Q. Plate tectonics has fundamentally reshaped our understanding of the Earth’s surface processes. Discuss its role in explaining major geological features. (150 words)

Q. Colonial rule altered the trajectory of Indian art and cultural institutions. Examine both the disruptions and new opportunities that emerged during this period. (250 words)

Essay Topics:

1. A civilisation survives not by strength alone, but by self-correction.

2. Order without justice is merely organised injustice.

Case Study

Meera Sharma is a Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) in a district where a large highway expansion project has been approved by the government. The project is expected to improve connectivity, promote regional trade, and generate employment opportunities.

However, the project requires acquisition of agricultural land from several villages. While many landowners have accepted the compensation determined under the law, a group of small and marginal farmers is strongly opposing the acquisition. They argue that although the compensation is legally fixed, it does not adequately compensate for the long-term loss of livelihood, as farming is their primary and sometimes only source of income.

During a public consultation meeting, local activists accuse the administration of prioritizing economic development over the welfare of vulnerable farmers. Some villagers have also started organizing protests.

At the same time, higher authorities are pressuring Meera to complete the land acquisition process quickly, as the project has strict deadlines and political importance.

Meera realizes that delaying the project may lead to administrative criticism and financial losses, but proceeding without addressing the farmers’ concerns may lead to social injustice and unrest. Meera now faces a difficult ethical dilemma.

Questions

Q1. What are the ethical issues involved in this situation?

Q2. What options are available to Meera in this situation? Evaluate them.

Q3. What course of action should Meera adopt in this situation? Justify your answer.

Q. “Probity in governance is essential for sustaining public trust in democratic institutions.” Analyse the institutional mechanisms that can promote probity. (150 words).

Q. In an era dominated by data, algorithms and artificial intelligence, how should ethical frameworks evolve to safeguard human dignity, accountability and fairness? (150 words).

Q. Energy interdependence and diaspora remittances have long underpinned India’s engagement with West Asia. Discuss how emerging geopolitical realignments and regional conflicts affect India’s strategic autonomy in the region. (250 words).

Q. In the Indian constitutional framework, judicial activism often fills executive vacuum but risks policy overreach. Discuss with suitable examples. ( 250 words )

Q. Examine how shifts in political authority, patterns of economic surplus, and changing institutional patronage transformed artistic expression in India from court-centric traditions to community-based forms. (250 words).

Q. Discuss how variations in coastline type affect the location of ports, and coastal urbanisation. (150 words)

Essay Topics

1. Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime.

2. He who has a 'why' to live for can bear almost any 'how'.

Ms. Deepti is the District Magistrate of a coastal district that has been struck by a severe cyclone accompanied by flooding. Large parts of rural areas are submerged, electricity and communication lines are disrupted, and thousands of families have been displaced. Initial assessments indicate extensive damage to kutcha houses, fishing equipment, and standing crops.

The State Disaster Response Force and district administration have limited relief materials, temporary shelters, food packets, drinking water, and medical teams—which are insufficient to meet immediate demand. The most affected areas are remote villages inhabited largely by marginal fishermen and tribal communities.

At the same time, an influential urban locality, which has suffered comparatively less damage, is exerting political and media pressure for immediate restoration of services and compensation. Local elected representatives demand that relief camps be set up in visible urban centres to “maintain public confidence.”

Further, allegations emerge that local officials are prioritising relief distribution to politically connected groups, while genuine victims in remote villages remain unattended. Social media posts showing distressed families are going viral, increasing public outrage and scrutiny of the administration.

Ms. Deepti must make urgent decisions on allocation of scarce resources, relief prioritisation, and corrective action, while maintaining transparency, equity, and public trust under extreme time pressure.

Questions

1. What are the ethical issues involved in this case?

2. What options are available to Ms. Deepti? Examine the merits and demerits of each.

3. What should be the most ethical course of action for Ms. Deepti? Justify your answer in the context of disaster ethics, constitutional values, and administrative responsibility.

Q. “In public service, empathy is not a soft virtue but a transformative administrative force.” Discuss the role of empathy in enhancing the effectiveness of governance. (150 words).

Q. Rules can guide conduct, but values sustain ethics. Discuss the relative roles of rules and values in promoting ethical governance. (150 words).

Q. Internal security challenges in border states are shaped by a complex interaction of geography, economy, and geopolitics. Examine with suitable examples.(250 words).

Q. Agricultural reforms in India reflect a tension between market efficiency and income security. Examine this statement with reference to recent policy initiatives. (250 words).

Q. To what extent has the India–France partnership helped India diversify its strategic and technological dependencies in a multipolar world? ( 250 words)

Q. Digital governance has redistributed power within the State rather than simply decentralising it. Analyse how technology reshapes accountability and discretion. ( 250 words) 

Q. The Cold War was as much a struggle over development models as it was over military power. Examine its impact on newly independent nations. (150 words)

Q. Social change in India is increasingly shaped by the interaction of economic growth, technological penetration, and persistent social hierarchies. Examine how this interaction affects social mobility and inequality. (250 words)

Essay Topics

1. “The true test of freedom lies in the ability to self-regulate.”
2. “You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.”

Mr. Kunal Mehra is the District Collector of a rapidly industrialising district that has recently attracted significant private investment under the State’s ease-of-doing-business initiative. A large manufacturing unit employing over 3,000 local workers has begun operations and is being projected as a model success story.

A junior environmental engineer in the district administration confidentially approaches Mr. Mehra with documentary evidence suggesting that the company has been routinely violating pollution norms especially groundwater contamination and improper disposal of hazardous waste. The engineer admits that senior officials in the pollution control board have ignored inspection reports under pressure from political and business interests. The whistleblower fears retaliation, transfer, or career stagnation if his identity is revealed.

If Mr. Mehra orders a formal inquiry or shuts down the unit, it could lead to job losses, investor backlash, and accusations of being “anti-development.” Political executives informally convey that the matter should be “resolved internally” to avoid damaging the State’s investment image.

At the same time, local farmers have begun reporting declining crop yields and health problems, which may be linked to industrial pollution. Media interest is growing, and civil society organisations are demanding accountability and transparency.

Mr. Mehra must decide how to handle the whistleblower’s complaint while balancing environmental justice, economic development, and institutional integrity.

Questions

1. What ethical issues are involved in this case?
2. What options are available to Mr. Mehra? Evaluate the merits and demerits of each.
3. What should be the most appropriate course of action for Mr. Mehra? Justify your answer with reference to ethical principles and constitutional values.

Q. “Public service is not merely a profession but a moral commitment.” Examine the ethical foundations of civil services in this light. (150 words)

Q. “Integrity without courage becomes passive virtue, and courage without integrity becomes dangerous ambition.”Discuss in the context of public administration. (150 words)

Q. “How does community participation contribute to sustainable disaster risk reduction in India?” Discuss with suitable examples. (150 Words)

Q. “In the context of India’s development priorities, examine the challenge of balancing climate action with ecological sustainability.” (250 words)

Q. “In the context of shifting global power structures, examine India’s contribution to the reform of global governance institutions.” (150 words).

Q. “Indian federalism is undergoing a transition marked by the rise of competitive federalism.” Discuss the nature and implications of this shift. (250 words).

Q. Religion has been both a patron and a preserver of Indian performing arts. Analyse how religious institutions and movements shaped the evolution of music, dance, and theatre in India.(250 words)

Q. To what extent did British economic restructuring in India dismantle indigenous industries and reshape the economy to serve global capitalist interests? Discuss. (150 words).