VISION IAS

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Approach Answer: General Studies Mains Mock Test 9 622 (2015)

Section A
Answer the following questions in not more than 150 words each:
1.

(a) In this age of information and consumerism, the image of women portrayed by mass media greatly
influences our social attitude towards them. Critically evaluate.
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Approach:
The basic theme of the question is 'how social attitude towards women is shaped by mass media and to
what consequence'. Accordingly, the answer can be framed in the following manner:

Introduce the answer by briefly explaining the increasing role of mass media in our social life and
how women are generally represented by it in India.
Explain the various types of representation of women in mass media in India and analyze the
positive and negative values involved in it, with examples.

Answer:
Mass media refers to those means of transmission of information/images/ ideas that are designed to
reach a wider audience. It is commonly considered to include radio, film, newspapers, magazines, books,
and video games, Internet blogs, podcasts, and video sharing. In current times, due to its intimate
interconnection with our life and work, mass media has emerged as vital social force in shaping our
knowledge and attitude towards reality e.g. who is beautiful? by setting standards of beauty for women
and men. In India, this power of mass media is particularly evident in shaping our social understanding of
women as they are represented in various ways through dominant images. Three kind of social image
which comes from mass media are:

Traditional representation: It portrays women as age old mother, newly married wife or young
sister. It rigidly keeps gender roles from the past, such as home-maker, cook, shopper/budgeter,
child bearer, caring etc. e.g. sas-bahu serials, spice advertisements. Such representation
reinforces and gives social legitimacy to existing obscurantist attitude towards women. It curtails
women freedom and dignity to be individual e.g. education for girl is considered as eligibility for
marriage in middle class.
Sexual representation: It portrays women as sexual objects or focus on her sexuality. Such
representation also shows male, but generally focus on the womans beauty and seductiveness,
and her susceptibility to male advances. e.g. axe deodorant advertisement. Womens
objectification for commercial purpose and private interest is unethical to human dignity and
security as it may create the conditions of sexual crimes against her.
Progressive representation: It portrays women as breadwinners, change-makers, economically
liberated, independent of family obligations, independent of men, self-interested, and generally
young. e.g. women news readers and journalists.

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1.

(b) What is social accountability? How can it act as a more effective mechanism than the conventional
methods of extracting accountability? What steps can a civil servant take to improve the effectiveness
of social accountability in India?
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Approach:
The basic theme of the question is "social accountability: its relative efficacy and how it can be ensured".
Accordingly, the answer can be framed in following manner:

Explain Social Accountability.

List the conventional methods of accountability. Compare social accountability with these , clearly
bringing out why social accountability is better than them in extracting accountability. Cite some
relevant examples.
Suggest some steps that in the capacity of a civil servant you can take to improve the social
accountability.

Answer:
In the context of Civil services, accountability refers to obligation on the part of public officials to report
on the usage of public resources and answerability in respect of the performance of the task entrusted to
them. Traditional accountability mechanisms include internal accountability mechanisms like
departmental hierarchy etc. and external mechanisms like CAG, CVC, Lokpal etc.

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Social Accountability is a step forward involving public as a stake-holder in administration. World Bank
defines it as an approach towards accountability that relies on civic engagement i.e. in which ordinary
citizens or civil society participate directly or indirectly in extracting accountability. It underlines both
the rights and responsibilities of citizens to expect and ensure that the government acts in public
interest.

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By involving citizens in monitoring performance, demanding and enhancing transparency and

exposing government failures and misdeeds, social accountability mechanisms are potentially
powerful tools against public sector corruption. Thus, it improves service delivery quality.
In addition to improved governance, it also empowers citizens. Empowerment in this context
stands for a persons capacity to make effective choices into desired actions and outcomes.
Mechanisms like participatory public policy making, public expenditure tracking and citizen
report cards empower citizen by making them a part of decision making which would have
otherwise not been possible for many.
They also help to minimize the chances of failure of a decision as they involve the stakeholders
and decisions are taken by consensus. Thus, it is a tool to strengthen democracy in an age when
decentralization and delegation of powers to grass root has proved to be the key to effective
development.

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Conventional accountability mechanisms rely on government agencies to extract accountability. Internal

mechanisms like departmental hierarchy are prone to biases, favoritism and quid pro quo. External
mechanisms have had a checkered history. CVC, Lokayukta etc. owing to political interference and lack of
necessary autonomy have not proven to be too effective. At the same time judiciary and CAG have
performed much better. Moreover, conventional methods dont involve public in defining standards and
methods of accountability. Also, conventional methods are of post-hoc nature i.e. they can look into the
propriety of the actions of officials only after they are done. Thus, the wrong has already been
committed and the loss to the exchequer has already occurred.

Civil servants can take the following steps in improve the effectiveness of social accountability:

Social Accountability mechanisms are most effective when they are institutionalized. Ideally it
can be done through a law. However, civil servants at their own level can devise mechanisms to
engage and organize citizens and civil society.

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2.

Relevant data/information must be interpreted and analyzed in order to be rendered

operationally useful. This would be useful in producing meaningful findings that can be used in
dialogue with stakeholders.
For enabling social accountability, dissemination of information and public debate around them
must be encouraged.
Informing citizens of their rights and also responsibilities, which improves social accountability.
Capacity building of citizens should be done through the use of NGOs, active civil society
organizations etc.
Ensuring that the response of citizens is duly incorporated in decisions and execution of those
decisions by reporting officials is regularly monitored, so as to build a relationship of trust
between citizens and officials.

(a) Biometric attendance, punctuality and cleanliness provide only a good start towards the
improvement of work culture. A lot more is required to improve the work culture of the Indian
bureaucracy and make it more responsive and citizen centric. Comment.
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Introduce briefly the current state of work culture in administration that demands substantive
changes in the direction of making it more public service oriented.
Give your opinion about how procedural changes, though vital, changing work culture requires
comprehensive restructuring of work ethics.
Suggest some measures.

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The basic theme of the question is 'how to improve public service orientation of work culture in Indian
bureaucracy. The statement underlines the need of not only introducing procedural/normative changes
but also changing the value system or work ethics of organizational culture in bureaucracy. Accordingly,
the statement needs to be commented i.e. opinion should be expressed. Hence, the answer can be
framed in the following manner:

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It is well known fact that behaviour of government agencies is determined by the kind of work culture
prevailing in bureaucracy. In Indian context, lack of professionalism, transparency, low public service
orientation and responsiveness are the symptoms of malaise prevailing in work culture of bureaucracy.
However changing socio-political context in which bureaucracy functions demands public service
orientation and responsiveness.

