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Total Questions : 518
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Q. What are the key ethical theories and frameworks, and how can they be applied to real-world ethical dilemmas? (150 words)
23 Feb, 2023 GS Paper 4 Theoretical Questions -
Q. What ethical principles should guide decisions regarding issues such as human rights, conflict resolution, and the use of force in international affairs? (150 words)
23 Feb, 2023 GS Paper 4 Theoretical Questions -
Case Study
Shradha Sharma is a senior civil servant in the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. She has been working for the past 20 years and has a reputation for being honest, competent, and impartial. Her department has been tasked with granting environmental clearances to a large corporation that wants to build a new factory in a forest area.
Shradha Sharma knows that the project could have serious environmental impacts, including deforestation, loss of biodiversity, and pollution. She also knows that the corporation has a history of flouting environmental norms and regulations in other parts of the country.
Shradha Sharma is under intense pressure from the corporation to grant the clearance, as it would create thousands of jobs and bring in large investments. On the other hand, she is also under pressure from environmental activists and NGOs who are urging her to reject the clearance, citing the potential environmental and social costs.
Shradha Sharma is facing dilemma between her duty as a public servant to promote development and create jobs, and her duty to protect the environment and safeguard the interests of the local communities. She has to decide whether to grant or reject the environmental clearance, and her decision will have far-reaching consequences.
Q. What factors should Ms. Sharma consider in making her decision? What are the possible solutions to this ethical dilemma, and what are the trade-offs involved in each solution?
17 Feb, 2023 GS Paper 4 Case Studies -
Q. How does the principle of utilitarianism relate to ethical decision-making in public policy? Discuss with the help of an example. (150 words)
16 Feb, 2023 GS Paper 4 Theoretical Questions -
Q. Discuss the concept of "ethical relativism" and evaluate its merits and demerits as a basis for ethical decision-making. (150 words)
16 Feb, 2023 GS Paper 4 Theoretical Questions -
Case study
You are a senior civil servant in the Ministry of Rural Development. The Ministry is responsible for implementing various welfare schemes for rural areas such as employment guarantee, housing, and sanitation programs. Your personal values and beliefs are aligned with the objective of the Ministry to bring about positive change in the lives of rural citizens.
One of your close friends, Tarun, who is a successful businessman, approaches you with a proposal to start a joint venture. Tarun wants to bid for a rural sanitation project that is currently being tendered by the Ministry. The project involves the construction of toilets in rural areas and is part of the government’s larger mission to improve sanitation facilities in rural India.
What would you do in this situation?
10 Feb, 2023 GS Paper 4 Case Studies -
Q. What are the key principles of deontological ethics and how do they differ from consequentialist ethics? (150 words)
09 Feb, 2023 GS Paper 4 Theoretical Questions -
Q. What is the relationship between ethics and morality in a society, and how do they differ from each other? (150 words)
09 Feb, 2023 GS Paper 4 Theoretical Questions -
Case study
Mr. Sudarshan is a highly competent and experienced civil engineer working in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. He has been assigned the responsibility of overseeing the construction of a major road project in the state. The project has been awarded to a private company, Rudra Inc.
During the course of the project, Mr. Sudarshan becomes aware of certain irregularities and unethical practices being carried out by Rudra Inc. These include the use of sub-standard materials, overcharging for work done, and making payments to government officials such as Mr. Bhushan, the Secretary of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, to secure the project contract.
What should Mr. Sudarshan do in this situation? What ethical principles should guide his decision-making process?
03 Feb, 2023 GS Paper 4 Case Studies -
Q. Explain the different types of attitudes and how they influence our thoughts and behavior. (150 words)
02 Feb, 2023 GS Paper 4 Theoretical Questions -
Q. Discuss the role of probity in public administration and evaluate its impact on the functioning of public institutions. (150 words)
02 Feb, 2023 GS Paper 4 Theoretical Questions -
Case study
Recently, the Digi Bank-Biocoin loan fraud case was in the news for loan fraud and irregularities in loans provided to the Biocoin Group by Digi Bank, where Teesha Verma was the CEO and Managing Director. Verma and her family allegedly received kickbacks in exchange for granting loans to the Biocoin group, many of which became non-performing assets (NPAs) and caused a loss of 1,730 crores to the bank. Furthermore, Teesha Verma's husband was in the head position in Biocoin company, and the loan indirectly benefitted him, as he siphoned off all the funds to his Swiss bank accounts. The Enforcement Director is called upon to carry out the further investigation, further you as the senior officer leading the case and there has been political pressure to hush up the matter so that Teesha and her Husband don’t get involved in the case.
As a senior enforcement director officer what would you do in this situation? Also Suggest actions that could have been taken to prevent and address these ethical violations.
27 Jan, 2023 GS Paper 4 Case Studies -
Case Study
Recently, in a tragic incident occurred in west Delhi where a 20-year-old woman was found naked and dead. She had been dragged beneath a car for 12 kilometers. According to reports, the occupants of the car, which included the son of a ruling party president, were aware that the woman was trapped under the car but chose to keep driving in order to avoid getting caught. Additionally, there is reported pressure on the police by the ruling party to resolve the case quickly and protect the accused.
As a IPS officer you were given responsibility to handle the case, what would you do in this scenario?
20 Jan, 2023 GS Paper 4 Case Studies -
Q. Identify five ethical traits on which one can plot the performance of a civil servant and justify their inclusion in the matrix. (150 words)
19 Jan, 2023 GS Paper 4 Theoretical Questions -
Q. What is the meaning of key ethical terms such as 'right', 'wrong', 'love', and 'compassion'? How do these terms relate to our understanding of morality and ethical principles? (150 words)
19 Jan, 2023 GS Paper 4 Theoretical Questions -
Case study
An Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer is posted in a host country as the Ambassador of India. The officer is tasked with representing India's interests and promoting bilateral relations between the two countries. However, the host country has a poor human rights record and the government has been accused of committing atrocities against ethnic and religious minorities.
