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Ethics GS IV strategy & analysis

Amongst all GS papers GS IV is the most scoring, yet most intriguing given the fact score range is
maximum in this paper. It is also paper which is taken most casually, yet it gives decent score. Fact is
clear that if course is given in a structured way as it happens in other papers, it has the potentiality to
change the game altogether.
Though many topics & sub topics have been mentioned in the syllabus but the reality is that all topics
are organically related. Such nature makes it tough to divide the syllabus into separate watertight like
compartments as it happens in other GS papers and optional subjects. So, in order to have complete
command over the subject it is necessary to assume that there is only one topic in the syllabus and
that is “ethics, integrity & aptitude”. Majority of candidates fail to realise this simple fact, hence their
answers becomes narrow & as a result answer becomes superficial treatment of the issue.

Hence one need to focus on missing links in the preparation, such as –

 Focus on peripheral areas


On analysis of syllabus it is found that direct questions from syllabus are very few. Rather,
majority of the questions are from peripheral areas.
 Organic approach
Trying to understand an ecosystem of philosophy, psychology and governance.
 Interlinkages among topics mentioned in the syllabus & with contemporary context
 Organic relation between case studies & theory
Rather candidates simply run after case studies. But, think rationally. Case studies just can't be
different from theories. You can't prepare cases in isolation. They are in fact organically linked.
Stronger you become in theory part better your answer will be in case studies because
answers in the cases need to be justified which can be easily taken from enriched theoretical
back-up.

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Apart from removing above mentioned problems and gaps in your preparation we would like
empower you with some score enhancing skills which need to be kept in mind while attempting any
question, such as,

 Understand the context of question


 Importance & application in present times/life/governance.

 Values & competencies to be highlighted in answer. Question paper in fact is designed to


evaluate various ethical competencies (about 14), ethical sensitivity, moral compass,
emotional sensitivity/emotional maturity.
 Explaining with examples: contemporary/historical/mythological
 Interlinkages among topics
 Conclusion with some VISION for society/individual/governance

Analysis & Trend of past UPSC Ethics Questions

I. Personal Experience or Opinion based Questions


- No specialized reading is required
- Based on your logical thinking
- Basically meant to check your ethical sensitivity, moral compass, mental calibre &
constructive thinking and ability to correlate things.
- Thoughtful reading of newspaper will be sufficient

Q. Young people with ethical conduct are not willing to come forward to join active
politics. Suggest steps to motivate them to come forward. (2017)
- first need to know its reasons
- decline in public trust : one of the main reason
- hence to motivate youths first of all we need to re-establish faith/public trust in the
system

Q. One of the tests of integrity is complete refusal to be compromised. Explain with


reference to a real life example. (2017)
- First we need to know integrity and its difference from rigidity

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- Why integrity is important and then your personal experience

Q. The crisis of ethical values in modern times is traced to a narrow perception of the
good life. Discuss. (2017)
- question based on good life has been asked earlier also
- not directly mentioned in syllabus. So we put it under peripheral area. For such
questions basic understanding of ethics is required i.e. entire ethics as a discipline
revolves in & around two core questions/issues : what is good life and how we ought to
live ?
- first need to define Good Life
- summum bonum of human life
- happiness or good life is not all about name, fame, money, power, etc.

Q. Some people feel that values keep changing with time and situation, while others
strongly believe that there are certain universal and eternal human values. Give your
perception in this regard with due justification. (2013)

- Values are those which have worth


- Hierarchy of values is more important than talking Absolute or relative values
- Values changes with time. Precisely it means depending on situation we need to make
hierarchy of values according to their priority. In some situation truth is the most
important while in some human life becomes most precious.

Q. What do you understand by the term ‘voice of conscience’? How do you prepare
yourself to heed to the voice of conscience? (2013)
- higher self & lower self : their importance & difference
- higher level of moral developmention
- introspection , inculcation of values

Q. What is meant by ‘crisis of conscience’? Narrate one incident in your life when you
were faced with such a crisis and how you resolved the same. (2013)

- Peripheral area

Q.All human beings aspire for happiness. Do you agree? What does happiness mean to
you? Explain with examples. (2014)

- Not directly from syllabus, mainly from peripheral areas


- ethics deals with summum bonum of human life i.e. supreme aim of life , for example,

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Indian philosophy aims at Moksha.
For some happiness is that summum bonum
- Aristotle equates with Eudemonia i.e happiness, flourishing human life, self contentment,
doing things with perseverance
- Your personal understanding about happiness ; it could be anything
- Supporting with examples