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In this context, the recent initiatives taken by the government such as biometric attendance, punctuality
and emphasizing cleanliness are long due procedural measures towards improvement of work culture
However, considering the entrenched nature of existing work culture which does not suit to current
demands of good governance, there is need for comprehensive change in work ethics. It should involve
as envisaged in Sevottam model: making public servants understand citizen's expectation, motivation
and training of public servants, improving communication within organization, inculcating values of
transparency and accountability and improving their physical and social capability to deliver. . Further
ethical sensitisation, goal orientation and team spirit are required to develop a work culture that is
empathetic to citizens needs, supports innovation and is resilient to undue external pressures.
Some reform measures that can be taken in this regard:

Making mandatory to every public organization to follow guidelines for implementation of

Sevottam model.
Ensuring compliance to Citizen charters and making active public grievance redressal
mechanism.

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Moving towards objective annual assessment of performance of civil servants and government
programs
Encourage use of IT to reduce discretion and bring in transparency and accountability

Making citizens aware of their rights through citizens charters and media.

2.

(b) Of all government activities, public procurement is amongst the one most vulnerable to fraud and
corruption. Explain with examples. Further, what steps would you suggest to maintain probity in public
procurement.
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Approach:
The basic theme of the question is "high vulnerability of public procurement for corruption and measures
to reduce it". Accordingly, the answer can be framed in following manner:

Introduce your answer by explaining what public procurement stands for.

Explain how it is more susceptible to corrupt practices by giving examples.
Enumerate measures to maintain probity is public procurement.

Answer:

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Government agencies purchase a wide variety of goods, services and public works, from the private
sector, from basic computer equipment to the construction of roads, which accounts for generation of
huge financial flows, estimated on average at 10-15% of GDP across the world (30% of GDP in case of
India).

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However, due to corrupt practices, market competition is hindered; and the price paid by the
administration for goods and services is artificially raised, which has a direct impact on public
expenditures and therefore on taxpayers resources. For example, according to World Economic forum
report of 2005, bribery by international firms in OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development) countries is more frequent in public procurement than in utilities, taxation, and judicial
system. In India, most of the public offices have latest technology equipments and other resources,
which lie idle due to incorrect assessment of needs of the office.

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Therefore, effective procedures that enhance transparency, good management, prevention of

misconduct, accountability and control, contribute to preventing not only corruption but also the waste
of public resources.

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Following steps (principles) can be employed while designing the public procurement policy to achieve
probity in the system:

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To provide an adequate degree of transparency in the entire procurement cycle in order to

promote fair and equitable treatment for potential suppliers. Introduction of e-tendering and eprocurement in procurement processes by the government is a step in the right direction.
Maximize transparency in competitive tendering and take precautionary measures toenhance
integrity, in particular in competitive tendering.
To provide specific mechanisms for the monitoring and the detection and sanctioning of
misconduct. To ensure that procurement officials meet high professional standards of
knowledge, skills and integrity.
To ensure that funds are used in procurement according to the purposes intended so as to
achieve value for public money.
To encourage close co-operation between government and the private sector to maintain high
standards of integrity, particularly in contract management.
Address complaints from potential suppliers in a fair and timely manner.

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3.

(a) "Those who say religion has nothing to do with politics do not know what religion is". Explain.
Further examine the role of religion in formation of political attitude in the Indian context.
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Approach:
This is the quote given by Mahatma Gandhi, which underlines the importance of religion in shaping
political and moral attitude of people. The answer can be framed in the following manner:
Elaborate the statement and its assumptions in detail.
Discuss how religion played an important role in shaping political attitude in India.

Answer:

Partition of India on communal lines and existence of political parties adhering to a particular religious
ideology are examples and validation of the above quote by Mahatma Gandhi. In a developing society,
like India, where tradition coexists with modern practices, religion still plays a very important role in the
distribution of power in society. Hence, the idea that politics is immune from religious ideas is
tantamount to ignorance about the powerful role religion plays in the socio-political life of Indian society.
It can be said that religion still fundamentally shapes political attitude of a large section of people in
India.

Inspite of diverse social composition, numerical dominance of one religion with respect to
various minority religious communities made religious identity important in socio-political life.
During colonial times religious identities were reinforced to divide the society on religiouspolitical lines, since then religion has become important social force in political landscape of
India.
Religion provides the ethical framework of the society which also shapes the political actions
e.g. banning of beef, role of women in society.
Religious identities are easier to mobilize for political ends as they are primordial and
resonates with masses.

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(b) Emotion can lead to our worst decisions or our best ones: The difference is emotional intelligence.
In light of the given statement, illustrate how emotional intelligence is critical in decision making. How
can it help a civil servant in taking prudent decisions?
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Though there are various factors like family, caste, ethnicity, region, occupation which determine general
political attitude of people, in the Indian context religion has historically played a very fundamental role.
Various underlying causes for this condition are:

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In the introduction, discuss how emotions influence the decisions of an individual and how
emotions lead to good or bad decisions.
Thereafter, introduce the concept of emotional intelligence. Demonstrate how EI makes the
difference in decision-making.
Conclude by citing relevance of emotional intelligence in decision-making activity of a civil
servant.

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The basic theme of the question is "criticality of emotional intelligence in decision making". Accordingly,
the answer can be framed in following manner:

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Answer:
Almost from the beginning, the decision-making experts encouraged to think that making decisions is a
rational process involving facts and analysis. However, in reality decisions are acts of judgment made by
people. These judgments are shaped and formed in our brain, through processes that are just now being
understood. In fact, in many instances, the real driver of our actions is our emotions.
Many experts and empirical studies warn decision-makers about the perils of making decisions when one
is emotionally aroused. The important thing here is not the presence of emotions, but the way in which
the individuals interpret and deal with emotions. When an individual appropriately deals with emotions,
he/she is able to make better decisions. The more skilled a person is in dealing with his/her emotions,
the more likely that person is to make more correct decisions.
Emotional Intelligence is defined as individual abilities that enable an individual to perceive, thoughtfully
use, understand, and manage emotions to achieve a productive end. When emotions are elicited in any
decision making process, they are processed by abilities included under emotional intelligence.
Decisions involve the use of cognitions and emotions in varying amounts.
For example, when faced with a situation eliciting intense anger, a person could make an unethical
decision prompted by that anger, rather than going through a rational, multi-step process. Take example
of law enforcement agencies. When faced with hostile environment, they may commit revengeful acts.

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(a) Anyone who doesn't take truth seriously in small matters cannot be trusted in large ones either.Albert Einstein. Bring out what this statement means to you in the present context.
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In the civil services, therefore, emotional intelligence is beneficial to manage the emotions in a manner
that will be helpful to achieve productive outcomes. High-EI individuals, therefore, could reduce the
effects of negative emotions like anger or rage on their decision-making. Rage and anger are not only
removed as hindrances, but also used to enhance the quality of decisions. Therefore, emotionally
intelligent civil services could result in better decisions especially when more negative emotions
accompany decisions.