The IFS officer has been approached by representatives of these minorities, who have requested assistance and support from the Indian government. They have also provided evidence of human rights abuses to the officer. However, the officer has been advised by the Ministry of External Affairs to not interfere in the internal affairs of the host country and to maintain good relations with the host government.
If you were in the position of IFS officer, what would you do in this situation?
13 Jan, 2023 GS Paper 4 Theoretical Questions -
Q. What are the ethical considerations surrounding the use of technology in warfare and armed conflicts, and how can they be addressed? (150 words)
12 Jan, 2023 GS Paper 4 Theoretical Questions -
Q. Discuss the role of rational thinking in resolving ethical dilemmas in the field of education. (150 words)
12 Jan, 2023 GS Paper 4 Theoretical Questions -
Case Study
As a civil servant, you have been appointed as the District Collector of your district. One day, you receive a complaint from a local NGO stating that a government-run school in a remote village in your district is not providing students with proper facilities and infrastructure. The NGO has also provided you with photos and videos as evidence of the poor conditions at the school.
Upon investigation, you find that the allegations made by the NGO are true and the schools in your district are indeed in a poor state. You also find out that they lack basic facilities such as clean drinking water, proper classrooms, and proper sanitation facilities etc.
You are faced with a dilemma - on one hand, you want to take immediate action and improve the conditions of schools in your district to provide the students with a better learning environment. On the other hand, you are aware that the process of improving the school's facilities will take time and money, and you are not sure if the funds allocated for the district will be sufficient to cover the costs.
As a district collector what would you do in this situation?
06 Jan, 2023 GS Paper 4 Case Studies -
Q. How do organizations and institutions address ethical challenges, such as corruption and discrimination? (150 words)
05 Jan, 2023 GS Paper 4 Theoretical Questions -
Q. What are the ethical considerations in public policy making and how do they impact the well-being of citizens? (150 words)
05 Jan, 2023 GS Paper 4 Theoretical Questions -
Case Study
In a horrific incident which sparked outrage in your district, a 17-year-old girl, on her way to school with her younger sister, was attacked with an acid-like substance by two men on a motorcycle near her home. She sustained severe injuries on her face, neck and eyes, currently she is being treated at the Hospital. She comes from a very humble family and her family looked up to her for alleviating them from poverty.
Further, the incident has once again brought back to focus the heinous crime of acid attacks and the easy availability of corrosive substances, therefore, people are anguished and have started protesting and demanding the death penalty for the culprits.
As a district magistrate, what would you do to resolve the situation? What steps would you take to stop easy availability of hazardous substances?
30 Dec, 2022 GS Paper 4 Case Studies -
Q. Discuss some parallels between Buddhism and modern ideas on emotional intelligence. (150 words)
29 Dec, 2022 GS Paper 4 Theoretical Questions -
Q. An ethical workplace culture ensures the success of the firm and improves employee job satisfaction. Elucidate. How can ethical culture be introduced into a company? (150 words)
29 Dec, 2022 GS Paper 4 Theoretical Questions -
Case Study
Your friend Ritwik hails from a village whose surrounding areas were submerged due to floods during the monsoon last year. Government assisted the affected people by giving them cash doles to purchase household goods, seeds to replant crop and cash to compensate for loss of standing crop. Ritwik had his house site on high ground and suffered no loss of personal effects. Luckily, his agricultural land being relatively far away from the flooded river escaped the ravages of the flood. Normally, government machinery is unable to thoroughly assess the damage suffered by each individual family. As a result, people take advantage by making extravagant and often fictitious claims. Ritwik has made false claims like others in the village.
As a close friend of Ritwik, what do you think about his action? Is it a right thing to do? what would be your appropriate response to Ritwik’s conduct?
23 Dec, 2022 GS Paper 4 Case Studies -
Q. What is Cultural relativism? What are the problems which cultural relativism presents to morality? (150 Words)
22 Dec, 2022 GS Paper 4 Theoretical Questions -
Q. “A person's moral principles are the consequence of several factors”. In the light of this statement discuss the role of mass media and social media on the formation of moral ideals. (150 Words)
22 Dec, 2022 GS Paper 4 Theoretical Questions -
Case Study
Recently, a 19-year-old Dalit man who was part of catering service was attacked after he accidentally touched the food on the plate of an upper caste person at a wedding function. The matter was resolved after other people present there intervened and the victim returned home. However, the accused and his aides later went to the victim’s residence and beat him up. When other members of the family tried to intervene, they were also beaten up. Further, the accused also damaged a motorcycle parked on the premises of the house. Despite this, police did not make any arrest and took the matter lightly. Due to inaction of police in making any arrest, the situation is further deteriorating and clashes broke out between two opposite groups of upper and lower caste.
(a) As an IPS officer, how would you resolve this issue and what would be your course of action?
(b) How could you prevent re-occurrence of such incidents in your district?
16 Dec, 2022 GS Paper 4 Case Studies -
Q. Discuss the role of ‘moral conscience’ in promoting ethical behavior. (150 words)
15 Dec, 2022 GS Paper 4 Theoretical Questions -
Q. Recently, many private businesses are facing ethical dilemma to lay off their employees. What do you think about this? Discuss. (150 words)
15 Dec, 2022 GS Paper 4 Theoretical Questions