were motivated by the key personnel to meet the production targets with high quality. APW started making large profits, a sizeable portion of which was used to improve the quality of life in Noora. By 2016, Noora could boast of a greener village and a renovated village temple. Anil liaised with the local MLA to increase the frequency of the bus services to Amria. The government also opened a primary health care centre and primary school at Noora in buildings constructed by APW. APW used its CSR funds to set up women’s self-help groups, subsidize primary education to the village children and procure an ambulance for use by its employeed and the needy.

In 2019, there was a minor fire in APW. It was quickly extinguished as fire safety protocols were in place in the factory. Investigations revealed that the factory had been using electricity in excess of its authorized capacity. This was soon rectified. The next year, due to nationwide lockdown, the requirement of production fell for four months. Anil decided that all employees would be paid regularly. He employed them to plant trees and improve the village habitat.

APW had developed a reputation of high-quality production and a motivated workforce.

Critically analyse the story of APW and state the ethical issues involved. Do you consider APW as a role model for the development of backward areas? Give reasons. (250 words)

12.  Migrant workers have always remained at the socio-economic margins of our society, silently serving as the instrumental labour force of urban economics. The pandemic has brought them into national focus.

On announcement of a countrywide lockdown, a very large number of migrant workers decided to move back from their places of employment to their native villages. The non-availability of transport created its own problems. Added to this was the fear of starvation and inconvenience to their families. This caused, the migrant workers to demand wages and transport facilities for returning to their villages. Their mental agony was accentuated by multiple factors such as a sudden loss of livelihood, possibility of lack of food and inability to assist in harvesting their rabi crop due to not being able to reach home in time. Reports of inadequate response of some districts in providing the essential boarding and lodging arrangements along the way multiplied their fears.

You have learnt many lessons from this situation when you were tasked to oversee the functioning of the District Disaster Relief Force in your district. In your opinion what ethical issues arose in the current migrant crisis? What do you understand by an ethical care giving state? What assistance can the civil society render to mitigate the sufferings of migrants in similar situations? (250 words)

You can download the previous years’  UPSC Previous Year Question Papers  in the linked article.

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Ethics paper is one of the most important yet the most neglected paper in UPSC mains preparation. Your name in the final list depends a lot on how you perform in Ethics paper.

Watch Sukanya ma’am give you a detailed analysis of the Mains 2020 Ethics paper and suggest a strategy for 2021.

Sukanya ma’am has also explained the changing trend and discussed the strategy for UPSC Mains 2021.

Click here for a detailed questions-wise analysis of UPSC Mains 2020 GS paper 1

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ethics paper 4 2020

✍☯️UPSC IAS/IPS-2020 General Studies Mains Paper-4 (GSM4) Ethics, Integrity, Aptitude conducted on Jan-10-2021

☯️section-a: theory, section-b: case studies, case study 07:, case study 08:, case study 09:, case study 10:, case study 11:, case study 12:.

  • 1 (a) Discuss the role of ethics and values in enhancing the following three major components of Comprehensive National Power (CNP) viz. Human capital, soft power (culture and policies) and social harmony. (150 words) (10 marks) (व्यापक राष्ट्रीय शक्ति (सी.एन.पी.) के तीन मुख्या घटकों जैसे मानवीय पूँजी, मृदु शक्ति (संस्कृति और नीतियां) तथा सामाजिक सद् भाव की अभिवृद्धि में नीति-शास्त्र और मूल्यों की भूमिका का विवेचन कीजिए। (150 शब्द))
  • 1 (b) “Education is not an injunction, it is an effective and pervasive tool for all round development of an individual and social transformation.” Examine the New Education Policy, 2020 (NEP, 2020) in light of the above statement. (150 words) (10 marks) (“शिक्षा एक निषेधाज्ञा नहीं हैं, यह व्यक्ति के समग्र विकास और सामाजिक बदलाव के लिए एक प्रभावी और व्यापक साधन है.” उपरोक्त कथन के आलोक में नई शिक्षा निति, २०२० (एन.इ.पी., 2020) का परिक्षण कीजिए। (150 शब्द))
  • 2 (a) ‘Hatred is destructive of a person’s wisdom and conscience that can poison a nation’s spirit.’ Do you agree with this view? Justify your answer. (150 words) (10 marks) (‘धृणा व्यक्ति की बुद्धिमत्ता और अन्त:करण के लिए संहारक है जो राष्ट्र के चित्त को विषात्क कर सकती है.’ क्या आप इस विचार से सहमत है? अपने उत्तर की तर्कसंगत व्याख्या करें. (150 शब्द))
  • 2 (b) What are the main components of emotional intelligence (EI)? Can they be learned? Discuss. (150 words) (10 marks) (संवेगात्मक बुद्धि के मुख्या घटक क्या हैं? क्या उन्हें सीखा जा सकता है? विवेचना कीजिए. (150 शब्द))
  • 3 (a) What teachings of Buddha are most relevant today and why? Discuss. (150 words) (10 marks) (बुद्ध की कौन सी शिक्षाऐं आज सर्वाधिक प्रासंगिक हैं और क्यों?  विवेचना कीजिए. (150 शब्द))
  • 3 (b) ‘The will to power exists, but it can be tamed and be guided by rationality and principles of moral duty.’ Examine this statement in the context of international relations. (150 words) (10 marks) (‘शक्ति की इच्छा विध्यमान है, लेकिन विवेकशीलता और नैतिक कर्तव्य के सिद्धांतों से उसे साधित और निर्देशित किया जा सकता है.’ अंतर्राष्ट्रीय सम्बन्धों के सन्दर्भ में इस कथन का परिक्षण कीजिए. (150 शब्द))
  • 4 (a) Distinguish between laws and rules. Discuss the role of ethics in formulating them. (150 words) (10 marks) (विधि और नियम के बीच विभेदन कीजिए. इनके सूत्रीकरण में निति-शाश्त्र की भूमिका का विवेचन कीजिए.  (150 शब्द))
  • 4 (b) A positive attitude is considered to be an essential characteristic of a civil servant who is often required to function under extreme stress. What contributes to a positive attitude in a person? (150 words) (10 marks) (सकारत्मक अभिवृति एक लोक सेवक की अनिवार्य विशेषता मानी जाती है जिसे प्रायः नितान्त दबाव में कार्य करना पड़ता है. एक व्यक्ति की सकारात्मक अभिवृति में क्या योगदान देता है? (150 शब्द))
  • 5 (a) What are the main factors responsible for gender inequality in India? Discuss the contribution of Savitribai Phule in this regard. (150 words) (10 marks) (भारत में लैंगिक असमानता के लिए कौन से मुख्या कारक उत्तरदायी है? इस संदर्भ में सावित्रिभाई फुले के योगदान का विवेचन कीजिए.  (150 शब्द))
  • 5 (b) ‘The current internet expansion has instilled a different set of cultural values which are often in conflict with traditional values.’ Discuss. (150 words) (10 marks) (‘सामयिक इंटरनेट विस्तारण ने सांस्कृतिक मूल्यों के एक भिन्न समूह को मनासीन किया है,  प्रायः परम्परागत मूल्यों से संघर्षशील रहते हैं.’ विवेचना कीजिए.  (150 शब्द))
  • 6 What do each of the following quotations mean to you? (निम्नलिखित में से प्रत्येक उध्दरण का आपके विचार से क्या अभिप्राय है?)
  • 6 (a) “Condemn none: If you can stretch out a helping hand, do so. If not, fold your hands, bless your brothers, and let them go their own way.”- Swami Vivekanand (150 words) (10 marks) (“किसी की भत्सर्ना नहीं कीजिए : अगर आप मदद का हाथ आगे बढ़ा सकते हैं , तो ऐसा कीजिए. यदि नहीं तो आप हाथ जोड़िए, अपने बंधुओं को आशीर्वचन दीजिए और उन्हें अपने मार्ग पर जाने दीजिए.” – स्वामी विवेकानंद  (150 शब्द))
  • 6 (b) “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others”.- Mahatma Gandhi (150 words) (10 marks) (“स्वयं को खोजने का सर्वोत्तम मार्ग यह है की अपने आप को अन्य की सेवा में को दें.” – महात्मा गाँधी  (150 शब्द))
  • 6 (c) “A system of morality which is based on relative emotional values is a mere illusion, a thoroughly vulgar conception which has nothing sound in it and nothing true.”- Socrates (150 words) (10 marks) (“नैतिकता की एक व्यवस्था जो सापेक्ष भावनात्मक मूल्यों पर आधारित है केवल एक भ्रांति है, एक अत्यंत अशिष्ट अवधारण जिसमे कुछ भी युक्तिसंगत नहीं है और न ही सत्य.” – सुकरात   (150 शब्द))