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To begin with one should reiterate that one cannot be selective in minor or major issue as far as
truthfulness is concerned. Students should bring out the relevance of this statement in the context of
civil services. Providing a suitable example will fetch more marks.

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Answer:

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Einstein reminds us that truth is truth and if one is not truthful in small things, one can never be truthful
in large ones; in fact, you cant be trusted with large ones. It is the smaller issue that becomes the
building blocks of larger issues. In the issues involving matters of justice one cannot be selective in
applying the principles irrespective of minor or major details.

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At times people get tempted to stretch the truth. Its not really a lie, but it really isnt quite the truth
either. Again, Einstein reminds us that stretching the truth really isnt taking truth seriously and if its
not the truth it really is a lie and one cant be trusted in the big issues.
Another way of understanding the proposition can be taking the example of honesty and integrity.
Selective honesty cannot lead to integrity; rather it is the consistency of honest behavior in matters small
and great that is termed integrity which is considered to be a trait important for people holding high
public offices and dealing with issues of greater significance.

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This is particularly relevant for a civil servant for whom even the minutest of the tasks and activities are
as important as the big ones. He should ensure that each and every action of his has been taken after
taking all the ethical aspects into considerations. A civil servant has to deal with public day in and day out
as a part of his work and he has to follow the highest standards of ethics and morality and not show
lapses for even minutest of the events. For example one might justify taking a pencil everyday from the
office stationery as a small incident which would not hurt the functioning of the office but if every
individual in the office starts committing the same act the organization would surely end up suffering in
the longer run. Therefore following highest standards of ethics and integrity is paramount for a civil
servant.

4.

(b) Recent incidents of moral policing is symptomatic of the growing intolerance in Indian society.
Analyse with examples. Suggest some measures to address this issue.
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Approach:
The basic theme of the question is "moral policing as indicative of intolerance in Indian society".
Accordingly answer can be framed in following manner:

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In introduction briefly explain how intolerance in Indian society is growing and how moral
policing is societal expression of it.
Define moral policing giving examples and why it is unacceptable in society.
Suggest some social, cultural and legal measures to address it.

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Indian society is known as a land of contradictions. It emerges from the unique condition of Indian society,
which being based on a traditional value system has experienced an incomplete transition to modernity. As
a result, different conflicting perspective of "how society ought to be?" exist in society. These prevailing
perspectives give rise to phenomenon like moral policing expressed as intolerance and repudiation of
values, norms, practices of 'societal others'.

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Moral policing is the social practice involving moral censorship of public behavior of particular group or
individuals in public sphere, on grounds of being not reflective of mainstream values by some vigilante
groups. There are many incidences, which came in public limelight recently, which reflect this
phenomenon. E.g. many couples were recently beaten by vigilante groups for expressing their love publicly.

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In recent times, freedom of speech and expression is being threatened, not only by vigilante groups, but
also various political parties, which engage in moral policing in order to please their respective
constituencies.

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The phenomenon of moral policing is contrary to the individual freedoms and rights guaranteed under the
constitution. Such practices also threaten the social and moral fabric of a multicultural society like India.

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Any effort to curb moral policing should start with educating the citizens of the country, especially its
children, to respect the Constitutional values of tolerance, unity in diversity and secularism. Secondly, the
government should seek to punish the vigilante moral police by framing necessary laws. Thirdly, it is the
judiciarys responsibility to protect the ordinary citizens from any violation of their rights by the
government, like it did by quashing Section 66A of the IT Act.
In conclusion, moral policing represents a grave threat to Indias democratic ethos and the onus lies not
only with the government but also individuals to not just tolerate, but respect diverse viewpoints and
lifestyles.

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5.

(a) What do you understand by the term Conflict of Interest in the context of public service? What are
the norms prescribed for Civil Services in India to deal with this issue?
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Approach:
The basic theme of the question is "conflict of interest as an organizational dilemma and measures to
solve it". Accordingly, the answer can be framed in the following manner:

In introduction define what the concept is.

Describe conflict of interest in the context of public services.
Explain it with relevant examples.
Give a summary of the discernible norms that have been prescribed under Central Civil Services
(Conduct) Rules, 1964, All India Service (Death-cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958, Central
Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972 etc. for the Civil Servants in India to deal with conflict of
interest.

Answer:

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A conflict of interest is a set of circumstances that creates a risk that professional judgment or actions
regarding a primary interest will be unduly influenced by a secondary interest. Primary interest refers to
the principal goals of the profession or activity. In the context of civil services it implies performance of
the duties of public office with utmost integrity, honesty, impartiality and taking decisions solely based
on merit and in public interest. Secondary interest includes not only financial gain but also such motives
as the desire for professional advancement and the wish to do favors for family and friends. For example,
if a government official is part of an appointment board to a post for which his son has also applied, it is
a clear case of conflict of interest. The officials judgment about the suitability for the post may be
clouded by his affection and concern for his son. Hence, it is recommended that the official should
excuse himself from the membership of the board by declaring the conflict of interest.

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In India, various provisions of Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964, All India Service (Death-cumRetirement Benefits) Rules, 1958, Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972 etc. prescribe the norms for
dealing with conflict of interest. Some discernible conflict of interests and the corresponding norms to
deal with them have been given below:

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Influence of office: No Government servant shall use his position or influence directly or indirectly to
secure employment for any member of his family in any company or firm.

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Declarations of Interests and Recusal: Officers should recuse themselves from a contract award in which
a dependent is employed. Permission is required if dependents of officers wish to accept employment
with private firms with which the officers have official dealings. Application for share allotment when
involved in decision-making for a public offering of a Public Sector Enterprise is prohibited.

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Asset and Interest Disclosure: Civil servants must report assets and liabilities when first appointed and
provide updates on transactions above a certain amount. These are not made public and so far have not
been accessible under the RTI Act. However, some states are working to make some information public.
Disclosures are not audited, but are open to scrutiny from the CBI and CVC.

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Regulation of Gifts: Officials shall be penalized for accepting gifts while discharging duty with
imprisonment and fines. The Rules prevent lavish or frequent hospitality from any individual or firm an
officer has official dealings with.
Incompatibility Provisions: Officers should not speculate in any stock, share or other investments;
participate directly or indirectly in business or trade; among other measures. Civil servants are barred
from taking up commercial employment for a year after retirement.

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Political Neutrality: No Government servant shall be a member of, or be otherwise associated with, any
political party or any organization which takes part in politics nor shall he take part in, subscribe in aid of,
or assist in any other manner, any political movement or activity.
However, this list is not exhaustive. The situations in which conflicts arise are very subjective and many
times need to be dealt on a case-by-case basis where no specific norms may have been prescribed by the
rules. Hence, in such case it boils down to the individual judgment of the public servant and his own
value premises and moral judgments.

5.

