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INSIGHTSIAS
IA SIMPLIFYING IAS EXAM PREPARATION

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MAINS MISSION 2022

GS- IV

JANUARY 2023

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NOTE: Please remember that following ‘answers’ are NOT ‘model answers’. They
are NOT synopsis too if we go by definition of the term. What we are providing
is content that both meets demand of the question and at the same time gives you
extra points in the form of background information.

Table of Contents
Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in human actions;
dimensions of ethics; ethics in private and public relationships. ........................................................ 6
Moral relativism is the idea that there is no universal or absolute set of moral principles. Explain.
(150 words) ................................................................................................................................... 6
An act of suicide cannot be said to be against religion, morality or public policy, and an act of
attempted suicide has no baneful effect on society. In light of this statement, how far do you think
euthanasia is ethically right? Give your opinion. 150 words ........................................................... 8
Discuss the basic measures which you would include if you were asked to evaluate the
performance of a civil servant. Would you give more importance to the code of ethics or citizens’
perception of public service quality? Substantiate. (150 words) ..................................................... 9
Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators;
role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating values. ......................................... 10
The three Jewels of Jainism: right faith, right knowledge and right conduct are a core aspect of Jain
philosophy. Examine their relevance in modern society. .............................................................. 10
What does this quote means to you? (150 words) “You are what you do, not what you say you’ll
do.” ― Carl Gustav Jung .............................................................................................................. 12
What does this quote means to you? (150 words) “Educating the mind without educating the
heart is no education at all.” ― Aristotle ..................................................................................... 13
What does this quote mean to you in the present context? “Religion is as necessary to reason as
reason is to religion. The one cannot exist without the other” (10M). .......................................... 14
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What does this quote mean to you? “When you are in the service of your fellow beings you are in
the service of God. – Anonymous” (150 words) ........................................................................... 15
What does this quote means to you? (150 words) “Reason shows me that if my happiness is
desirable and good, the equal happiness of any other person must be equally desirable.” ― Henry
Sidgwick ...................................................................................................................................... 17
What does this quote means to you? (150 words) “What wisdom can you find greater than
kindness.” ― Jean Jacques Rousseau ........................................................................................... 19
What does this quote means to you? (150 words) “If you cry because the sun has gone out of your
life, your tears will prevent you from seeing the stars.” ― Rabindranath Tagore ......................... 20
Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service , integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship,
objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker
sections. .......................................................................................................................................... 21
Civil servants working in silos is not good for the country and they must be accessible to the needy
and the poor. Elaborate. (150 Words) .......................................................................................... 21
Objectivity is considered one of the most fundamental values in governance because it helps the
public authorities to make correct decisions on the merit of evidence. Discuss. (150 words) ....... 23
Attitude: content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and behaviour; Moral
and political attitudes; Social Influence and Persuasion ................................................................... 25
In a just society, the economic rights, personal freedoms and social imperatives must be in
balance. (150 words) ................................................................................................................... 25
Compare and contrast between persuasion and influence. .......................................................... 26
With various forms of addictions on a rise among the youth of the country, empathy must play an
essential role in long-term recovery of addicts. (150 words) ........................................................ 27
Emotional intelligence-concepts, and their utilities and application in administration and
governance. .................................................................................................................................... 29
Emotional intelligence is a personal attribute that is very useful in easing conflict. People with a
high emotional intelligence are empathetic and sensitive to the feelings of others. Discuss. (150
Words) ........................................................................................................................................ 29
Emotional intelligence amidst a crisis situation helps decision makers to maximize the pertinent of
emotional intelligent skills to improve decision making. Elucidate. (150 words) ........................... 31
Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world. ......................................... 33
The middle path is the core of Buddha’s teaching and can be adopted in all walks of life. Elaborate
with examples. ............................................................................................................................ 33
History shows that the mitigation and cessation of unjust practices ultimately comes from the
assertion of core values of humanity. Explain with examples. (150 words) ................................... 34
Utilitarian ethics accepts consequentialism, welfarism, and impartiality. Elaborate. .................... 36
If greed is the sin of capitalism, then envy is the vice of socialism. Debate. (150 words) ............... 38
Throw light on the contributions of Indian philosophy and philosophers in laying down norms and
standards for ethics. (150 words) ................................................................................................. 39
Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration: Status and problems; ethical concerns
and dilemmas in government and private institutions; laws, rules, regulations and conscience as
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sources of ethical guidance; accountability and ethical governance; strengthening of ethical and
moral values in governance; ethical issues in international relations and funding; ........................... 44
Why is probity in governance considered to be an exception rather than being a norm in the
modern day administration? (150 words) ................................................................................... 44
What do you understand by international morality? Does morality exist in international relations?
(150 words) ................................................................................................................................. 46
What do you understand by a ‘moral compass’? Elaborate upon its role in making morally right
choices. (150 words) .................................................................................................................... 48
Corporate governance in India is often said to be ‘toothless’ in preventing corrupt and unethical
practices. Examine the ethical issues arising out of it with recent examples. (250 words)............ 50
What is the meaning of ‘crisis of conscience’? Give instances of it in public life. (10M) ................ 53
Probity in Governance: Concept of public service; Philosophical basis of governance and probity;
Information sharing and transparency in government, Right to Information, Codes of Ethics, Codes of
Conduct, Citizen’s Charters, Work culture, Quality of service delivery, Utilization of public funds,
challenges of corruption. ................................................................................................................. 55
Why is transparency an important aspect in the utilisation of public funds? Explain with examples.
(150 words) ................................................................................................................................. 55
Case Studies on above issues. .......................................................................................................... 57
You are appointed as an officer heading the section in Environment Pollution Control Board to
ensure compliance and its follow – up. In that region, there were large number of small and
medium industries which had been granted clearance. You learnt that these industries provide
employment to many migrant workers. Most of the industrial units have got environmental
clearance certificate in their possession. The environmental clearance seeks to curb industries and
projects that supposedly hamper environment and living species in the region. But in practice,
most of these units remain to be polluting units in several ways like air, water and soil pollution.
As such, local people encountered persistent health problems. ................................................... 57
You are Vice Principal of a degree college in one of the middle-class towns. The principal has
recently retired and management is looking for his replacement. There are also feelers that the
management may promote you as Principal. In the meantime, during the annual examination, the
flying squad which came from the university caught two students red-handed involving in unfair
means. A senior lecturer of the college was personally helping these students in this act. This
senior lecturer also happens to be close to the management. One of the students was the son of a
local politician who was responsible for getting college affiliated to the present reputed university.
The second student was the son of a local businessman who has donated maximum funds for
running the college. You immediately informed the management regarding this unfortunate
incident. The management told you to resolve the issue with the flying squad at any cost. They
further said that such an incident will not only tarnish the image of the college but also the
politician and the businessman are very important personalities for the functioning of the college.
You were also given hint that your further promotion to Principal depends on your capability in
resolving this issue with the flying squad. In the meantime, you were intimidated by your
administrative officer that certain members of the student union are protesting outside the
college gate against the senior lecturer and the students involved in this incident are demanding
strict action against defaulters. .................................................................................................... 59