Rajesh Kumar is a senior public servant, with a reputation of honesty and forthrightness, currently posted in the Finance Ministry as Head of the Budget Division. His department is presently busy in organising the budgetary support to the states, four of which are due to go to the polls within the financial year.

This year’s annual budget had allotted Rs. 8300 crores for National Housing Scheme (NHS), a centrally sponsored social housing scheme for the weaker sections of society. Rs. 775 crores have been drawn for NHS till June.

The Ministry of Commerce had long been pursuing a case for setting up a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in a southern state to boost exports. After two years of detailed discussions between the centre and state, the Union Cabinet approved the project in August. Process was initiated to acquire the necessary and.

Eighteen months ago a leading Public Sector Unit (PSU) had projected the need for setting up a large natural gas processing plant in a northern state for the regional gas grid. The required land is already in possession of the PSU. THe gas grid is an essential component of the national energy security strategy. After three rounds of globa bidding the project was allotted to an MNC, M/s XYZ Hydrocarbons. The first tranche of payment to the MNC is scheduled to be made in December.

Finance Ministry was asked for a timely allocation of an additional Rs. 6000 crores for these two developmental projects. It was decided to recommend re-appropriation of this entire amount from the NHS allocation. The file was forwarded to Budget Department for their comments and further processing. On studying the case file, Rajesh Kumar realized that this re-appropriation may cause inordinate delay in the execution of NHS, a project much publicized in the rallies of senior politicians. Correspondingly, non-availability of finances would cause financial loss in the SEZ and national embarrassment due to delayed payment in an international project.

Rajesh  Kumar discussed the matter with his seniors. He was conveyed that this politically sensitive situation needs to be processed immediately. Rajesh Kumar realized that diversion of funds from NHS could raise difficult questions for the government in the Parliament.

Discuss the following with reference to this case:

  • Ethical issues involved in re-appropriation of funds from a welfare project to the developmental projects.
  • Given the need for proper utilization of public funds, discuss the options available to Rajesh Kumar. Is resigning a worthy option? (250 words) (20 marks)

The Chairman of Bharat Missiles Ltd (BML) was watching a program on TV wherein the Prime Minister was addressing the nation on the necessity of developing a self-reliant India. He subconsciously nodded in agreement and smiled to himself as he mentally reviewed BML’s journey in the past two decades. BML had admirably progressed from producing first generation anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) to designing and producing state of the art ATGM weapon systems that would be the envy of any army. He sighed in reconciliation with his assumptions that the government would probably not alter the status quo of a ban on export of military weaponry.

To his surprise, the very next day he got a telephone call from the Director General, Ministry of Defence, asking him to discuss the modalities of increasing BML production of ATGMs as there is a possibility of exporting the same to a friendly foreign country. The Director General wanted the Chairman to discuss the details with his staff at Delhi next week.

Two days later, at a press conference, the Defence Minister stated that he aims to double the current weapons export levels within five years .This would give an impetus to financing the development and manufacture of indigenous weapons in the country. He also stated that all indigenous arms manufacturing nations have a very good record of international arms trade.

As Chairman of BML, what are your views on the following points?

  • As an arms exporter of a responsible nation like India, what are the ethical issues involved in arms trade?
  • List five ethical factors that would influence the decision to sell arms to foreign governments. (250 words) (20 marks)

Rampura, a remote district inhabited by a tribal population, is marked by extreme backwardness and abject poverty. Agriculture is the mainstay of the local population, though it is primarily subsistence due to the very small land holdings. There is insignificant industrial or mining activity. Even the targeted welfare programs have inadequately benefited the tribal population. In this restrictive scenario, the youth has begun to migrate to other states to supplement the family income. Plight of minor girls is that their parents are persuaded by labour contractors to send them to work in the Bt Cotton farms of a nearby state. The soft fingers of the minor girls are well suited for plucking the cotton. The inadequate living and working conditions in these farms have caused serious health issued for the minor girls. NGOs in the districts of domicile and the cotton farms appear to be compromised and have not effectively espoused the twin issues of child labour and development of the area.

You are appointed as the District Collector of Rampura. Identify the ethical issues involved. Which specific steps will you initiate to ameliorate the conditions of minor girls of your district and to improve the over-all economic scenario in the district? (250 words) (20 marks)

You are a municipal commissioner of a large city, having the reputation of a very honest and upright officer. A huge multipurpose mall is under construction in your city in which a large number of daily wage earners are employed. One night, during monsoons, a big chunk of the roof collapsed causing instant death of four labourers including two minors. Many more were seriously injured requiring immediate medical attention. The mishap resulted in a big hue and cry, forcing the government to institute an enquiry.

Your preliminary enquiry has revealed a series of anomalies. The material used for the construction was of poor quality. Despite the approved building plans permitting only one basement, an addition basement has been constructed. This was overlooked during the periodic inspections by the building inspector of the municipal corporation. In your enquiry, you noticed that the construction of the mall was given the green signal despite encroaching on areas earmarked for a green belt and a slip road in the Zonal Master Plan of the city. The permission to construct the mall was accorded by the previous Municipal Commissioner who is not only your senior and well known to you professionally, but also a good friend.

Prima facie, the case appears to be of a widespread nexus between the officials of the Municipal Corporation and the builders. Your colleagues are putting pressure on you to go slow in the enquiry. The builder, who is rich and influential, happens to be close relative of a powerful minister in the state cabinet. The builder is persuading you to hush up the matter, promising you a fortune to do so. He also hinted that if this matter is not resolved at the earliest in his favour there is somebody in his office who is waiting to file a case against you under the POSH Act.

Discuss the ethical issues involved in the case. What are the options available to you in this situation? Explain your selected course of action. (250 words) (20 marks)

Parmal is a small but underdeveloped district. It has rocky terrain that is not suitable for agriculture, though some subsistence agriculture is being done on small plots of land. The are receives adequate rainfall and has an irrigation canal flowing through it. Amria, its administrative centre, is a medium sized town. It houses a large district hospital, an Industrial Training Institute and some privately owned skill training centres. It has all the facilities of a district headquarters. A trunk railway line passes approximately 50 kilometers from Amria. Its poor connectivity is a major reason for the absence of any major industry therein. The state government offers a 10 years tax holiday as an incentive to new industry.