(b) Although most public organizations have a code of conduct for their employees, its impact has been
less than satisfactory in combating the misuse of office by public servants. Explain. Provide some
suggestions to make the code of conduct a more comprehensive tool in dealing with corruption in
public offices.
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Approach:
The basic theme of the question is "how to make code of conduct more effective" with respect to public
goals it serves. Accordingly, the answer can be framed in the following manner:
In introduction define what code of conduct is then describe its impact, citing examples.
Bring out the reasons for the limited impact the code of conduct. Suggest changes in the code of
code of conduct, supporting laws and other solutions that you deem suitable to improve the
effectiveness of the Code of Conduct.

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Code of Conduct (CoC) is a set of rules, standards, principles and values outlining the expected behavior
for the members of an organization. The purpose is to regulate the conduct of members on various
decisions, transactions and processes.

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Most of the public organizations and offices today fall under the ambit of one or the other Code of
Conduct like Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, Ministers code of conduct, Code of Conduct by
Medical Council of India (MCI), Election Commissions Model Code of conduct etc. These have been
designed to comprehensively cover almost all the situations in which public servants find themselves in
and if the code is followed in letter and spirit, the corruption and misuse of public office will cease to
exist. Yet, widespread corruption occurring at all the levels is indicative that CoC has proved to be
ineffective in tackling corruption in public life.

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Not all the provisions of code of conduct are legally binding. For example, provisions of Central
Civil Services (Conduct) Rules which are violated under the Prevention of Corruption Act invite
punishment. Else, their enforcement boils down to departmental discretion. Similarly, Model
Code of Conduct by ECI is not legally enforceable and only its provisions violated under the
Peoples Representation Act attract punishment. MCIs code is also not binding by law but its
enforcement is at the discretion of MCI. These loopholes and arbitrariness results in violation of
conduct rules.
CoC has to be supported by strong accountability and transparency mechanisms. However, as
they are yet to gain strength at the implementation level, the code of conduct has also been
rendered ineffective.
CoC has been supplemented by code of ethics by various organizations. It aims to inculcate moral
and ethical principles in public life. However, the erosion of moral values in public life has
occurred to an extent that the cumulative impact is negligible. Lack of mechanisms that can

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Following reasons can be attributed towards the minimal impact of Code of Conduct in dealing with
corruption in public life:

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inculcate the public services values in the employees in particular and public in general is also a
reason.
Following steps can be taken to enhance the effectiveness of Code of Conduct:

Citizen charter has recently emerged as an innovative tool for reinforcing citizen centric governance.
Explain the statement and analyse the various constraints faced during the implementation of the
citizen charter in the Indian administrative system.
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The Code should be legally binding. Arbitrariness is against the Rule of Law and hence, it should
be eliminated. Code should unambiguously describe the course of action that has to be taken in
case of violation.
A comparative evaluation of the effectiveness of Code of Conduct in public and business
organizations indicates that there has been considerable impact of the Code of Conduct in
business organizations. Hence, the methodology for implementation of the code of conduct can
be adopted and modified to suit public organizations.
Certain practices in business organizations have resulted in the employees identifying themselves
with the organization and its objectives. These best practices should be adopted by public sector.
Inculcation and rejuvenation of public service values at an early age and throughout the career
of employees should be done through activities and training.
Code of Conduct should be supported by service delivery standards and strong accountability
and transparency mechanisms to reign in corruption.

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Explain how why and how citizen charter has emerged as an effective tool for good governance.
Analyze various challenges faced during its implementation.

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The basic theme of the question is "Citizen charter: a tool for citizen centric governance and challenges
faced in its implementation". Accordingly, the answer can be framed in the following manner:

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Answer:

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In recent times, citizens and their rights have come into center stage in the whole effort of reorganizing
how they should be governed. The growing emphasis on upgrading the governance performance, making
it more efficient, accountable and transparent has ushered the above changes. In this scenario, citizen
charter is a tool to enhance citizen's command over governance in quality delivery through educating
them, improving accessibility to service provider, incorporating their expectations and grievance
redressal.

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People are not enlightened with regard to what are the responsibilities of various government
departments. As a result, there is no pressure from ground to departments to perform. e.g.
people are not aware of what are the services provided in primary hospitals.
On the supply side, departments particularly at local level are not well equipped to resource wise
to deliver quality of services even citizens are aware of their functions.
Again on the supply side, if departments are well equipped, the red tapism prevalent stand as a
barrier between citizen and delivery.
Citizen charter does not provide any legal rights to citizens hence, they lack teeth if not followed.
Citizens are very pessimistic about any program which comes from government that creates
depressor during implementation both for department and civil society.

is

Th

do

cu

ti

pe

rs

However, the efficacy of such instrument suffered due to various shortcomings during implementation:

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7.

An efficient service delivery is the key to winning the public trust in government. What are the
challenges being faced in efficient delivery of public services? Suggest some measures to improve the
delivery of public services.
10

Approach:
The basic theme of the question is challenges faced in the efficient delivery of services and
improvements required. Accordingly, the answer can be framed in the following manner:

Bring out why an efficient service delivery is instrumental in winning public trust and how it adds
to the public satisfaction in overall functioning of the government.
List the challenges that are being faced in the improvement of service delivery like lack of
political will, bureaucratic inertia, grass root corruption, inefficient design of schemes, erosion of
moral values etc.
Suggest the operational, structural, and moral reforms that can be taken to improve service
delivery.

Answer:

gm

ai
l.

co
m

Delivery of public services may be done by the government itself or through a private party. However,
ultimate responsibility for the delivery of public services lies upon the government and should be
provided in an efficient and qualitative manner. It means that they are easily accessible, widely available,
affordable, timely and responsive. Delivery of public services is a cutting edge level exercise and remains
under constant public scrutiny. It is seen as the parameter of governments performance by the public
and hence an efficient public service delivery builds peoples trust in the efficiency of the government.
Hence, an improvement in their efficiency becomes a must.

10

dy

Convenience of service providers: For a long time the public services have been provided on the
basis of convenience of the service providers rather than receivers. This culture is still ingrained
deeply and due to it public suffers from complex procedures, tedious and repetitive processes,
absence of performance standards, lack of information and awareness.
Lack of accountability and transparency: Accountability and transparency mechanisms currently
operative at the cutting edge level are poorly implemented. Moreover, public officials try to
evade and dilute these processes.
Lack of trust in government: Due to the performance till date, there is a lack of trust in the
government officials and processes. As a result any mechanisms to improve it are skeptically
seen by public and hence, face problem of public participation and penetration.
Lack of political and administrative will: Political and administrative class is averse to reforms
and considers them as a challenge to their power and they prefer status quo.
Lack of motivation at the grass root level: It is at the grass root level that policies transform into
action. However, these officials are often de-motivated and corrupt. They are not interested in
reforming the delivery systems and see a people friendly service delivery adding to their work
load.

ed

is
e

al

cu

en

ti

pe

rs

on

fo

rv

ar

dh
m

an

m
.b

m
ut

th

a(
va

1@

However, the task faces the following major challenges:

11

Th

is

do

To meet these challenges the following steps can be taken:

To place people at the centre of development agenda, above all the administrative or political
convenience through appropriate feedback and participatory mechanisms.
To provide services to people according to specified standards, simple method and transparent
manner through rigorous and efficient implementation of citizen charters and RTI.
Increase accountability of governments through novel mechanisms like social accountability,
social auditing etc.