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You are hailing from a remote village. You are the only person who is pursuing a degree in your
community. You have had access to education and modern values. You want every child in your
village to have a good education. During holidays you visit your village and teach the children. In
one such instance, you have come to know that one of the girls whom you used to teach is getting
married. She is 17 and is about to complete her 12th standard. Child marriages like these were
common within your community in the past but these have largely reduced now. You want to
eliminate such practices. You have come to know that the person she is getting married to is your
cousin. You talk to him about the importance of her education and the ills of child marriage. He
seems to ignore your advice but promises that she will be allowed to continue her education and
he is even ready to fund it. The girl’s parents have convinced her to accept the marriage as they
can’t afford to educate her any further. You speak to both parties again but they are not ready to
call off the marriage or wait for another year until she turns 18. Your mother scolds you for
interfering in their family matters and says that nothing much is going to happen in a year. She
warns that any further attempts would lead to fights within the family and even within the
community. If that happens you will not be allowed to interact within the community and teach
them further. ............................................................................................................................... 62

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Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics

in human actions; dimensions of ethics; ethics in private and public relationships.
Moral relativism is the idea that there is no universal or absolute set of moral principles.
Explain. (150 words)
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: [Link]
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Conceptual
Tuesdays’ in Mission-2023 Secure.
Key Demand of the question:
To explain the concept of Moral Relativism using examples.
Directive word:

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Explain – Clarify the topic by giving a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the
context. You must be defining key terms wherever appropriate and substantiate with relevant
associated facts.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin the answer by defining moral relativism and its aspects
Body:
Write the core argument on which moral relativism is based on, the existing differences in the
moralities that people accept and live by. Mention various factors that give rise to Moral relativism.
Give few illustrations in the context of capital punishment, euthanasia, eating meat etc. and the
varied constraints and dimensions based on which the morality of a situation or action is judged.
Conclusion:
Conclude by saying often, morality is more relative than absolute.
Introduction

Moral relativism is the idea that there is no universal or absolute set of moral principles. According
to moral relativism, there is not a single true morality. There are a variety of possible moralities or
moral frames of reference, and whether something is morally right or wrong, good or bad, just or
unjust, etc. is a relative matter—relative to one or another morality or moral frame of reference.
Something can be morally right relative to one moral frame of reference and morally wrong relative
to another.

Body

Moral relativism can be captured in two following points

 Moral judgments are true or false and actions are right or wrong only relative to some
particular standpoint (usually the moral framework of a specific community).

 No standpoint can be proved objectively superior to any other.

Different groups of people may play different versions of football. Different societies may have
different legal systems. Different people speak different languages. And different people may have
different moralities. Moralities accepted at one time may fail to be accepted at another time.
Individuals within any given group may have different moralities. A particular person may accept
different mutually incompatible moralities at different times and even at the same time.

Various dimensions in which moralities differ

 Moralities differ in what they imply about abortion, capital punishment, euthanasia, religion,
etiquette, slavery, caste systems, cannibalism, eating meat, what sorts of experiments on
animals are permitted, and what sorts of experiments on human beings are permitted.

 They may differ concerning the relative importance of chastity in men and women, how
many wives or husbands people can have, homosexuality, incest, and whether people in
their twenties have special obligations toward their parents.

 They differ about whether there is an obligation not to lie to strangers and whether there is
an obligation to help strangers who need help.

 They differ concerning the relative importance of equality versus liberty, who gets what,
preserving natural beauty, and the acceptability of littering.

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Over the years moral relativism has attracted a great deal of criticism, and not just from professional
philosophers. One reason for this, of course, is that it is widely perceived to be a way of thinking that
is on the rise. Another reason for so much trenchant criticism is that a relativistic view of morality is
thought by many to have pernicious consequences.

Conclusion

Moral relativism is on the opposite end of the continuum from moral absolutism, which says
that there is always one right answer to any ethical question. As relativists see it, they are not
countenancing immorality, injustice, or moral nihilism; rather, they are trying to say something
about the nature of moral claims and the justifications given for them. The main problem they
face is to show how the denial of objective moral truth need not entail a subjectivism that drains the
rationality out of moral discourse. Their critics, on the other hand, face the possibly even more
challenging task of justifying the claim that there is such a thing as objective moral truth.