In 2010 Anil, an industrialist, decided to take benefits to set up Amria Plastic Works (APW) in Noora, village, about 20 km from Amria. While the factory was being built, Anil hired the required key labour and got them trained at the skill training centres at Amria. This act of his made the key personnel very loyal to APW.

APW started production in 2011 with the labour drawn fully from Noora village. The villagers were very happy to get employment near their homes and were motivated by the key personnel to meet the production targets with high quality. APW started making large profits, a sizeable portion of which was used to improve the quality of life in Noora. By 2016, Noora could boast of a greener village and a renovated village temple. Anil liaised with the local MLA to increase the frequency of the bus services to Amria. The government also opened a primary health care centre and primary school at Noora in buildings constructed by APW. APW used its CSR funds to set up women’s self-help groups, subsidize primary education to the village children and procure an ambulance for use by its employees and the needy.

In 2019, there was a minor fire in APW. It was quickly extinguished as fire safety protocols were in place in the factory. Investigations revealed that the factory had been using electricity in excess of its authorized capacity. This was soon rectified. The next year, due to a nationwide lockdown, the requirement of production fell for four months. Anil decided that all employees would be paid regularly. He employed them to plant trees and improve the village habitat.

APW had developed a reputation of high quality production and a motivated workforce.

Critically analyse the story of APW and state the ethical issues involved. Do you consider APW as a role model for development of backward areas? Give reasons. (250 words) (20 marks)

Migrant workers have always remained at the socio-economic margins of our society, silently serving as the instrumental labour force of urban economics. The pandemic has brought them into national focus.

On announcement of a countrywide lockdown, a very large number of migrant workers decided to move back from their places of employment to their native villages. The non-availability of transport created its own problems. Added to this was the fear of starvation and inconvenience to their families. This caused, the migrant workers to demand wages and transport facilities for returning to their villages .Their mental agony was accentuated by multiple factors such as sudden loss of livelihood, possibility of lack of food and inability to assist in harvesting their rabi crop due to not being able to reach home in time. Reports of inadequate response of some districts in providing the essential boarding and lodging arrangements along the way multiplied their fears.

You have learnt many lessons from this situation when you were tasked to oversee the functioning of the District Disaster Relief Force in your district. In your opinion what ethical issues arose in the current migrant crisis? What do you understand by an ethical caregiving state? What assistance can the civil society render to mitigate the sufferings of migrants in similar situations? (250 words) (20 marks)

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thanks you Very much for your guidance.

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Recpected sir, sir ji aap ek din ke liye bhai mains answer writing class start kar digiye please help me sir ji

Sir ji Last four year uppcs pre. And mains ke g.s. ke question paper avalable kara dijeye .

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Ethics Previous Year Questions for UPSC Mains

Ethics is a major part of General Studies 4 of the Civil Services Examination (CSE.) This article will provide you with a set of Ethics previous year questions that have been asked in the Mains GS IV of the IAS Exam , from the year 2013-2020.

It is advisable for the candidates to go through previous years ethics questions and answers UPSC to get knowledge of the nature of the questions asked in the examination. Candidates can get other subject-wise/topic-wise GS 4 questions from the links provided in the table below:

For details of UPSC Mains , check the linked article.

GS 4 Ethics Questions (Year-Wise)

We have segregated the ethics questions from the GS 4 papers of 2019-2013. There are two sets:

  • Theoretical Questions
  • Case Studies.

Candidates can find both the sets under each year one after another. Ethics forms a major chunk in GS 4 where both theoretical and case studies-bound questions revolve around this topic. You can get a complete trend analysis of general studies 4 in our GS Paper 4 Strategy, Structure and Syllabus page.

Ethics Questions – 2020

  • Discuss the role of ethics and values in enhancing the following three major components of Comprehensive National Power (CNP) viz. human capital, soft power (culture and policies) and social harmony.
  • Distinguish between laws and rules. Discuss the role of ethics in formulating them.

Rajesh Kumar discussed the matter with his seniors. He was conveyed that this politically sensitive situation needs to be processed immediately. Rajesh Kumar realized that diversion of funds. from NHS could raise difficult questions for the government in the Parliament.

Discuss the following with reference to this case:

  • Ethical issues involved in re-appropriation of funds from a welfare project to the developmental projects.
  • Given the need for proper utilization of public funds, discuss the options available to Rajesh Kumar. Is resigning a worthy option?
  • As an arms exporter of a responsible nation like India, what are the ethical issues involved in the arms trade?
  • List five ethical factors that would influence the decision to sell arms to foreign governments.
  • Rampura, a remote district inhabited by a tribal population, is marked by extreme backwardness and abject poverty. Agriculture is the mainstay of the local population, though it is primarily subsistence due to the very small landholdings. There is an insignificant industrial or mining activity. Even the targeted welfare programs have inadequately benefited the tribal population. In this restrictive scenario, the youth has begun to migrate to other states to supplement the family income. The plight of minor girls is that their parents are persuaded by labour contractors to send them to work in the Bt Cotton farms of a nearby state. The soft fingers of the minor girls are well suited for plucking the cotton. The inadequate living and working conditions in these farms have caused serious health issues for the minor girls. NGOs in the districts of domicile and the cotton farms appear to be compromised and have not effectively espoused the twin issues of child labour and development of the area. You are appointed as the District Collector of Rampura. Identify the ethical issues involved. Which specific steps will you initiate to ameliorate the conditions of minor girls of your district and to improve the overall economic scenario in the district?

Candidates can find the remaining case study questions based on ethics from the UPSC Mains GS IV Paper PDF given in the linked article.

Ethics Questions – 2019

  • What is meant by the term ‘constitutional morality’? How does one uphold constitutional morality?
  • Identify the ethical issues involved in this case.
  • What options are available to the woman employee?

Ethics Questions – 2018

  • What is meant by conflict of interest? Illustrate with examples, the difference between the actual and potential conflicts of interest.
  • Suppose the Government of India is thinking of constructing a dam in a mountain valley bond by forests and inhabited by ethnic communities. What rational policy should it resort to in dealing with unforeseen contingencies
  • Faced with this situation, what will you do?
  • Critically examine various conflicts of interest and explain what your responsibilities are as a public servant.
  • Do you agree that Snowden’s actions were ethically justified even if legally prohibited? Why or why not?
  • Make an argument by weighing the competing values in this case

Ethics Questions – 2017

  • One of the tests of integrity is complete refusal to be compromised. Explain with reference to a real life example.
  • Corporate social responsibility makes companies more profitable and sustainable. Analyse.
  • The crisis of ethical values in modern times is traced to a narrow perception of the good life. Discuss
  • You are aspiring to become an IAS officer and you have cleared various stages and now you have been selected for the personal interview. On the day of the interview, on the way to the venue, you saw an accident where a mother and child who happen to be your relatives were badly injured. They needed immediate help. What would you have done in such a situation? Justify your action.
  • What are the dilemmas you face?
  • What will be your response to the situation?