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Vision IAS

8.

Ensuring a minimum tenure of public servants and formulating standards for performance
evaluation through implementation of mechanisms like Result Framework Document (RFD) and
Performance Related Incentive Scheme (PRIS) at all the levels.
Using cost effective techniques and outsourcing the service delivery if it can be done more
effectively and efficiently by an outside agency.
Strengthen the institutions of Panchayats and Municipalities by delegating them more powers
and finances.
Curbing the existence of multiple para-statals like Jal Board, Development authority etc. who
have overlapping functions with each other or Panchayati Raj institutions.
Capacity and capability building of the officials though proper training and orientation. Training
should also have moral and reformative aspects.

Explain the importance of diligence as a value for a civil servant. How can it be inculcated among civil
servants?
10

Approach:
The basic theme of the question is explicit and self-evident i.e. capacity of perseverance in carrying out
action and its usefulness for a civil administrator. Accordingly, the answer can be framed in the following
manner:

co
m

Define diligence and explain its importance in the lives of civil administrator.
Explain various methods used in family, school and work training to inculcate the value.

ai
l.

1@

gm

Answer:

dh
m

an

m
.b

ed

m
ut

th

a(
va

dy

10

Diligence is the quality of showing perseverance in carrying out the work while showing active
engagement and careful attention to every details. This quality is indispensable to every civil servant
considering the complexity of work and great responsibility which comes with it. Example being to
implement the anti-corruption laws in a district administration where corruption is a way of life, to
conduct relief and rescue operations in a disaster struck area, one needs to be very careful and attentive
with strong will to carry out the task. Though diligence is vital for carrying out the duty of civil servants, it
is equally difficult to inculcate since modern life tends to value comfort more than hard work.

fo

By role modelling: There have been various public personalities who showed exemplary quality
of diligence in their public conduct. e.g. M.Shreedharan, T.N Sheshan, J.Lyngdoh. Such
personalities should be made role model for civil servants by making them aware of their lives.
Social recognition of performing civil servants: Giving recognition and rewards to individuals
who practices such quality will provide motivation to fellow civil servants to adopt such values.
Giving adequate autonomy to civil servant: freedom from political pressure will provide the civil
servant to actively engage in his work.
Providing adequate resources: diligence not only require individual will but resource in form of
information and means to carry out the task. Provision of adequate resources will create
conducive condition for inculcation of diligence as practical value.

on

ti

cu

Th

is

do

en

pe

rs

al

is
e

rv

ar

However, such a value can be inculcated among civil servants in the following ways:

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Section B
In the following questions, carefully study the cases presented and then answer the questions that follow (in
around 250 words):
9.

You are posted in a district as a public servant responsible for looking into the matters of violation of
Right to Education Act. You came across a case in which a poor farmer had beaten his daughter for not
going to take her fifth class annual exams. Eventually, he tied her up with his motorbike and took her
to the examination hall. Corporal punishment to the children by parents or teachers is a punishable
offence with three month jail term.
When you enquired about it the poor farmer explained that he had done so for ensuring a better
future for her daughter as he does not want his children to live in poverty in which he is living. He also
says that his economic condition is poor and if he is taken to jail his children will face severe hardships.
(a) What are the options available to you?
(b) Evaluate each of these options and choose the option which you would adopt, giving reasons.

20

Approach:
Answer can be framed in the following manner:
Introduce your answer by identifying the ethical dilemma involved in this case for you, as public
servant.
List the various course of action you can take.
Evaluate the listed action in terms of logical thinking that went behind it and justify the best
option among them.

ai
l.

gm

10

1@

co
m

a(
va

dy

Answer:

an

m
.b

ed

m
ut

th

This case presents a unique situation in which a poor father has beaten his child to send her to school
and has fallen into the trap of law. The administrator who is responsible for overseeing the law is
presented with an ethical dilemma - whether to follow his duty according to rules or act in good faith by
considering the situation of the person and make an exception with the case.

rv

Establish his offence as evidently he is a culprit in a crime that is considered as serious according
to the law.
Consider his disparate situation as a poor farmer spending hard earned money on his childs
education and leave him after a strict warning.
Try to understand why children are not willing to go to school and take appropriate measures
accordingly.

pe

en

ti

rs

on

al

is
e

fo

ar

dh
m

In such context, as a public servant, the following options will be available:

do

cu

Following consideration will go behind the above course of actions:

Th

is

1. Establishing the offence of father and punishing him has both merits and demerits attached to it.
The merits will be that I will fulfil my duty in strict observance of law, it ensures justice to the
aggrieved child, It acts as a deterrence for parents and teachers.
However, this step comes with more demerits, as punishing the poor farmer desperate to
provide education to his child will amount to blind observance of law ignoring the circumstances
in which crime has happened. Further, there would be practical difficulty as who will take care of
child when her father will go to jail. Punishing the child will amount to punishing the child more
as she comes from a poor farmer family. Any punishment might change the fathers attitude

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towards the child as he might turn hostile and non-caring for his whole life after his release. This
step overlooks the reasons as to why the child is unwilling to go to the school.
2. Giving due consideration to situation of the father and the child and setting him free after strict
warning. This step has merit of acting in good faith considering the totality of the situation and
showing empathy both with poor father and child as it saves her from consequences of
punishing the father. Further, it will save the family from financial hardship. Since the farmer had
taken the decision with a good intention, he may be given benefit for it. The action of farmer
may end up educating his daughter and bring the family out of poverty. The demerit of the
action is if through the media or otherwise this case goes in public domain than I may face
disciplinary action for not implementing the law properly. Moreover, it will encourage, or at least
will not deter, others to exercise corporal punishment.
3. Knowing why children show unwillingness to go to school is important to prevent corporal
punishment. It may be the case that due to fear of corporal punishment in the school, the child is
showing resistance for going to the school. Further, such measures need to be taken, which
increase the willingness of children to go to the school.
I believe that I can choose both the second and third options of showing restraint and give due
consideration to the situation of farmer and child and taking substantive measure to prevent
corporal punishment in both schools and home.

co
m

You retired as a finance manager from a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU). After retirement you are
offered a job in a private company as its finance head and you have accepted it. The company has a
procurement contract with the PSU which you worked for. Now that contract is up for renewal through
competitive bidding. You have been asked to lead the team responsible for bidding of this contract.