An act of suicide cannot be said to be against religion, morality or public policy, and an
act of attempted suicide has no baneful effect on society. In light of this statement, how
far do you think euthanasia is ethically right? Give your opinion. 150 words
Introduction

The term “euthanasia” is derived from Greek, literally meaning “good death”. Taken in its common
usage, however, euthanasia refers to the termination of a person’s life, to end their suffering,
usually from an incurable or terminal condition. It is for this reason that euthanasia was also coined
the name “mercy killing”.
Recently, A five-judge SC bench decided to modify the existing rules for “living wills” as established
in its 2018 decision allowing passive euthanasia, in order to make the process of passive euthanasia
easier.

Body

Euthanasia is ethically right

 Rights-based argument

 it is argued that as part of our human rights, there is a right to make our own decisions and
a right to a dignified death.

 Beneficence

 Advocates of euthanasia express the view that the fundamental moral values of society,
compassion and mercy, require that no patient be allowed to suffer unbearably, and mercy
killing should be permissible.

 The difference between active euthanasia and passive euthanasia

 Supporters of euthanasia claim that active euthanasia is not morally worse than passive
euthanasia – the withdrawal or withholding of medical treatments that result in a patient’s
death. In line with this view, it is argued that active euthanasia should be permitted just as
passive euthanasia is allowed.

Euthanasia has ethical shortcomings as well

 The sanctity of life

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 Religious proponents argue that “it is the sole prerogative of God to bestow life and to
cause death.

 Euthanasia as murder

 Society views an action which has a primary intention of killing another person as
inherently wrong, in spite of the patient’s consent

 Abuse of autonomy and human rights

 It has also been argued that patients’ requests for euthanasia are rarely autonomous, as
most terminally ill patients may not be of a sound or rational mind.

 Kant and Mill believe that the principle of autonomy forbids the voluntary ending of the
conditions necessary for autonomy, which would occur by ending one’s life.

 The role of palliative care

 It is often argued that pain and suffering experienced by patients can be relieved by
administering appropriate palliative care, making euthanasia a futile measure

 The rights of vulnerable patients

 If euthanasia were to become an accepted practice, it may give rise to situations that
undermine the rights of vulnerable patients.

 The doctor-patient relationship and the physician’s role

 Active voluntary euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide undermine the doctor-patient

relationship, destroying the trust and confidence built in such a relationship.

 Its against "HIPPOCRATIC OATH" taken by doctor, stated purpose of which is , doctors' role
as life saver and to prevent them from being "Political Assassins".

Conclusion

Although active Euthanasia has been allowed in some countries with some restrains, it does not suit
our society for multiple reason. It would also divert our attention from true malaise due to which
elderly are disenchanted.

Discuss the basic measures which you would include if you were asked to evaluate the
performance of a civil servant. Would you give more importance to the code of ethics
or citizens’ perception of public service quality? Substantiate. (150 words)
Introduction

Governments can only be effective if the people in government – that is its civil servants – are
motivated and able to implement policy and services well. In many developing countries, this
remains a remote aspiration. Corruption, lack of staff motivation and poor performance are both
popular stereotypes and real-world facts.

Body

Code of ethics

Code of Ethics are referred to as a Values, which behaves like the Constitution with general
principles to guide behaviour, outlining a set of principles that affect decision-making. Code of ethics
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would include the principles of integrity, impartiality, commitment to public service,

accountability, devotion to duty, exemplary behaviour etc. It defines the minimum requirements
for conduct, and behavioural expectations instead of specific activities. When faced with ethical
dilemmas or debatable situations, what’s articulated in the Code of Ethics can help guide decision
making. Code of ethics helps members in understanding what is right or wrong. The codes are
disclosed publicly and hence addressed to the interested parties to know the way the company does
business.

Evaluation of civil servant

Citizen’s perception of public service quality is equally important because ultimately the work of a
civil servant is to ensure that the public is satisfied with the governance. Even if a civil servant is
hardworking and has followed code for ethics, if the efforts are not converted into good governance,
then that would be wasted efforts. Likewise, if the civil servant indulged in wrongdoings but also
ensured good governance is also being corrupt and dishonest to the nation and the Constitution.

Hence both parameters should have equal weightage in evaluating the performance of a civil
servant.

Conclusion

Making appraisal more consultative and transparent, Performance appraisal formats to be made
job-specific and the scope of the present performance appraisal system of its employees be
expanded to a comprehensive performance management system (PMS).

Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers
and administrators; role of family, society and educational institutions in
inculcating values.
The three Jewels of Jainism: right faith, right knowledge and right conduct are a core
aspect of Jain philosophy. Examine their relevance in modern society.
Difficulty level: Tough
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Philosophical
Mondays’ in Mission-2023 Secure.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Write a few introductory lines about the Jain philosophy.
Body:
Discuss about the three jewels of Jainism – Right faith – Samyak darshan, Right knowledge – Samyak
jnana, Right conduct – Samyak charitra.
Next, write about its relevance in modern society. Use examples to substantiate your points.
Conclusion:
Conclude by Summarising.
Introduction

Jainism is an ancient religion that is rooted in the philosophy that teaches the way to liberation and a
path to spiritual purity and enlightenment through disciplined nonviolence to all living creatures.

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Jainism believes that the universe and all its substances or entities are eternal. It has no beginning or
end with respect to time. Universe runs on its own accord by its own cosmic [Link] the substances
change or modify their forms continuously. Nothing can be destroyed or created in the universe.