Ethics Questions – 2016

  • Explain how ethics contributes to social and human well-being.
  • Analyse John Rawls’s concept of social justice in the Indian Context.
  • Discuss how they achieve this objective.
  • Giving examples, show how the two differ in their approaches.
  • Discuss how it leads to negative emotions and undesirable behaviors.
  • How can it be managed and controlled?
  • What arguments can you advance to show her that keeping quiet is not morally right?
  • What course of action would you advise her to adopt and why?
  • Just ignore thinking about it because it is their personal matter.
  • Report the case to the appropriate authority.
  • Your own innovative approach towards the situation.
  • Identify the issues involved in the case.
  • What can be suggested to satisfy the company’s goal and to address the residents’ concerns?

Ethics Questions – 2015

  • What is meant by ‘environmental ethics’? Why is it important to study? Discuss any one environmental issue from the viewpoint of environmental ethics.
  • Law and ethics
  • Ethical management and management of ethics
  • Discrimination and preferential treatment
  • Personal Ethics and Professional Ethics
  • How do the virtues of trustworthiness and fortitude get manifested in public service? Explain with examples
  • Social values are more important than economic values. Discuss the above statement with examples in the context of inclusive growth of a nation.
  • Identify the various actions that you could take
  • Evaluate the pros and cons of each of your actions

Ethics Questions – 2014

  • All human beings aspire for happiness. Do you agree? What does happiness mean to you? Explain with answers.
  • What does ethics seek to promote human life? Why is it all the more important in Public Administration?
  • Which eminent personality has inspired you the most in the context of ethical conduct in life? Give the Gist of his/her teachings. Giving specific examples describe how you have been able to apply these teachings for your own ethical development.
  • There is a heavy ethical responsibility on the public servants because they occupy positions of power, handle huge amounts of public funds, and their decisions have a wide-ranging impact on society and the environment. What steps have you taken to improve your ethical competence to handle such responsibility?
  • The current society is plagued with widespread trust-deficit. What are the consequences of this situation for personal well-being and for societal well-being? What can you do at a personal level to make yourself trustworthy?
  • It is often said that poverty leads to corruption. However, there is no dearth of instances where affluent and powerful people indulge in corruption in a big way. What are the basic causes of corruption among people? Support your answer with examples.
  • We are witnessing increasing instances of sexual violence against women in the country. Despite existing legal provisions against it, the number of such incidences is on the rise. Suggest some innovative measures to tackle this menace.
  • Indicate various options that you think are available in this situation.
  • How would you help him to evaluate these options and choose the most appropriate path to be adopted?
  • Educated youth are trying to shift to urban areas
  • Landless poor people are migrating to urban slums
  • Even some farmers are selling off the land and trying to settle in urban areas taking petty jobs.

What feasible steps can you suggest which will be effective in controlling this serious problem in our country?

Ethics Questions – UPSC Mains

  • What do you understand by ‘values’ and ‘ethics’? In what way is it important to be ethical along with being professionally competent?
  • Some people feel that values keep changing with time and situation, while others strongly believe that there are certain universal and eternal human values. Give your perception in this regard with due justification.
  • “The good of an individual is contained in the good of all.” What do you understand by this statement? How can this principle be implemented in public life?
  • It is often said that ‘politics’ and ‘ethics’ do not go together. What is your opinion in this regard? Justify your answer with illustrations.
  • What are the options available to you?
  • Evaluate each of these options and choose the option which you would adopt, giving reasons.
  • Evaluate each of these options and choose the option you would adopt, giving reasons

Candidates can get UPSC Previous Year Question Papers from the linked article.

Ethics Questions for UPSC Mains GS 4:- Download PDF Here

Ethics Examples of UPSC (Ethics Questions):- Download PDF Here

To get the topic-wise GS 4 questions for UPSC Mains in one place, check the linked article.

Ethics Related Links:

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GS Paper IV Strategy

Special Series for better understanding of Ethics – Part I

CASE STUDIES RELATED – PART II

GS paper IV is perhaps the most intriguing and misunderstood part of the UPSC syllabus. You almost have the feeling that it is in your reach, somewhere in your mind, may be your subconscious thoughts. You see those generic terms like integrity, honesty and governance and immediately have a feeling that you can nail the paper. After all it is all about ideas. And boy! You are never short of ideas, are you??

Remember the university days. No matter what you knew and how much you knew, filling pages was no big deal for you. But only if that could hold true with UPSC as well! Unfortunately, our university machismo doesn’t augur well with UPSC. The examiners are quality starved and they won’t accept anything below Hyderabadi Biryani, forget about the street food of Rajindernagar. But the question is do we have the ingredients to cook that delicious, finger licking Biryani? Don’t worry by the time you are done with this write up, you shall have those ingredients. It is our promise.

So how do you think we should approach the syllabus? The UPSC syllabus designates a name for the paper. It calls it GS Paper IV. Does it mean that we should prepare it as the other three GS papers. Should we start making notes of all the terms and terminologies, views and ideas of thinkers and philosophers, psychological theories related to attitude and aptitude, principles of governance; and the list goes on. Or do we have to think and act differently or we rephrase our word–smartly?

We think our smart generation must act smartly. Acting smartly doesn’t mean following utopian shortcuts as they lead you nowhere. It only means we must act in the most efficient and effective manner keeping in mind the demands of the syllabus and of course the time constraint.

Now let us begin by saying a simple yet important thing: Ethics, integrity and honesty should form a common theme during your entire preparation and not only for GS paper IV. It should be like a canopy similar to that of a topical rainforest covering the entire region and not like the sporadic bushes and shrubs of the deserts, popping here and there sporadically. Consistency in our thinking is the most important ingredient of success in this paper. What we are trying to convey is that one can’t FAKE ethical behavior.

Even if one does manage that, inconsistency would be visible all over his/her answer sheet and that leads to only one thing–failure. So for the sake of this examination we have to be considerate as human beings to everything around us, be it society, environment, friends, foes, relatives and all that surrounds us. Is it too much to ask for? We don’t think so. We are all good people. You may disagree with our assessment but let us tell you that more often than not we all shall be good than evil.

May be that this cruel examination process and the intense competition have injected some undesirable traits in few of us but at the end of the day we are all good. So how does that matter to our preparation for GS paper IV?

It matters because our assessment of a situation is driven by our personality and character. It is thus futile to learn the concepts of paper IV from various sources and websites and try implementing them in the examination hall. Even if one does so, the superficiality of his/her intentions would be readily visible in the answers. This paper requires an honest foundation that one can’t find in books or websites. They are ingrained in all of us. We just need to revisit the school days of our innocent childhood.

We knew certain things for sure those days. We knew lying was bad, stealing was even worse and hurting someone was an open invitation to punishment by our parents or teachers. So simple was life and its principles. However, today we love to complicate things. We have internalized the notions of relative honesty and comparative moral behavior. We assess our wrong doings by judging and quantifying the action of others. We also justify our actions on many flimsy grounds which induce social acceptance and rather promote collective loss of character and integrity. But believe us, the more you complicate things, the more it becomes difficult to hide your true personality and character.

UPSC knows this dilemma well and that is why we are asked to answer so many question in such a short duration of time that after the initial few questions our original thoughts start getting reflected in the answer sheet. All the philosophers and their teachings are blown away by the series of questions posed by UPSC. Neither Aristotle nor Plato comes to your rescue. You yourself become philosopher and university instincts take you over . You just pour your thoughts on the paper forgetting all the cautions related to balanced views, word limits, use of quotes, presentation techniques. You see the papers filled by you and feel happy about it as if you are the only one doing that.