10

1@

gm

ai
l.

10.

m
.b

ed

m
ut

th

a(
va

dy

While working in the PSU, you had an opportunity to work on areas relating to financial accounting,
procurement, contracts and bids. You are concerned that you might breach the confidentiality if you
accept the assignment in the present company. You also suspect that your knowledge and experience
of working in the PSU were seen as good reasons for appointing you to the position in the present
company.

rs

on

al

is
e

fo

Do not accept the assignment as it will lead to breach of confidentiality.

Do not lead the team but guide them from outside.
Accept to lead the team and use your expertise in bidding for the contract.
Resign from the job.

pe

i.
ii.
iii.
iv.

rv

ar

dh
m

an

The loss of such a major contract would have a significant effect on the financial performance of
Company. Evaluate the merits and demerits of each of the options given below and finally suggest
what course of action you would like to take, providing adequate reasons.

14

is
Th

Approach:

do

cu

en

ti

Suggest any other possible option(s). Evaluate all of them and suggest the best course of action, giving
your reasons for it.
20

Bring out the key facts of the case and identify the ethical dilemma involved.
Evaluate the merits and demerits of the given options.
Suggest a best possible solution without compromising the ethical values.

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Vision IAS

Answer:
The facts of the case are:
I worked in a PSU earlier, where I handled confidential work with information, which is usually
not available to outsiders.
Now I am working in a private company which has asked me to involve in the work where I may
breach the confidentiality of my earlier work.
I doubt that I am hired by the present company based on my experience of working in
confidential jobs of the PSU so that it will benefit the company.

The ethical dilemma in the present case is regarding maintaining the confidentiality of the previous job
while working in the present company.
The merits and demerits of the given options are:
i.

Do not accept the assignment, as it will lead to breach of confidentiality:

Do not lead the team but guide them from outside:

ai
l.

ii.

co
m

a. The merit of this option is that I will not breach the confidentiality of my previous
job. I am being completely safe in my professional behaviour so that nobody would
question my integrity.
b. I completely refuse to take part in the bidding process even if there are chances of
company losing the bid. The demerit is that I am not fulfilling my responsibility
towards the present company.

m
.b

Accept to lead the team and use your expertise in bidding for the contract:

an

iii.

ed

m
ut

th

a(
va

dy

10

1@

gm

a. This option will ensure that I am not directly involved in the bidding process but my
expertise and knowledge will be used. I will not be officially responsible for the
bidding and the company will also have high chances of winning the bid.
b. The company will benefit and I will be contributing towards the performance of
company. But there are chances of breach of confidentiality even though I would not
be directly responsible for it.

rs

Resign from the job

pe

iv.

on

al

is
e

fo

rv

ar

dh
m

a. I will accept the assignment and use my expertise and knowledge in bidding for the
contract. The company will benefit from my expertise and I will be contributing
directly towards the performance of the company.
b. I may breach the confidentiality of the previous job at the cost of success in the
present company.

Th

is

do

cu

en

ti

a. I will resign from the job since I suspect that my knowledge and experience of
working in PSU were seen as good reasons for hiring me to the position in the
present company. This will lead to breach of confidentiality.
b. Resigning from the job will ensure no such breach and my professional integrity is
maintained. The present company might be at loss and it might not perform well
considering the low chances of winning the bid.

The principle of confidentiality prohibits the use of confidential information acquired as a result of my
previous employment for my advantage or that of my current employer. While I have a responsibility to
advance the legitimate aims of my organisation, this should not extend to a breach of confidentiality.
In this case, the present company stands to benefit from the confidential information about how bids are
assessed at the PSU. The principle would not be breached if I was in possession of information that was

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Vision IAS

in the public domain, or if I was simply to use experience gained in my previous employment, so long as I
do not use confidential knowledge that I acquired as a result of that employment.
So, I will discuss with the board of the company about my obligation towards maintaining confidentiality.
I will ask for the involvement in the preparation of the contract bid to be limited. For example, I may be
able to contribute to aspects of the bid that do not require me to refer to confidential knowledge about
my previous employment.
I will also refer to the companys ethical code of ethics and the policy of the company in this matter and
make sure there is no breach of confidentiality in my present work. I will also document, in detail, the
steps taken in resolving the dilemma, in case my ethical judgment is challenged in the future.
If the necessary safeguards are not provided by the company during my involvement in the assignment, I
refuse to take part in the bid. I will also discuss with the board about the intention behind my hiring. I will
clarify that no confidential information can be shared with the company for its benefit since it is my
obligation to maintain the confidentiality. If the company does not agree on the necessary safeguards
and compels me on sharing the confidential information, resigning from the company is the only option.

You are the district officer responsible for implementing the government schemes in the district. One of
the schemes is to provide financial assistance to poor students completing their Class XII so that they
can join college comfortably. But, due to unexpectedly good results there arises a shortage of funds for
the scheme. However, the funds are available in another scheme of housing which are unutilized, but
need approval from senior officials and may take more than a month and by that time the admissions
will be over.

gm

ai
l.

co
m

11.

1@

Given below are few options that you can take:

m
.b

ed

m
ut

th

a(
va

dy

10

1. Send the request for funds diversion and pursue the case with the senior officials to get it done
quickly.
2. Promise to deliver the rewards next month as you cannot do anything now.
3. Prepare some fictitious names that need a house & transfer the funds from housing scheme to
this scheme considering the urgency of case and future of children.

ar

dh
m

an

Suggest any other possible option(s). Evaluate all of them and suggest the best course of action, giving
your reasons for it.
20

rs

on

al

is
e

Briefly elaborate the case.

Evaluate the merits and demerits of each option.
Give your reasons for selecting a particular option.

pe

fo

rv

Approach:

en

ti

Answer:

Th

is

do

cu

In this particular case there is an urgent need of funds and as the official implementing the schemes of
the government, people expect you to deliver. Also, the future of many needy and deserving students is
at stake. One has to choose an appropriate course of action.
Let us evaluate the options that are available to us:
1. It is a suitable option as one can pursue the case with higher officials for immediate availability of
funds. It is said that it may take a month, but it is not necessary. Hence, if urgency is made to
understand to the higher officials then it is possible that the matter can be taken up and the long

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drawn process can be cut short in public interest. However, it is also possible that funds may not
arrive in time and the students may suffer.
2. At the cutting edge level, it is expected from the officials to provide solutions to localized
problems of people and handle it in a manner that fulfills the immediate need of people.
Availability of funds in the next month will be of little use to the students and hence such
inaction is unwarranted. It also reflects lack of action and interest on your part in solving peoples
problem and creates a negative image of government amongst the people.
3. This action will result in the achievement of purpose. As the intention is good and the end result
is the welfare of people, it seems to be appropriate. However, means cannot be separated from
end and use of a mean that is based on untruth is not the most appropriate thing to do.
Moreover, you can be taken to task by your senior officials for fictitious transfers if scrutiny is
done later. It will not only create a bad example before your staff that may then bypass rules and
use dubious means for selfish purposes at the pretext of public welfare but will also set a bad
precedent.