There is no need for someone to create or manage the affairs of the [Link] Jainism does
not believe in God as a creator, survivor, and destroyer of the universe.

Body

Jewels of Jainism

 Right faith/perception – Samyak darshana: In the process of self-realization one should

avoid superstitious beliefs to exercise a logical attitude in life. According to this doctrine one
should first try to realize, follow and appreciate the reality of life, one’s own self, aims of
religion and its path. Right perception is therefore defined as faith in truth. The absence of
that faith or having a wrong faith constitutes the wrong perception. We have remained
ignorant of our true self since the time immemorial and have been identifying ourselves with
the physical body and other worldly connections that we get as the result of our Karma.
Moreover, we also come across wrong beliefs and happen to subscribe to them. That is
termed as adopted wrong perception.3Cultivation of right perception is a great challenge or
task to accept because it requires a great deal of discipline and enthusiasm. In order to have
a better perception in the nature of the reality the followers will have to keep a total faith in
the preaching of Térthaìkaras and their scriptures called Ägamas.

 Right knowledge – Samyak jnana: In order to differentiate between right knowledge and
wrong knowledge, right perception is very important. From right perception comes the right
knowledge. Right knowledge can be acquired from six eternal substances and nine principles
or nine Tattvas.

o The six eternal substances are : i) Soul (jéva), ii) Matter (pudgala), iii) Principle of
Motion (dharma), iv) Principle of Rest (adharma), v) Space (äkäça) and vi) Time
(käla). Each of these eternal entities is unbreakable, enduring, and everlasting and
continuously goes through countless changes.

o The nine Tattvas include : i) Jéva (soul), ii) Ajéva (non- living elements), iii) Puëya
(good deeds), iv) Päpa (bad deeds), v) Äsrava (influx of karmas), vi) Saàvara
(stoppage of karmas), vii) Bandha (bondage of karmas), viii) Nirjarä (eradication of
karmas), ix) Moksha (liberation).
o One writer puts it like this: “if our character is flawed and our conscience is not
clear, knowledge alone will not help us achieve composure and happiness”.

 Right conduct – Samyak charitra: Right perception leads to right knowledge and right
knowledge leads to right conduct. Right conduct aims to inculcate right ethics, values,
principles and discipline by which a person can attain his ultimate freedom. Right conduct
can be realized by doing what is right. In other words, one should live their lives according to
some ethical rules of Jainism. The Jainism followers are expected to not harm any living
being and also should not be attached with any worldly possessions. This resolves into taking
twelve great vows to attain the right conduct.

Relevance in modern society

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 The world is going through a crisis creating lots of chaos and confusion which is leading to
uncertainty of our future. Day by day it is witnessing some unwanted situations and
circumstances. The world has become a global village due to the advancement in science
and technology but it failed to bring closeness in the minds of man who is seen drifting
away from each other. The people are growing greedy, selfish, self centered and egoist
without having concerns for the society and the community. There is no feeling of
brotherhood among people but are ready for the bloodshed or massacre, sometimes in the
name of caste or creed or sometimes in the name of religion so on and so forth.
 The violence against women is prevalent not only in India but all over the world.
Everywhere there is report of sexual harassment, rape, murder, assault, domestic violence
and gender discrimination etc. against women. However, the cause of the situation lies in
the degradation of moral and social values in the society. It is disheartening to say that some
of the religions are gender centric. But Jainism since time immemorial has been supporting
women and its existence. The women not only acquire a very respectable position in the
society but are also considered equal with men in every sphere.
 We are living in a modern world so are trying to accommodate ourselves with the
characteristics of modernity. We are making ourselves accustomed with different advanced
technological gadgets and equipment to keep pace with the changing time. The people with
this new modern life are very busy and forget to have contacts with family, friends and
society. But, however modern we might be we should never forget to keep our feet on
earth. We should always try to do good things in life. Because it is our karma which will
decide our fate. It is believed that if we do good karma, good things will happen but if we do
bad karma then bad things will happen and would follow to many generations. Jainism
denies the existence of God, and hence they worship the twenty four Tirthankaras. The Jains
believe that man is the designer of his own fate and one can escape the brunt of karma by
only living a simple life of purity and virtue.

Conclusion

It is true that our society is going through a horde of problems arising from different sectors. In the
present day condition there is violence, communalism, regionalism, murders, rapes, gender
discrimination, and lack of solidarity prevailing everywhere. It is the need of the hour to inculcate
moral and social values among us to boost our physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual
aspects. The doctrines of Jainism with respect to the present time situation are found to be very
much relevant. The Jainas has proved time and again the effectiveness of spiritual progress by
putting it into the practice in their own lives. With these doctrines of Jainism we can bring back the
peace and harmony in the society and the world.

What does this quote means to you? (150 words) “You are what you do, not what you
say you’ll do.” ― Carl Gustav Jung
Difficulty level: Moderate
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Quotes
Wednesdays’ in Mission-2022 Secure.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by explaining the literal meaning of the quote.
Body:

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Write about the difference between saying and doing. Mention that many times humans act
contradictory to their words or do not act all. This is reflection of integrity and the character of the
person. Substantiate with examples.
Conclusion:
Summarise by highlighting the need to act as per out words.
Introduction
The world only cares for what we do and not what we say we will do. The words which we
generally say are much lesser importance than the actions which we deliver. We must speak less
and work more. This will not only help us achieve our goals in the minimum possible time but also
give some much-needed energy to invest in our significant tasks. It is important to understand the
fact that the energy which we have is actually limited, and therefore it becomes very necessary to
waste it wisely.