You become more of yourself with your original thought process lying naked on the answer sheet. And this is the point when your fate is locked by the examiner . If you are an honest person, the same will reflect in your answers and you shall be awarded good marks. But if you have that typical DNA injected by some coaching institute and you try to fake your thoughts by presenting some pre cooked answers, you stand a thin chance in this paper.

So what do we do? Don’t we need to follow any book? Don’t we need to prepare for this paper? Yes! you do. But more important than the list of books and websites is the need to understand the soul of this paper. As we said before all the traits demanded by the syllabus should flow like a common theme in your answers and it is possible only when we enter into dialogues with each other and more importantly with ourselves. Introspection of your own behavior and self contemplation would teach you more than anything else. It doesn’t mean that you become a Sanyasi or ascetic.

It simply means knowing yourself and asking those obvious questions having not so obvious answers. What do you want in your life? What does happiness mean to you? How important are friends to you? How do you see your family in your life? What qualities do you want to see in your partner? What changes do you want to see around you? How do you feel about the current state of society? How can you contribute to change it? How do you feel when you see a young couple doing PDA in a public place? Should girls be allowed to wear short clothes? Would you allow your wife to go to work and let her wear clothes of her choice? The answers to these questions flow from two different parts of your body–mind and soul. Your mind would follow rationality and logic while your heart shall follow the gut feeling or intuition.

For example rationality and logic says that a girl should be independent to wear the clothes of her liking but when it comes to your girlfriend or wife, your heart makes you overprotective and uncomfortable with your partner exercising such choice. This exam is all about balancing these extremes. Internalize your intuitions but at the same time get hold of logic and rationality. It is an art and you can master this art through honesty. Discuss your feelings with your peers, family and guide. Defend your thoughts and at the same time be receptive to criticism as well. Listen to others and if you find their arguments logical enough, simply own them.

It will broaden your horizons. Talk to people of different religion, gender and regions. Exchange ideas with them. Write down you feelings, revisit them after few days and see whether your thought process has changed or not. All this shall not take much of your time. In fact all those unnecessary speculations about cut offs and best test series in the market can be replaced by reasoned communication. Remember, we are all aspiring to become civil servants and thus our outlook, dialogues and thought process should reflect some responsibility.

Finally, we provide you with the sources and strategies for the individual components of the syllabus. This is the basic foundation work that you have to do. We shall build upon the superstructure in due course of time.

We will be recommending very few, yet highly useful sources for this paper – not for you to mug up and reproduce in the examination hall, but to sharpen your thinking and writing style. In this paper, you should be original in writing and logical in your views.

Before we begin the strategy, few things to note :

  • You need NOT study ethics for hours and hours daily like you do for GS.
  • You should NOT start studying ethics ‘ 1 year’ before the exam! Thats too much for a paper that does not require more than 2-3 months of selective and cursory (sketchy) reading. Otherwise your answers will start looking more academic, and will be punished severely.
  • You should NOT study complex ethical jargon (not definitions) and heavy philosophical stuff. Study only what is needed to handle an administrative life and ethical dilemmas.
  • You should NOT start mugging up quotes , thinkers, catchy lines etc just to impress the examiner. He is looking for ‘YOUR’ understanding and point of view. It is however no harm in quoting others once or twice in your answers.
  • You should focus more on a logical writing style rather than a deeply twisted philosophical one. The Examiner is looking for your arguments, not philosophies.
  • And most importantly, do NOT ‘force’ morality in your answers. It is hard to do and looks artificial too. If you are moral, it would automatically reflect in your answers.
  • Try implementing what you learn from books into real life . It really feels better, and makes you a better human being!

So, we will start with the steps, one by one, for preparing ethics paper.

Step 1: Scan Syllabus and Mindmaps

Go through all UPSC syllabus properly and then the detailed syllabus mindmaps on our website to understand the demands of the syllabus.

The mindmap is only indicative, not exhaustive. However, it covers a very large part of the syllabus.

Step 2: Scan UPSC Previous year papers

Also see the first sample paper that UPSC released.

You will see that the questions asked are very general in nature and no specific/academic study is required for them. Only an overview of the sources mentioned below will do.

Specially, observe the kind of case studies; and personal opinion based questions (for e.g. how can you prove yourself as eligible for administration of such a high responsibility etc.)

Step 3: Watch Justice Harvard Videos

Now, before starting up to read anything, we recommend you to go through Justice Harvard Videos Michael Sandel. This will provide you a real insight into what exactly is the domain of ethics and morality. And it will radically broaden your thinking horizon.

You need not watch all the videos to begin with. Watch a few videos, and then cover them later up as you find time.

Only If you cannot access the video due to internet limitations, read the book on the same videos – Justice: What’s the right thing to do? by Michael Sandel.

Step 4: Track and note ethical issues in news

Keep an eye on latest developments in India and World on ethical issues; make a note of them; and write your personal viewpoint on them.

To give you example of an ethical issue– Disarmament issues between nations (like US and Iran) – How ethical it is for US to ask Iran to stop enriching its Uranium, when USA itself has a stockpile of Nuclear weapons?

Other examples – Euthanasia and its practice in India- what is your view? Clinical trials – how ethical they are? etc.

If you have made a note of them, you can even quote them as examples in your answers.

Step 5: Books/Sources to refer topic wise

1. Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in human actions; dimensions of ethics; ethics in private and public relationships. Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators; role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating values.

Have a look at these Mind Maps- Click on the mind maps to save as image. 

For the above refer to two sources :

One, the book – Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by G Subba Rao and PN Roy Chowdhary – refer selected chapters. Since the book discusses the subject a little academically, you only need to grasp the overall understanding of the topic, and note some useful points that you can use in your answers.

Two, IGNOU Ethics material – ( Download here )

  • Chapter 1 and 2 of Block-1 Introduction to Ethics
  • Chapter 3 of Block -2 Ethical Foundations
  • Chapter 2, 3 and 4 of Block – 3 – Applied Ethics
  • Chapter 1 and 2 of Block 4 – Current Ethical Debates

Three, Lexicon- More than Subba Rao- You can refer this book. Its short and precise.

These too discuss some academic stuff, but if you have gone through the detailed syllabus mindmaps, you will know what to leave and what to read.

No need to read in detail. Just gather ideas, concepts and way of dealing with the subject.

If you have covered the above, you will cover a large part of Ethic’s core syllabus.

2. Attitude: content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and behaviour; moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasion

Read 12 th NCERT Psychology – Chapter 6 on Attitude and Social cognition. Read chapter 7 – Social Influence and Group processes in a sketchy manner. Don’t go into details. Just grasp central ideas.

After covering these, cover only in-text examples/illustrations from the Subba rao book from the chapter on attitude. He has given several good examples that will help you understand the practical applications and case studies.

For moral and political attitude, a general reading on internet would suffice. Just understand the determining factors and their implications for our polity and society.

3. Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service , integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker sections

Go through Subba Rao’s exclusively dedicated chapters on aptitude in civil services. The highlights of your reading should be important examples; terminologies (their meaning and application in administrative life); constitutional and legal provisions; and contemporary developments (for e.g. the recent amendment in All India Service Conduct Rules; Bastar Collector Amit Kataria warned for violating service rules etc.)