A District Magistrate, posted in a district affected by left wing extremism, was abducted by the
extremists while he was on a routine inspection tour to assess the progress of the development work in
one of the villages. After abduction, extremists demanded the release of two of their leaders who are
accused of involvement in the violent attack on the police convoy few months back. After few days of
continued negotiations, the centre and state governments agreed to accept the demands of extremists
in return for release of the District Magistrate. During the time when District Magistrate was held
captive, he was treated well by the extremists and many extremists and even locals came to visit him
in order to point out the problems in the service delivery, excesses of the police and paramilitary forces
in a very convincing manner. After being released, the District Magistrate comes to you to seek advice
on how to deal with the issues, which arose out of his abduction. Some of the suggestions are as
follows:

is
e

fo

rv

ar

dh
m

an

m
.b

ed

m
ut

th

a(
va

dy

10

12.

1@

gm

ai
l.

co
m

Hence, an appropriate option could be to raise the request for further funds and pursue the case with
seniors for hurried transfer of funds. Meanwhile, as a person of authority, you can issue certificates to
the students promising them money. You can issue a letter of promise to the students that they can
present in their respective colleges along with the certificate. This will help the poor students to seek
admission in college and also avoid raising loans, which is generally a long process. As soon as the funds
arrive, you can pay the colleges on behalf of students. This shows that you are ready to take
responsibility of the people of your district and think out of the box to make them available what is
rightly theirs without falling for any dubious means.

Th

is

do

cu

en

ti

pe

rs

on

al

1. The District Magistrate should file a criminal case against the extremists for his abduction and help
the security forces in whatever way he can to catch the culprits and also request for a transfer.
2. The District Magistrate should take up a review of status of developmental work in that region
while leading the audit himself; but at the same time work on new innovative strategies so that
locals can be made free from the control of extremists, treating the incidence as a wakeup call.
3. The District Magistrate should inform about his experience to higher authorities and take the
moral responsibility by tendering his resignation as he has not only failed to streamline the public
service delivery in the district but also because of him two extremists are free.
Suggest any other possible option(s). Evaluate all of them and suggest the best course of action, giving
your reasons for it.
20

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Approach:

First identify all the stakeholders involved in this case and how DMs actions after release are going
to affect them, including him. His actions should be guided by the ethical principles and qualities of a
public administrator courage, integrity, compassion etc.
Then, taking into account all the given suggestions, student is expected to devise an allencompassing approach to deal with the situation, so that every stakeholders issues are resolved to
a larger extent.

Answer:
In order to decide on the most appropriate and effective course of action to be taken by DM, it is
important to first clearly identify all the parties involved and how the decisions taken are going to affect
them, including the DM himself. So, the other main stakeholders are:

Local people
Extremist elements
Security forces
Government administration

Based on ethical principles and code of conduct of public officials, the given suggestions regarding course
of action by DM with integrity, compassion, confidence and courage, can be evaluated as follows:
DM has every right to file a criminal case against the extremist elements as he suffered
psychological and emotional trauma and agony it caused to his family members. Also, he could be
very helpful to locate the hideouts of this violent outfit as he could provide security forces with
information regarding some landmarks.
However, seeking the transfer would reflect negatively on the commitment of the government to
free the villagers from the extremist elements as DM is considered as the agent of change. Also,
this decision would raise questions about his integrity and wisdom as public official.

a(
va

dy

10

1@

gm

ai
l.

co
m

ed

m
ut

th

Also, this suggestion fails to accommodate remedy measures in order to improve the situation at
grass root level.
During the captivity, DM had opportunity to hear the grievances of the locals and extremists.
Treating this as the silver lining from a bad incident, he should take up the review and evaluation
of implementation status of various government schemes in his district, consult with his staff
regarding problems in the service delivery, and should also issue show cause notices to the errant
employees with warning of strict action. Also, he should take measures to involve locals in the
decision making process, so that more efficient and innovative measures can be devised based on
local needs. However, this option completely ignores the issues regarding excesses of the police
forces and action to be taken against the extremists.

No doubt, DM should brief the higher authorities about his abduction experience along with
concerns of locals, their day-to-day living conditions, so that higher ups can take this into
consideration while briefing their superiors and include the issues while formulating the new
schemes. But, resignation is not the panacea as it wont solve the problems of locals or reduce the
menace of the extremists and more importantly, because he alone is not responsible for
implementation of schemes in efficient manner, its a team work.

Th

is

do

cu

en

ti

pe

rs

on

al

is
e

fo

rv

ar

dh
m

an

m
.b

Finally, based of critical evaluation of given suggestions, DM can take following comprehensive course of
action:

18

Help security forces to locate the hideout of the extremists as whatever may be their intentions;
violence in any form cannot be justified. Also, he should convey the grievances of locals about
the police and paramilitary excesses to higher level officials of Home Ministry.

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13.

Instead of seeking transfer or resigning, he should take the issue head on with courage and
confidence, as an agent of change at grass root level and review all the schemes, warn the
officials of consequences if there are any wrongdoings and devise more innovative measures
with participation of locals to achieve top-down and bottom up policy planning and
implementation of schemes with effective monitoring and evaluation mechanism.

Developing countries are often very vulnerable to exploitation by multi-national corporations. They
support industrialization but lack of infrastructure is a major limiting factor. Further, without suitable
laws and regulations, developing nations are ill prepared for such endeavours. In their efforts to
attract business, these nations often overlook the health and safety violations by the corporations
doing business within their borders. Drawn by low-cost labour, new markets, and lower operation
costs, corporations have little incentive to address environmental and human risks once they are
entrenched. In this situation there is imminent threat of disaster.
Discuss some feasible strategies to balance economic development and safety and security of people at
large in developing countries with special emphasis on India.
20

Approach:

ai
l.

co
m

Discuss the character of MNCs first with specific examples showing their disregard for human
welfare.
Then discuss various mechanisms at national and global level to address the deficiencies in policies
and institutions.