Body

Our actions and not words define our reputation and integrity. Failing to do what we say and
repetition of this behaviour over and over again is harmful to our character which others perceive us
to be. It erodes our credibility. If we don’t do what we say we are going to do, our credibility
decreases. After each one of our promises and failing to keep it reduces our integrity as well. Our
words mean nothing after this.

It also builds distrust. Trust is built on small actions, not on the dramatic moments meant for
movies. Finally, it limits opportunity. When our team cannot count on the promises made, there will
be less and less opportunities for us to prove ourselves.
If you’re known as someone who doesn’t meet promises and expectations, you will face
consequences. Strive to be someone of your word. Especially when it’s a “small thing,” make sure
you do it. After all, if you fail at the “little stuff,” no one will trust you with the “big stuff.”

Conclusion

It is important to acknowledge the fact that our actions define us and not our choices. A winner
always finds ways to turn the right ideas into good deeds. He or she will look for ways to give away
to their dreams and transform them into reality. Consistently doing what you say you will do is the
foundation of integrity.

What does this quote means to you? (150 words) “Educating the mind without
educating the heart is no education at all.” ― Aristotle
Difficulty level: Moderate
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Quotes
Wednesdays’ in Mission-2022 Secure.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by explaining the literal meaning of the quote.
Body:
Write about how there exist difference between educating the mind and the heart. If the mind
provides knowledge, then from heart comes, empathy and compassion. The education of mind
without inculcating values can be meaningless or even destructive. Substantiate with examples.
Conclusion:
Summarise by highlighting the importance of the quote in the present day.

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Introduction

“To educate a person in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society” aptly captures
the idea behind the above quote by Mahatma Gandhi. Education promotes the metamorphosis of a
child to become a full-fledged adult. Mere learning without promotion and development of values
even discards the definition of education. Education of values and principles shapes and moulds a
soul.

Body

Achieving academic excellence for all students is at the very core of any school’s purpose, and will
inform much of what they do. Character education is not a new thing, extending as it does back to
the work of Aristotle. Yet it could be argued that the pursuit of success in schools in more recent
years has sought to put the cart before the horse. In driving students to think of success solely in
terms of exam grades and university places, pressure is created that can often be counter intuitive to
student well- being and academic progress.

It does not matter how educated or wealthy one is, if the inherent character or personality lacks
morals. In fact, such personalities can be threat to a peaceful society. E.g.: Mussolini, Hitler are all
examples of education devoid of morality leading mankind to their destruction.

In contemporary times it is equally relevant. For instance, An educated man taking dowry will be a
death spell for gender equality and gender justice. The seven sins of Gandhiji will materialise when
we are educated without morality like Science without humanity as is the case with nuclear weapons
today. Thus, Education without values as useful as it seems makes a man, a clever devil.

Conclusion
Education without morals is like a ship without a compass, merely wandering nowhere. It is not
enough to have the power of concentration, but we must have worthy objectives upon which to
concentrate. It is not enough to know truth, but we must love truth and sacrifice for it.

What does this quote mean to you in the present context? “Religion is as necessary to
reason as reason is to religion. The one cannot exist without the other” (10M).
Difficulty level: Easy
Why the question:
Rising irrationality in society in recent times.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Define religion in a brief manner.
Body:
Try to deconstruct the statement in a simple manner. This could be done through examples. Ex:
Emphasis on Neem in Indian customs is based on scientific principle, on the other side we have
certain regressive practices such as female genital mutilation, etc.
Identify what makes people neglect rationalism while practicing religion
Explore if religion and reason could be reconciled in the present times.
Conclusion:
Suggest a way forward to reconcile them adequately.
Introduction

Religion and reason are both sources of authority upon which beliefs can rest. Reason generally is
understood as the principles for a methodological inquiry, whether intellectual, moral, aesthetic, or

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religious. Religions are “social systems whose participants avow belief in a supernatural agent or
agents whose approval is to be sought.”.

Body

Religion and reason are complementary to each other

 It has been generally presumed that faith and reason are in conflict with each other.

 In reality, faith and reason work together seamlessly to help us understand the world and
beyond in a better way.

 In fact, faith is a prerequisite for the reason.

 For instance, even doctors at times are surprised when a terminally ill patient gets cured.
ISRO takes a small scale prototype of their actual rockets and get it blessed before their
actual launch.

 In order to reason about anything, we must have faith that there are laws of logic which
correctly prescribe the correct chain of reasoning.

 Since laws of logic cannot be observed with the senses, our confidence in them is a type of
faith.

 Since reason would be impossible without logic, which stems from the faith, we have a very
good reason for our faith: without our faith, we could not reason.

 Though the role of reason is secondary for getting religious knowledge, its role is necessary.

 It is necessary for keeping blind faith from religion and attaching values to religion.

 Religion-based terrorism is increasing due to the negative impact of reason.

Conclusion

Hence, reason and faith are not counter but complementary to each other. There is a need to spread
more rational views of religion and try to weed out the irrational customs and rituals which
discriminate people in the name of religion.

What does this quote mean to you? “When you are in the service of your fellow beings
you are in the service of God. – Anonymous” (150 words)
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by Lexicon Publications.
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 in Mission-2022 Secure.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about how the importance of Service to human is considered equivalent to the service of
God.
Directive:
Explain – Clarify the topic by giving a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the
context. You must be defining key terms wherever appropriate and substantiate with relevant
associated facts.
Structure of the answer:

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Introduction:
Begin by explaining the quote.
Body:
Elaborate upon how service is a defining and fulfilling act which can help one to understand himself
and explore as a human being
Elaborate on how an individual is not delineated by an identity, but defined by ability, compassion,
connection and love which are the basic human values.
Substantiate the above by giving examples.
Conclusion:
Conclude by stressing why this quote is more relevant the ever in the current circumstances.
Introduction

Mahatma Gandhi, once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of
others.”