4. Emotional intelligence-concepts, and their utilities and application in administration and governance.

You need not refer any other source than Subba Rao for this topic – dealt very comprehensively. Read the entire chapter line by line and solve all the questions given at the end of the chapter.

5. Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world

You can refer to Subba Rao’s first few chapters for this OR IGNOU’s chapter 3 and 4 – Block 1- Introduction to Ethics. Need not read both.

Instead of mugging up their ideas and philosophy try understanding the context of their contributions; and their significance for present day world.

UPSC will either ask your opinion on their ideas or may ask you to name your favourite moral thinker and explain the relevance of his ideas for you and our society.

6. Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration: Status and problems; ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions; laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance; accountability and ethical governance; strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance

Since all these topics can have so many dimensions, first refer to the detailed syllabus mindmaps to understand the above in detail.

Then, first refer to Subba Rao . He has dedicated a lot of chapters specifically on all these topics. Need not go into detailed provisions, an overall view with certain important case studies /illustrations will do.

Then read, Ethical concerns in public administration by IGNOU

Combine the sources of this with the ones mentioned for Probity in Governance below.

Since questions from this topic will be based mostly from current affairs ; you need not read too much static material for this.

You may be asked to give solutions to current administrative problems and dilemmas (like say whistleblowing), so keep your opinion on these issues ready.

7.  Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration: ethical issues in international relations and funding ; corporate governance.

For Ethical issues in International relations, read IGNOU Chapter -1 – International Ethics of Block 3- Applied Ethics. This is more than sufficient to understand the concepts and related issues. Supplement your reading with ethical issues in contemporary international issues.

For corporate governance also, the most important is current affairs (e.g. Shardha scam, Sahara issue, Satyam scam, Companies Act, 2013, SEBI guidelines etc.). Make notes of major corporate governance related issues from newspapers.

For the static, first go to the detailed syllabus mindmaps and know the sub-topics under corporate governance.

After this read these very comprehensive and useful reports

  • SEBI’s Committee report on Corporate Governance chaired by N Narayanmurthy.
  • SEBI’s consultative paper on Corporate governance – Covers A to Z of corporate governance – but skip the details wherever given in the report

Then from Subba Rao’s book cover some of the topics which are left out (see Mindmaps for how much covered by reports).

Finally, left out issues that have been mentioned in Mindmaps (not covered in Subba Rao), can be covered from the internet and About MCA in Ministry of Corporate affairs website.

8. Probity in Governance: Concept of public service; Philosophical basis of governance and probity; Information sharing and transparency in government, Right to Information, Codes of Ethics, Codes of Conduct, Citizen’s Charters, Work culture, Quality of service delivery, Utilization of public funds, challenges of corruption.

Again refer to the chapters dedicated to these in Subba Rao. That will cover a major portion. Topic of corruption has been dealt comprehensively in this book.

Then refer to 2 nd ARC’s report on Ethics in Governance – Only first two chapters – Introduction and Ethical Framework.

Then read 2 nd ARC’s report on Code of Conduct

Finally, go through some of the 2 nd ARC’s

  • Questionnaire on Ethics in governance
  • Questionnaire on Civil Services Reforms
  • Reforms in Governance and Administration

Very important and relevant questions are there in these questionnaires which can be verbatim asked in UPSC mains.

9. Case studies on the above

The detailed syllabus mindmap is very important to refer here. It opens up several dimensions of case studies.

Case studies will be not only from ethical issues but also present day burning problems like brain drain; reforms in Indian police; Land acquisition issues; disaster management etc. You should also refer to the previous year papers for some examples.

You can find some case studies on

  • USC Dornsife

Moreover, on our website we will be launching a separate section for Ethics questions and case studies . We hope that will be immensely helpful to aspirants.

Step 6: Right approach

Just keep these words from UPSC in mind before you start reading for this paper – “ This paper will include questions to test the candidates’ attitude and approach to issues relating to integrity, probity in public life and his problem solving approach to various issues and conflicts faced by him in dealing with society.”

So, your approach matters more than your content in the examination. We have already talked in  great detail about the right approach. Practice logical writing, because that shows coherence and order in your approach to situations. And, finally don’t only read moral stuff, do moral stuff!

Step 7: Writing practice with IAS Baba

  • Think Learn and Perform (TLP)

We at IAS Baba believe in social capital. We are sure that this initiative shall see your enthusiastic participation and help you in your success.

Share your thoughts and feedback. It means a lot for the encouragement and enthusiasm of our Team 🙂

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Apsc mains 2020 general studies (gs4) paper-iv, apsc mains 2020 general studies (gs-4) paper-iv, general studies-iv (ethics, integrity and aptitude).

ethics paper 4 2020

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CBSE Class 12 Hindi Question Paper 2024, All SETs Download PDF

Cbse class 12 hindi question paper 2024: in this article, students will get the cbse 12th hindi question paper 2024 along with pdf download link of the same. check the authentic cbse class 12 hindi question paper 2024 here..

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By clicking on the link above, students can get an opportunity to check the CBSE 12th Hindi answer key 2024 along with a PDF download link of the same. The answer key will help students in checking their estimated results. 

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Violent crime is dropping fast in the U.S. — even if Americans don't believe it

Karen Zamora

Ari Shapiro

Ari Shapiro

Courtney Dorning

Courtney Dorning

ethics paper 4 2020

What you see depends a lot on what you're looking at, according to one crime analyst. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

What you see depends a lot on what you're looking at, according to one crime analyst.

In 2020, the United States experienced one of its most dangerous years in decades.

The number of murders across the country surged by nearly 30% between 2019 and 2020, according to FBI statistics . The overall violent crime rate, which includes murder, assault, robbery and rape, inched up around 5% in the same period.

But in 2023, crime in America looked very different.

"At some point in 2022 — at the end of 2022 or through 2023 — there was just a tipping point where violence started to fall and it just continued to fall," said Jeff Asher, a crime analyst and co-founder of AH Datalytics.

In cities big and small, from both coasts, violence has dropped.

"The national picture shows that murder is falling. We have data from over 200 cities showing a 12.2% decline ... in 2023 relative to 2022," Asher said, citing his own analysis of public data. He found instances of rape, robbery and aggravated assault were all down too.

Yet when you ask people about crime in the country, the perception is it's getting a lot worse.

A Gallup poll released in November found 77% of Americans believed there was more crime in the country than the year before. And 63% felt there was either a "very" or "extremely" serious crime problem — the highest in the poll's history going back to 2000.

So what's going on?

What the cities are seeing

What you see depends a lot on what you're looking at, according to Asher.

"There's never been a news story that said, 'There were no robberies yesterday, nobody really shoplifted at Walgreens,'" he said.

"Especially with murder, there's no doubt that it is falling at [a] really fast pace right now. And the only way that I find to discuss it with people is to talk about what the data says."

There are some outliers to this trend — murder rates are up in Washington, D.C., Memphis and Seattle, for example — and some nonviolent crimes like car theft are up in certain cities. But the national trend on violence is clear.

4 key takeaways from the FBI's annual crime report

4 key takeaways from the FBI's annual crime report

NPR spoke to three local reporters — from Baltimore, San Francisco and Minneapolis — to better understand what is happening in their communities.

"We've seen two years now of crime incrementally going down, which I think is enough to say there's a positive trend there," said Andy Mannix, a crime and policing reporter for the Star Tribune in Minneapolis.