1@

gm

Answer:

an

m
.b

ed

m
ut

th

a(
va

dy

10

Developing countries are attracting a significant portion of global Foreign Direct Investments.
Governments of such countries often compete fiercely for attracting Multinational Corporations (MNCs)
in the expectation of the advantages they will bring to their economies, often prioritizing economic goals
over fundamental human rights and environment conservation. The fierce competition often leads to
defective policies by these governments, which are reason for disasters in many countries. The Bhopal
Gas tragedy in 1984 was a consequence of defective policies of government and exploitative character of
the MNCs.

is
e

fo

rv

ar

dh
m

To prevent a "second Bhopal" from happening, developing countries need to rethink their strategy of
economic development to balance the economic goals and its repercussions on environment and human
welfare. Strategies to control the exploitative character of MNCs can be classified under two broad
categories namely at National and Global level.

pe

rs

on

al

A) National Measures

is

Corporate Governance norms should be strengthened and strictly monitored. Adequate

regulatory complice mechanism should be put in place along with enforcing accountability for
any lapses.
Regulatory institutions should be strengthened to address the concerns of people at large.
In India we have mandated corporate to spend specific amount of profit as a corporate social
responsibility (CSR). Institutional changes are required in this area to ensure compliance.
Capacity building for environmental and social audit of the activities of the MNCs. Social Impact
Assessment should be made mandatory of any major project. Further, adequate information

Th

do

cu

en

ti

National level measures require changes in the legislative, regulatory and administrative framework,
which should ensure that not only adequate institutions are placed but have the necessary authority to
balance the required of economic development and human welfare. Some of the measures required are:

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about any project should be placed in the public domain and disseminated to the local
population.
Through tax inducements and non-monetary incentives MNCs can be forced to self-regulate their
functions.
NGOs and community organizations can play an important role to ensure that MNCs not only
comply with the regulatory norms but also disseminate complete information to the local
community about any danger.
Mock drills could be organized to ensure adequate response in case of any industrial disaster.
Government should ensure that any major project should undergo an Environmental and Social
Impact Assessment and the report should be widely discussed with all stakeholders.

B) International
On the global scene, global industrial watchdog organization must be instituted, similar to an
international environment protection act. The main objective for this organization would be to set
standards for the operation and behavior of multi-national corporations. The Permanent People's
Tribunal has drafted a "Charter of Industrial Hazards and Human Rights." The Charter draws together all
of the lessons to be learned by the Bhopal disaster to emphasize the need to pay closer attention to
industrial activity across the world. This charter should be put into action with the aforementioned
regulatory body.

co
m

International best practices should be documented and widely disseminated. International bodies like
WTO should draft adequate guideline for the operationalization of MNCs ensuring that the development
dimension is adhered to in any major project balancing the interest of the MNC and the state.

th

You are a middle ranked MCD employee, overseeing an anti-encroachment drive in New Delhi in order
to broaden a very busy road. Many illegal constructions on the road have been demolished. It was all
happening without much protest but when the bulldozer reached near an illegal religious construction,
some people belonging to that particular community came out and formed a human chain to stop the
demolition. At the same time some people from another religious group came out insisting the
immediate demolition of the site. Both groups were about to clash violently. You handled the situation
quite well, by pacifying the crowd and calling in enough police force, which was prepared in advance
to deal with such a situation, nonetheless, the above incident raises the following serious questions:

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The above measures though may help in creating a better world, but unless every citizen feels that he is
a part of the global village and there is a global solidarity for creating a better world, there would always
be questions pointing what is development and development for whom.

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(a) What kind of Psycho-emotional and attitudinal factors give birth to this religious competitiveness?

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(b) What is the use of emotional intelligence if such a situation arises? Discuss.

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(c) How can religion be used as a uniting force instead of a dividing one?
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Approach:

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Answer the above questions from an ethical perspective.

First part of the answer should outline the factors (emotional and attitudinal) which flame religious
hatred. Also, analyze them in brief.
Second part of the answer should bring out the use of emotional intelligence in these kinds of
circumstances. Also discuss its limitations.
Third part of answer should outline the moral values which all the religion profess and describe how
these universal values can make religion a uniting force. This part of the answer can have many other

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angles, which also can be mentioned and examples of great leaders can be given who professed
unity of all religions.
Answer:
(a) In India, religious competitiveness is quite rampant. It is the result of various socio-economic and
psycho-emotional and attitudinal factors interacting with each other. The emotional and
attitudinal factors may include:

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Fear: People often fear groups that they do not understand. Fear of "the other" can easily
lead to discrimination, rejection, denigration, hatred, etc. Increasing secularization of society
also helps people to become more protective about their religion.
Attitude of exclusivity: Most religions teach that they alone are the sole true religion and
that they uniquely possess the only true knowledge of god. This implies that followers of
other religions are in error, and are worshiping a false god.
Lack of reasoning: Some time lack of rational thinking and attitude of not questioning results
in blind faith in ones own religion and disdain for others.
Prevailing prejudices: This might be result of lack of understanding of other religions or
personal enmity which in turn takes a communal form.
Sense of discrimination: In a secular state, although religion has no role to play in state
affairs, different religions generally develop a feeling of being discriminated against. The
concept of positive discrimination is not understood in good faith.
Responsibility across generations: This is a variation of collective responsibility where an
entire group -- a race, religion, gender, sexual orientation etc. -- is considered responsible for
the actions of one person. Here, an entire group is held responsible for an event that
happened generations, centuries or even millennia ago.

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(b) Emotional intelligence is the use of emotional information to guide thinking and behaviour. It
enables someone to monitor and understand others emotions and manage them. The situation
given in the question asks for the use of emotional intelligence to manage the emotions of the
competitive religious groups.

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An emotionally intelligent person will understand the emotional impulse of a outraged public. He
will understand the reasons behind it. Understanding those reasons he will make an emotional
appeal making people feel that he understands them and they can trust him. They he can also
make appeal to their reason. It might pacify the outraged public. It can also spare time for law
and order authorities to get ready to control the situation if it goes out of hand.

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Creating more understanding about each others religion: Knowing more about others
religion certainly lessens prejudices in ones mind. It also dissipates fear and increases open
mindedness.
Understanding unity of all religions: It should be understood that all religions came into
existence to make the human life better. They all have some common basic moral values like
truth, compassion, love etcetera and they need to be promoted in order to bring different
religions together.
Learning from the life of great leaders: People can learn from the lives of great leaders like
Gandhi, Raja Ram Mohan Roy etc that following ones own religion is not a hindrance in
respecting others and one can learn from other religions to reform his own religion.

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(c) Religion, although, is not necessary for ethics but it can help in making mankind more ethical and
hence unite them. We have example of emperor Ashoka in ancient India who propounded the
Policy of Dhamma deriving moral values from prevalent religions of the day to strengthen unity
in his empire. In present day also religions can become catalyser for world peace and unity. This
can happen by:

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Separating religion from politics: Use of religion for electoral gains needs to be stopped. It is
a main reason behind the misunderstanding and misuse of religion.
Focussing on moral precept of religion rather than rituals: Rituals in religion gain importance
when there is lack of rationality. Rationality should be promoted to make the religion more
welfare oriented.
Promoting Anekantvaada instead of exclusiveness: Instead of believing in truthfulness of
only one religion one must accept that every religion has the good of mankind at its heart
etc.

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