The above quote means that when solely focusing on other people, one can often find qualities in a
needy person that they may also find in themselves. Not only that, but serving others can be
humbling and allow people to see things from a different perspective. Serving others can lead to
finding oneself as well as changing oneself for the better.

Body

Serving others allows one to find themselves, subconsciously. In my experience, I noticed that when
I volunteered at a food drive I was at my happiest. I vividly remember how appreciative they were
for a meal, something I took for granted. I realized that I was at my happiest, not when I was
focusing on myself and only what benefits me, but when I was acting compassionately to help
others.

Furthermore, I came to realize that I truly cared about helping others who cannot help themselves,
as opposed to only caring about money and material things. In summation, serving others can allow
one to find themselves and what they truly care about.

Those who are more fortunate tend to take things for granted. For instance, many people do not
think much about helping people in need. I realized this when my aunt was sick in the hospital. I
appreciate every second I spend with her, as she is such a humble person and does not take anything
for granted. Even with her difficult situation, she is still the happiest person I know. She changed my
outlook on life and made me realize, that being humble and content with your situation is the most
important thing that you can do. By being with, and caring for, my aunt, I came to terms with myself
and found deeper meaning within my own actions.

One could argue that when helping others, the person serving is solely thinking about the other
person. Therefore, one cannot find themselves if they are not even thinking about themselves.
However, looking within yourself and being at your own devices is not the only way to find inner
meaning. Many people are afraid or too hesitant to go out and help others. Without this experience
of giving yourself up to others, some individuals will never reach their full potential in finding their
true selves and devoting their time to caring for the less fortunate.

Conclusion

Mahatma Gandhi’s quote was humbling and impactful. Helping others will lead you to see new
qualities in people, leading you to discover new qualities in yourself and others. Gandhi’s quote is
humbling, it allows us to see from a different perspective. Assisting those in need brings

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opportunities to open our eyes to a new world we have not seen before. It leads us to being more
accepting by taking on a new view on life. When you lose yourself in helping people, you are
completely absorbed into their world. This quote allows you to learn a few things about yourself in
the end.

What does this quote means to you? (150 words) “Reason shows me that if my
happiness is desirable and good, the equal happiness of any other person must be
equally desirable.” ― Henry Sidgwick
Difficulty level: Moderate
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Quotes
Wednesdays’ in Mission-2023 Secure.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by explaining the literal meaning of the quote.
Body:
Write about the happiness of oneself and the happiness of others. Mention as to how individuals
tend to focus on their own happiness and not on the happiness of the others. Write ways to ensure
that we consider happiness of others also. Cite examples to substantiate.
Conclusion:
Summarise by highlighting the importance of the quote in the present day.
Introduction

This quote talks about individual happiness of a person which takes dominance when compared to
others’ happiness. Man by nature is individualistic, self-centred and inward looking. However, even
to enjoy his own rights and be happy, he must respect the rights of others. We must know that, even
other individuals are entitled to being equally happy as we are, if not more.

Body

Utilitarianism does not say that it is moral for people simply to pursue what makes them personally
happy. Rather, morality is dictated by the greatest happiness principle; moral action is that which
increases the total amount of utility in the world. Pursuing one’s own happiness at the expense of
social happiness would not be moral under this framework. But this is practically impossible is what
Henry Sidgwick is putting forth. Because human beings are sentient and personal happiness

The quote is also a criticism of Mill’s “General Happiness” theory in Utilitarianism. The aggregate
of happiness of all individuals does not lead to general happiness. It is impossible to expect an
individual to let go of his desires for general or greater good. At the same time, Sidgwick is trying to
balance this harmony by saying that, if we believe that our happiness is desirable and good, then so
is that of other sentient beings.

However, the world is not an ideal place for ethical considerations. As we see in our day-to-day lives,
in pursuit of our own well-being or happiness we often intrude into someone’s else’s happiness. For
instance, keeping one’s home clean and littering in front of other’s home. Or in the context of
international relations, national interest reigns supreme and ‘beggar thy neighbour’ policy has
become a norm. There is scant regard for universal peace and welfare. Russia’s recent invasion of
Ukraine is also a case in point.

Conclusion

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The harmony of greater good and individual happiness is important for a stable society. Civilisation
can thrive when there is “live and let live” principle. Hence ensuring that others also enjoy similar
set of rights as means to achieve happiness is the key in ensuring one’s own happiness.

What does this quote means to you? (150 words) “The wise man belongs to all countries, for the
home of a great soul is the whole world.” — Democritus

Difficulty level: Moderate

Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Quotes
Wednesdays’ in Mission-2023 Secure.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by explaining the literal meaning of the quote.
Body:
Write about the narrow view of boundaries and parochial nationalism that is leading to so many
disputes across the world. Mention that wise men do not consider any political and social boundaries
and emphasise on openness and inclusivity. Cite examples to substantiate.
Conclusion:
Summarise by highlighting the importance of the quote in the present day.
Conclude by drawing the contemporary importance of the above.
Introduction

There are several man-created barriers in this world such as nations, religion, ethnicity, caste, class
and many such distinctions. The world becomes a smaller place for such people who create these
barriers are become constricted to their own space. For a virtuous soul there is entire universe that
is open and the world is their oyster.

Body

Virtuous people can conquer anything and achieve greatness because they are not bothered by
small mundane things. Their minds transcend these barriers to solve bigger problems of the world.
Abolition of slavery, decolonization, freedom struggles in countries were fought as a result of such
enlightened souls.