Q. In the context of defence services, ‘patriotism’ demands readiness to even lay down
one’s life in protecting the nation. According to you, what does patriotism imply in
everyday civil life? Explain with illustrations and justify your answer. (2014)

- Newspaper will suffice


- Constructive contribution to the nation building
- Playing one's part/role in the society
- Absence of free rider problem
- Trustee but not owners of resources
- Different examples

Q.Which eminent personality has inspired you the most in the context of ethical conduct
in life? Give the gist of his/her teachings giving specific examples, describe how you
have been able to apply these teachings for your own ethical development. (2014)

Q. The current society is plagued with widespread trust-deficit. What are the
consequences of this situation for personal well-being and for societal well-being? What
can you do at the personal level to make yourself trustworthy? (2014)

- Again not directly mentioned in the syllabus


- But if one had analysed syllabus properly then one can easily catch that without
understanding importance of public trust and its decline in present times you can cannot
appreciate this paper

II. Terminology based Questions


- Such questions can be prepared over period of time by making list of terminologies
- Along with definition these terms should be seen holistically and more in terms of their
applied part
- Your answer will be hollow if it is not supported by appropriate examples

Q.What do you understand by ‘values’ and ‘ethics’? In what way is it important to be

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ethical along with being professionally competent? (2013)
- First part of the question can be best captured by statement of Duryodhan to Krishna in
Mahabharat -- "I know dharma but it fails to inspire me, I know adharam also but I fail to
withdraw from it."
- That is, it not merely enough to know what is right & what is wrong

Q.What do you understand by the following terms in the context of public service?
(2013)
Integrity
Perseverance
Spirit of service
Commitment
Courage of conviction

Q.What is ’emotional intelligence’ and how can it be developed in people? How does it
help an individual in taking ethical decisions? (2013)

- Direct from syllabus

Q.What does ethics seek to promote in human life? Why is it all the more important in
public administration? (2014)

- Summum bonum
- For some it is happiness, while some says pleasure, some says it is "greatest good of
greatest number"
- In public administration it seeks ethical governance. It is not merely good governance.

Q. What in meant by ‘environmental ethics? Why is it important to study? Discuss any


one environmental issue from the viewpoint of environmental ethics.

- Based on basic understanding of ethics


- Rest can be dealt with current environmental issues and sustainable development

Q. Differentiate between the following (2015)

Law and Ethics


Ethical management and Management of ethics
Discrimination and Preferential treatment
Personal ethics and Professional ethics

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Q.Two different kinds of attitudes exhibited by public servants towards their work have
been identified as bureaucratic attitude and the democratic attitude. Distinguish
between these two terms and write their merits and demerits. Is it possible to balance
the two too create a better administration for the faster development of our country?
(2015)

Q. “A mere compliance with law is not enough, the public servant also have to have a
well developed sensibility to ethical issues for effective discharge of duties” Do you
agree? Explain with the help of two examples where (i) an act is ethically right, but not
legally and (ii) an act is legally right, but not ethically. (2015)

- This question is based on " ethical illiteracy "

Q.How do the virtues of trustworthiness and fortitude get manifested in public service?
Explain with examples. (2015)

III. Proverbs or Quotes based questions


- Though they are thinker based but one should not just confine to thinker only
- One should be able understand the real significance, reading in between lines
- No need to prepare separately, answer lies in the quote only
- Must be substantiated with examples

Q. “Great ambition is the passion of a great character. Those endowed with it may
perform very good or very bad acts. All depends on the principles which direct them.” –
Napoleon Bonaparte. (2017)

Q. “If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I


strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. they are
father, the mother and the teacher.” – A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. Analyse. (2017)
- role of family in inculcation of values
- substantiate with examples
- importance of value based education

Q. Given below are three quotations of great moral thinkers/philosophers. For each of
these quotations, bring out what it means to you in the present context: (2013)

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1. “There is enough on this earth for every one’s need but for no one’s greed.”
Mahatma Gandhi.

- Can be correlated with Plato's theory of justice & appetite problem


- Can also be related with "Golden Mean" of Aristotle

2. “Nearly all men can withstand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character,
give him power.”—Abraham Lincoln
3. “I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who overcomes his
enemies.”—Aristotle
4. “The good of an individual is contained in the good of all.” What do you understand
by this statement? How can this principle be implemented in public life? (2013)
- Lower interest should be subordinated to the higher interest
- Sarvajan sukhyae, sarvajan hitaye

5. It is often said that ‘politics’ and ‘ethics’ do not go together. What is your opinion in
this regard? Justify your answer with illustrations. (2013)
- Politics is an art of service
- Politics misinterpreted/abused for self interest