Rachel Swan, a breaking news and enterprise reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle , says there are "two really visible crises" in the downtown area: homelessness and open-air drug use.

"And honestly, people conflate that with crime, with street safety," she said. "One thing I'm starting to learn in reporting on public safety is that you can put numbers in front of people all day, and numbers just don't speak to people the way narrative does."

ethics paper 4 2020

The perception of crime doesn't always match the reality. Kena Netancur/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

In Baltimore — a city that's battled a perception of being dangerous — it's a similar story.

Lee Sanderlin is an enterprise reporter with The Baltimore Banner and says there are pockets of violent crime — but that's not the case for the entire city.

"That's a battle that the city's leaders have had to fight with certain media outlets, with residents," Sanderlin said. "People who don't live in Baltimore, who live out in Baltimore County or neighboring counties, they certainly have a perception."

Unraveling the reasons

Asher, the crime analyst, says there is no one reason why violent crime is going down.

"It's a really hard question to answer, and I always caveat my answer with [saying that] criminologists still aren't sure why violent crime went down in the '90s," he said. "We can kind of point to what some of the ingredients probably are even if we can't take the cake and tell you what the exact recipe is."

For cities like San Francisco, Baltimore and Minneapolis, there may be different factors at play. And in some instances, it comes as the number of police officers declines too.

Stories about crime are rife with misinformation and racism, critics say

Stories about crime are rife with misinformation and racism, critics say

Baltimore police are chronically short of their recruitment goal, and as of last September had more than 750 vacant positions, according to a state audit report.

"Our new police commissioner has been pretty open about the fact ... that while they want to hire more officers, they have to do the job with the people they have," Sanderlin said.

In Minneapolis, police staffing has plummeted. According to the Star Tribune , there are about 560 active officers — down from nearly 900 in 2019. Mannix said the 2020 police killing of George Floyd resulted in an unprecedented exodus from the department.

He said that the juxtaposition of crime going down at the same time as police numbers dropped was "very confusing to a lot of people."

"The reality is there's a lot of things that factor into crime," he said. "It's not just how many police there are. That's definitely one variable."

In Minneapolis, the city is putting more financial resources into nontraditional policing initiatives. The Department of Neighborhood Safety, which addresses violence through a public health lens, received $22 million in the 2024 budget.

For years, the FBI quietly stopped tracking anti-Arab violence and hate crimes

For years, the FBI quietly stopped tracking anti-Arab violence and hate crimes

In San Francisco, police there say they've been better at making arrests.

Meanwhile, Sanderlin said Baltimore voted for a new prosecutor who vowed to be tough on crime; the police say they are targeting violent hotspots; and the mayor's office is connecting would-be offenders with housing assistance and employment.

"Put all of that in the blender with a generally better economy, more people are sort of getting back to a pre-pandemic way of life, and that probably has something to do with it," Sanderlin said.

But changing the view of crime is about playing the long game, he added.

"Crime affects people very personally. The only way to get people to change their perceptions on a macro scale is for progress to continue."

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ethics paper 4 2020

Jaipur, Feb 20 (PTI) The Special Operations Group of Rajasthan Police has arrested four government employees, including a revenue official and a policeman, in connection with the 2020 Junior Engineer (JEN) paper leak case.

Additional Director General of Police (ATS and SOG) VK Singh said 24 people have been arrested in the paper leak case so far.

Of these, five are examinees and 19 are either part of the gang that leaked papers or coaching operators associated with the gang.

A reward of Rs 50,000 was announced on the information leading to Patwari Harshvardhan, the main accused in the case, he said.

The Rajasthan Staff Selection Board had conducted the JEN exam on December 6, 2020 at various examination centres.

The board cancelled the exam after it was found that the question paper was leaked ahead of the exam.

The officer said on the basis of intelligence inputs, a team of SOG arrested Harshwardhan and a policeman from Nepal border.

The policeman was identified as Sub Inspector Rajendra Kumar Yadav alias Raju, aged 30.

The other two arrested were Rajendra Kumar Yadav, 55, a teacher, and Shivratan Mot, 30, a librarian. Both were arrested from different places.

All four had leaked the paper from a Jaipur government school and sold it to the candidates, the officer said.

The officer said that the accused told police during interrogation that the paper had been leaked from Shaheed Digvijay Singh Sumail Government Higher Secondary School, Khatipura, Jaipur.

Rajendra Kumar Yadav, employed as a teacher at the school, leaked the paper from the strong room, he said.

Rajendra Kumar Yadav alias Raju and librarian Shivratan Mot were assigned the task of distributing the papers to the candidates.

The hunt for other accused wanted in the case is still on, the ADGP said. PTI AG VN VN

This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.

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  1. [UPSC Mains 2020] GENERAL STUDIES PAPER 4 (ETHICS

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  2. PAPER IV

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  3. ETHICS GS Paper 4 Pawan Kumar CLASS NOTES

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  4. MORAL THINKERS PLATO ETHICS PAPER 4 MPPSC MAINS

    ethics paper 4 2020

  5. Ethics gs paper 4 2021 Pcs Mains Question Paper Set |Gs Paper 4 Mcq |Gs

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  6. PhD course work( research and publication ethics )paper-4(22-9-2021

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  1. Paper-6 Laws & Ethics Study Plan for June 2023 term examination

  2. Ethics and Values 2nd Semester Question Paper 2022 😍🥰👌#CBCS #shorts

  3. What do you mean by probity in hindi

  4. Ethics Paper Discussion by K. M. Pathi Sir

  5. Paper-5 Business Laws & Ethics Study Plan for June 2023 term examination

  6. MPPSC MAINS paper 4 #ethics #2/3marker #mppscmains #answerwriting #nhicsmppsc

COMMENTS

  1. [ General Studies Paper

    (a) Discuss the role of ethics and values in enhancing the following three major components of Comprehensive National Power (CNP) viz. human capital, soft power (culture and policies) and social harmony. (150 words) 10

  2. GS Paper 4 UPSC 2020 (Mains)

    UPSC conducted the General Studies Paper 4 as part of the Civil Services Main Exam 2020 on 10-01-2021. There were 12 questions split into two sections - A and B. Casestudies were included in Section B. Many questions had sub-sections. Table of Contents GS Paper 4 UPSC 2020 UPSC 2020 Instructions

  3. [UPSC Mains 2020] GENERAL STUDIES PAPER 4 (ETHICS

    Important Updates, UPSC MAINS 2020 QUESTION PAPERS [UPSC Mains 2020] GENERAL STUDIES PAPER 4 (ETHICS - GS4) - UPSC CIVIL SERVICES (CSE) MAINS EXAMINATION 2020 To Access, all GS papers and Analysis videos - Click here SECTION A 1.

  4. Civil Services (Main) Examination, 2020

    DAF - I. 28/10/2020. e - Admit Card. 17/12/2020. Examination Time Table. TT-CSME-2020-Engl-061120.pdf. 06/11/2020. Question Paper. Essay General Studies Paper - I, General Studies Paper - II, General Studies Paper - III, General Studies Paper - IV Assamese Literature Paper - I, Assamese Literature Paper - II, Bengali Literature Paper - I ...