When you look at art, poetry, literature, these artforms of great people were possible as their
unshackled their minds to create something great. Likewise in real life, the world can be a better
place when such issues of class and caste can be overcome by all and larger than life problems can
be addressed.

World and communities would be devoid of any issues of regionalism, ethnicity, racism,
communalism etc if each and every soul was enlightened. But sadly that is not the case in the real
world.

Conclusion

With time, progression of thoughts must happen and evolution of minds to achieve greatness will
follow. But, sadly in present times, we are becoming more regressive than progressive and whatever
little was achieved is being rolled back. Feelings of fraternity, respect for human rights and
environment ethics are some of the key things that can help us towards achieving the goal of human
progression.

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What does this quote means to you? (150 words) “What wisdom can you find greater
than kindness.” ― Jean Jacques Rousseau
Difficulty level: Moderate
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Quotes
Wednesdays’ in Mission-2023 Secure.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by explaining the literal meaning of the quote and highlighting its core meaning.
Body:
Write about the importance of Kindness and compassion. Write about how kindness can be source of
wisdom and things it can teach us. Substantiate with examples.
Conclusion:
Summarise by highlighting the importance of the quote.
Introduction

Kindness is a behavior marked by ethical characteristics, a pleasant disposition, and concern and
consideration for others. It is considered a virtue, and is recognized as a value in many cultures and
religions. It is the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. Affection, gentleness,
warmth, concern, and care are words that are associated with kindness.

Body

Kindness is greatest wisdom

 Everyone is fighting their own inner battle: although life brings us so many joys and
victories, it is undeniable that we each face our own individual struggles within our own
minds that nobody knows about. Make every effort to find compassion for others – even
when you can’t relate. Be kind.

 Human connection is paramount: In a world where we are looking down at our phones
more than we are looking up at the people around us, we need to revisit this idea of truly
connecting with another human being and what that looks like for us. Be kind.
 We are losing ourselves: Sometimes we get so caught up in making sure that everyone
around us is well and that other people’s perceptions of us are as we wish them to be, that
we forgot ourselves in the mix. Practice self- kindness and know that your feelings and your
thoughts matter. Be kind.

 You make a difference: Our words, our energy and our light have the potential to impact
another human being’s life in so many ways. Don’t take that power lightly. Be kind.

 It feels good to be kind: Robert Ingersoll’s famous quote that states “We rise by lifting
others”. Supporting others gives us a natural high. Unfortunately, we all get so caught up in
the “busy-ness” of our own lives that we forget to take the time to practice acts of kindness.
Take a moment and step outside of yourself and raise somebody up who needs your
support. Be kind.

 Kindness is contagious: When people are in the presence of kindness, they can’t help but
feel joyful. Expand your reach and watch all of those around you enliven in the presence of
your warmth. Be kind.

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 Small actions can have far-reaching consequences: There is no doubt that the human race is
connected in more ways than we can quantify. When you do good, you cause a ripple effect
on our planet that reaches the masses. Be kind.

 You can be a voice for someone who doesn’t have one: Acts of altruism speak volumes for
those whose voices have been silenced. Speak up for someone who needs it and you will
give them to opportunity to learn how to speak on their own behalf. Be kind.

 Somebody is watching you: We are so much more influential than we realize. The next
generation is observing and picking up our cues and how to treat others. Set a good example
by being an ambassador for thoughtfulness and mindfulness. Be kind.
 Judgement hurts: We need to elevate the consciousness of the planet by seeking to
understand rather than to judge. When we judge another, we are essentially judging
ourselves and creating separation between ourselves and those around us. The healing of
the world begins with each of us. Be kind.

 Kindness is in our nature: Human beings are intuitively geared to be good and do good. Fear
is a learned emotion. Reconnect to the part of you that is love and allow that to guide your
everyday interactions. Be kind.

 Spread love: We have the same power to spread good as those who wish to spread hate do.
Find a way to share your unique light. A simple smile or a positive thought on social media
goes a long way. Be kind.

Conclusion

It seems that kindness is steadily fading from modern society. The lack of generosity and friendliness
that is evident today is shocking. It’s important to realize the positivity that kindness can produce in
our lives. Kindness is ultimately a key contributor to happiness. Acting with kindness is a win-win.
Not only can it provide someone with a sense of pride by acting kindly towards others, but it also has
the potential to boost the confidence and provoke bliss in those around us.

What does this quote means to you? (150 words) “If you cry because the sun has gone
out of your life, your tears will prevent you from seeing the stars.” ― Rabindranath
Tagore
Difficulty level: Moderate
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Quotes
Wednesdays’ in Mission-2023 Secure.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by explaining the literal meaning of the quote and highlighting its core meaning.
Body:
Write about the importance of focussing on the positive side after a setback/loss. Mention the
lessons or opportunities that are present in failure and that can lead to further success. Highlight the
role of patience and perseverance. Substantiate with examples.
Conclusion:
Summarise by highlighting the importance of the quote.
Introduction

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Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s thoughts are so deeply soaked in his philosophy of Man, Life
and God. The quote talks about picking up pieces of life when we feel that everything is lost and to
rebuild it. Grief, loss, failure is part of life, but it is how we deal with it, that will define the future.
One may grieve endlessly about the loss but they won’t be able to progress and achieve anything if
they get stuck up on the past.

Body

When we are obsessed with the biggest goal of our life, we become blind to the galaxy of joys we
find all along our journey. Such an attitude will only put us in a constant craving for success, while
finding the life hopeless, unenjoyable and boring. Instead, we must find ways to enjoy life and love
every bit of our life so that the whole of our lives becomes an enjoyable and fulfilling experience.