Q.“Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, but knowledge without


integrity is dangerous and dreadful.” What do you understand by this statement?
Explain your stand with illustrations from the modern context. (2014)

Can be illustrated with the help of 4 themes –


1. High values & low skills
2. High values & high skills
3. Low values & low skills
4. Low skills & low values

Q.“Human beings should always be treated as ‘ends’ in themselves and never as


merely `means’.” Explain the meaning and significance of this statement, giving its
implications in the modern techno-economic society. (2014)

- It is based on Humanism philosophy


- In fact humanism is the core of this paper. Many questions including case studies can be
well attempted if you have proper understanding of humanism

Q.Given are two quotations of moral thinkers/philosophers. For each of these, bring

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out what it means to you in the present context (2015)

1.“The weak can never forgive; forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.’
2.‘We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when
men are afraid of the light.’

IV. Economy and Environment based Questions


Q. Corporate social responsibility makes companies more profitable and
sustainable. Analyse. (2017)
- its answer needs to be substantiated with ethical & unethical companies, also
highlight implications of their act

Q.Increased national wealth did not result in equitable distribution of its benefits. It
has created only some “enclaves of modernity and prosperity for a small minority at
the cost of the majority.” Justify. (2017)

Q. Social values are more important than economic values. Discuss the above
statement with examples in the context of inclusive growth of a nation. (2015, can
be fit into Social Issues as well)

V. Corruption based Questions


Q. Conflict of interest in the public sector arises when (a) official duties, (b) public
interest, and (c) personal interest are taking priority one above the other. How can
this conflict in administration be resolved? Describe with an example. (2017)
- repetition

Q.It is often said that poverty leads to corruption. However, there is no dearth of
instances where affluent and powerful people indulge in corruption in a big way.
What are the basic causes of corruption among people? Support your answer with
examples. (2014)

- Need based & Greed based


- Appetite / grabbing mentality

Q.Today we find that in-spite of various measures of prescribing codes of conduct,


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setting up vigilance cells/commissions, RTI, active media and strengthening of legal
mechanism, corrupt practices are not coming under control. Evaluate the
effectiveness of these measures with justifications.

- Suggest more effective strategies to tackle this menace.

Q. What do you understand by ‘probity’ in public life? What are the difficulties in
practicing it in the present times? How can these difficulties be overcome? (2014)

- Direct from syllabus


- Can be prepared in advance
- Should be supported by current examples

Q.Public servants are likely to confront with the issues of “Conflict of Interest”. What
do you understand by the term “Conflict of Interest” and how does it manifest in the
decision making by public servants? If faced with the conflict of interest situation
how would you resolve it? Explain with the help of examples.(2015)

VI. Social Issues based Questions


Q.What factors affect the formation of a person’s attitude towards social problems?
In our society, contrasting attitudes are prevalent about many social problems.
What contrasting attitudes do you notice about the caste system in our society?
How do you explain the existence of these contrasting attitudes? (2014)

Q.We are witnessing increasing instances of sexual violence against women in the
country. Despite existing legal provisions against it, the number of such incidences is
on the rise. Suggest some innovative measures to tackle this menace. (2014)

VII. Current Governance Pattern/International


Ethics based Questions
Q. Strength, peace and security are considered to be the pillars of international
relations. Elucidate.(2017)

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Q.Some recent developments such as introduction of RTI Act, media and judicial
activism, etc. are proving helpful in bringing about greater transparency and
accountability in the functioning of the government. However, it is also being
observed that at times the mechanisms are misused. Another negative effect is that
the officers are now afraid to take prompt decisions. Analyse the situation in detail
and suggest how the dichotomy can be resolved. Suggest how these negative
impacts can be minimised. (2015)

Q. At the international level, bilateral relations between most nations are governed
on the policy of promoting one’s own national interest without any regard for the
interest of other nations. This lead to conflicts and tension between the nations.
How can ethical consideration help resolve such tensions? Discuss with specific
examples.(2015)

Broadly three moral traditions prevail in international ethics --


1. Realism
- based on power; solely concerned with one's own interest e.g US interference in
Grenede
2. Idealism
- based on values e.g Human Rights, US help to former USSR during famine
3. Principled Realism
- combination of both power politics & values e.g post 9/11 : war on terror

Q.There is a heavy ethical responsibility on the public servants because they occupy
positions of power, handle huge amounts of public funds, and their decisions have
wide-ranging impact on society and environment. What steps have you taken to
improve your ethical competence to handle such responsibility? (2014)

- Need to develop holistic competence

Q. What does ‘accountability’ mean in the context of public service? What measures
can be adopted to ensure individual and collective accountability of public servants?
(2014)

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