  5. UPSC IAS Mains 2020 General Studies (Paper

    2020 Published 17th Sep, 2022 Download PDF UPSC IAS Mains 2020 "General Studies (GS Paper 4)" Exam Question Paper Marks: 250 Duration: 3 hours Exam Date: 10-01-2021 Subject: Paper - V: General Studies - IV: Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude QUESTION PAPER SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS

  6. UPSC MAINS PAPER 2020 (GS 4): ANALYSIS, APPROACH and REFERENCES

    [QUESTION PAPER] GENERAL STUDIES PAPER 4 (GS4) - UPSC CIVIL SERVICES (CSE) MAINS EXAMINATION 2020 - CLICK HERE NOTE: PDF of Analysis is provided at the end of the post. [VIDEO] GS1 GS2, GS3, GS4 & ESSAY ANALYSIS - UPSC MAINS 2020 by IASbaba -> CLICK HERE OVERVIEW of GENERAL STUDIES (GS) PAPER 4:

  7. Model Answers for UPSC CSE 2020 GS 4 Paper

    Q.1 (a) Discuss the role of ethics and values in enhancing the following three major components of Comprehensive National Power (CNP) viz. human capital, soft power (culture and policies), and social harmony. (150 words) Can also add this type of flowchart in between Topic: Ethical issues in international relations & funding

  8. UPSC Mains 2020 GENERAL STUDIES PAPER 4 (ETHICS

    1. (a) Discuss the role of ethics and values in enhancing the following three major components of Comprehensive National Power (CNP)viz. human capital, soft power (culture and policies), and social harmony. (150 words)

  9. UPSC GENERAL STUDIES PAPER 4

    UPSC GENERAL STUDIES PAPER 4 | Ethics| Civil Services MAINS Examination - 2020 Previous Year Papers 1. (a) Discuss the role of ethics and values in enhancing the following three major components of Comprehensive National Power(CNP) viz. human capital, soft power (culture and policies), and social harmony. (150 words) 10 Marks

  10. UPSC Mains GS Paper 4-2020

    UPSC Mains GS Paper 4-2020. UPSC Mains GS Paper 4-2020 was held on 10th January, 2021. GS Paper 4 covers Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude. There are 12 questions for a total of 250 marks. The paper is counted for merit ranking. All the questions are compulsory.

  11. UPSC Mains GS IV Paper 2020

    GS Paper IV covers Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude. There are 12 questions for a total of 250 marks. The paper is counted for merit ranking. All the questions are compulsory. Download the UPSC Mains 2020 Essay Paper in the linked article. Download the UPSC Mains 2020 GS Paper I in the linked article.

  12. UPSC 2020 Mains: Ethics

    Ethics paper is one of the most important yet the most neglected paper in UPSC mains preparation. Your name in the final list depends a lot on how you perform in Ethics paper. Watch Sukanya ma'am give you a detailed analysis of the Mains 2020 Ethics paper and suggest a strategy for 2021.

  13. UPSC IAS/IPS-2020 General Studies Mains Paper-4 (GSM4) Ethics ...

    ☯️UPSC IAS/IPS-2020 General Studies Mains Paper-4 (GSM4) Ethics, Integrity, Aptitude conducted on Jan-10-2021. ... Discuss the role of ethics and values in enhancing the following three major components of Comprehensive National Power (CNP) viz. Human capital, soft power (culture and policies) and social harmony. ...

  14. Ethics Previous Year Questions (2020-2013)

    This article will provide you with a set of Ethics previous year questions that have been asked in the Mains GS IV of the IAS Exam, from the year 2013-2020. It is advisable for the candidates to go through previous years ethics questions and answers UPSC to get knowledge of the nature of the questions asked in the examination.

  15. UPSC IAS General Studies IV Ethics Morality Paper 4

    Public/Civil Service Values and Ethics in Public Administration: Status and Problems; Ethical Concerns and Dilemmas in Government and Private Institutions; Laws, Rules, Regulations and Conscience as Sources of Ethical Guidance; Accountability and Ethical Governance; Strengthening of Ethical and Moral Values in Governance; Ethical Issues in Inter...

  16. General Studies

    1. (a) What are the basic principles of public life? Illustrate any three of these with suitable examples. (150 words) 10 1. (b) What do you understand by the term 'public servant'? Reflect on the expected role of public servant. (150 words) 10 2. (a) Effective utilization of public funds is crucial to meet development goals.

  17. UPSC Mains 2020 Paper 4 (Ethics) detailed analysis

    Sukanya ma'am here provided an in-depth analysis of UPSC Mains 2020 Ethics GS paper 4, explained the changing Mains trend, & discussed the strategy for UPSC ...

  18. IASbaba's Ethics Strategy/Paper 4

    Paper 1 Paper 2 International Relations Paper 3 Paper 4 GS Paper IV Strategy Special Series for better understanding of Ethics - Part I CASE STUDIES RELATED - PART II GS paper IV is perhaps the most intriguing and misunderstood part of the UPSC syllabus.

  19. IAS Mains Paper 4 Ethics Integrity & Aptitude 2020

    UPSC is considered to be the most prestigious and toughest examination in the country. In order to crack these exams one need to do heavy preparations, thorough practice and clear concepts about each and every subject. "IAS Mains General Studies Paper - 4" the most updated study material incorporated with detailed information and supported by up-to-date facts and figures.

  20. Ethics syllabus UPSC: General Studies Paper 4 Syllabus (2020)

    Ethics syllabus UPSC: General Studies Paper 4 Syllabus (2020) by LotusArise April 3, 2020 0 Comments Today In this article I want to walk you through the complete General Studies Paper 4 Syllabus i.e. ethics syllabus for UPSC Mains Examination.

  21. L10: GS Paper 4

    In this series, Naveen Tanwar is explaining the Ethics - Political Attitude. The topic is for GS Paper 4 -Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude. Ethics paper is of ...

  22. PDF New Doc 2019-09-22 17.23

    civil service ethics, codes of conduct, transparency measures, ethics and integrity systems and anti-corruption agencies. In view of this, there is a need being felt to focus on three specific areas, which are directly relevant to the problems of internalizing integrity and ethics in the civil services. These are as follows : 1.

  23. APSC Mains 2020 General Studies (GS4) Paper-IV

    APSC Mains 2020 General Studies (GS4) Paper-IV Posted on February 24, 2022 by admin APSC Mains 2020 General Studies (GS-4) Paper-IV General Studies-IV (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude) Go to Old Previous Years Question Papers page Full Marks: 250 Time: 3 hours Section-A 1. Law and Ethics are two tools for controlling human conduct.

  24. CBSE Class 12 Hindi Question Paper 2024, SET 1, 2, 3 and 4 Download PDF

    CBSE Class 12 Hindi Question Paper 2024: Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 12 Hindi board exam 2024 has been scheduled for today, February 19, 2024. Students of the same batch from ...

  25. Violent crime is dropping fast in the U.S.

    In 2020, the United States experienced one of its most dangerous years in decades. The number of murders across the country surged by nearly 30% between 2019 and 2020, according to FBI statistics ...

  26. Rajasthan Police arrests 4 more, including key accused, in 2020 JEN

    Jaipur, Feb 20 (PTI) The Special Operations Group of Rajasthan Police has arrested four government employees, including a revenue official and a policeman, in connection with the 2020 Junior Engineer (JEN) paper leak case. Additional Director General of Police (ATS and SOG) VK Singh said 24 people have been arrested in the paper leak case […]