If we cannot deal with loss, we cannot live an effective life. Sometimes, failure and loss can be life-
altering. But if we do not process these challenges as they come, we will wallow in sorrow every day
of our lives—whether we dwell on previous losses, current failures, dreams dying, or unmet
expectations, personal or professional, with family or with friends.

As leaders, we must develop the skill and ability to handle loss and failure in a way that is healthy
and healing. Otherwise, we will be consumed with emotions and unproductive thoughts and
become paralyzed, unable to move forward.

Conclusion

Failure is a part of life, and we must accept it. It is real, and it hurts. It also cuts deep and can
separate those who go on to achieve success and those who give up and turn back on their
goals. Think about failure or loss differently, and your approach to both it, and the future, will be
different.

Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service , integrity, impartiality and non-
partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and
compassion towards the weaker sections.
Civil servants working in silos is not good for the country and they must be accessible to
the needy and the poor. Elaborate. (150 Words)
Difficulty Level: Easy
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4.
Directive word:
Elaborate – Give a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the context. You must
be defining key terms wherever appropriate and substantiate with relevant associated facts.
Key Demand of the question: To write about attributes of civil servants in regards to being
accessible.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by mentioning as to what you understand by accessibility.
Body:
Write about how accessibility is an important attribute of civil servants – its role in public services
and importance of welfare of the people. Substantiate with examples.
Conclusion:
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Conclude by summarising.
Introduction

The role of Civil Servants across the domains of policy making and policy implementation is critical to
the development process. They assist in identifying major policy areas such as preparing
major policy proposals, analysing various alternatives and solutions to societal problems requiring
urgent attention, dividing the major policies into sub-policies, determining program of action
and suggesting modification in the existing policy on the basis of its experience on the
implementation front.

Hence civil servants cannot sit in their ivory towers, rather they must be accessible to people at the
grassroots level. People First attitude is utmost important for a civil servant.

Body

When you take an oath to help the public, you have to be readily available.

Significance of civil servants being accessible to poor

 Development and mobilisation of natural, human and financial resources and their proper
utilization for accomplishing developmental objectives. P Narahari, as district collector in
Madhya Pradesh, worked towards building a barrier-free environment that ensures
that people with disabilities can move about safely and independently.

 Securing the support of the people for developmental activities by involving them in the
process of development by creating appropriate attitude towards the socio-economic
changes that are taking place in society. IAS Officer, Smita Sabharwal, popularly known as
‘the people’s officer’, launched a campaign called “Fund Your City” in Warangal. She
appealed to residents to help her build the infrastructure of Naxal-affected areas, which
resulted in the construction of traffic junctions and foot over-bridges.

Way forward

A civil servant must possess below qualities

 Actively seeks information from all sections of community to understand their needs and
expectations.

 Is accessible to all citizens and seeks their feedback to develop a clear understanding of their
needs and outcomes .

 Establishes mechanisms to address feedback from the community about the service
provided.

 Involves a diverse range of staff members, stakeholders, and delivery partners while
developing implementation approaches in order to provide clarity on the benefits to the
disadvantaged and to improve the quality of service provided to the citizens.

 Understands issues from others’ perspective, particularly the disadvantaged.

 Keeps others up-to-date with information and decisions that might affect their area of work.

Conclusion

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The presence of silos and hierarchy is not good for the country and the civil servants must become
accessible to the needy and poor in the first place. Whoever we are, wherever we are, we have to
work together for the nation. We need a bureaucracy that is creative and constructive, imaginative
and innovative, proactive and polite, professional and progressive, energetic and enabling,
efficient and effective, transparent and tech-enabled.

Objectivity is considered one of the most fundamental values in governance because it

helps the public authorities to make correct decisions on the merit of evidence. Discuss.
(150 words)
Difficulty level: Moderate
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Conceptual
Tuesdays’ in Mission-2022 Secure.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the importance of objectivity.
Directive:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you must debate on paper by going through the
details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You must give reasons for both for
and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by defining objectivity.
Body:
Write about how Objectivity helps in taking decisions based upon established facts and figures, helps
avoid personal opinion and bias and arrive at fair decision.
Cite suitable examples to substantiate your points.
Conclusion:
Complete the answer by stressing on its significance.
Introduction
Objectivity is a central philosophical concept, related to reality and truth, which has been
variously defined by sources. Generally, objectivity means the state or quality of being true even
outside of a subject‘s individual biases, interpretations, feelings, and imaginings. A proposition is
generally considered objectively true when its truth conditions are met without biases caused by
feelings, ideas, and opinions (mind-independent).

Body

Importance of Objectivity:

 Critical thinking: By thinking both pros and cons and then taking a decision.

 Right to review decisions: within judicial / administrative procedure, there should be

mechanism for appellate board e.g. in taxation, land acquisition etc.

 Right to be heard: often officers don’t hear the complaint or opinion of people properly and just
do the things that are in their mind. Hence new schemes should have ‘social audit / public
hearing’ components.

 Information management: if you don’t have hardcore information /statistics, you can’t take
objective decisions. E.g. sustainable development goals (SDG) have 17 goals and 169 targets.
Previously in Millennium development goals (MDG), we had 18 indicators, yet we lacked proper

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statistical databases to compare performance. Lack of data, prevents us from finding the faults
and fixing them.

 Transparency: e.g. right to information act. Bureaucrat will think twice before taking
subjective/discretionary decisions, fearing that he’ll have to answer it if someone files an RTI

Relevance of Objectivity in Public Services:

 Being non-partisan

 Objectivity will help civil servants to be non-partisan, impartial and more service oriented.

 For example District collector in making appointments needs to give priority to merit rather
than other factors like the caste or background of the caste.

 Critical thinking and taking rational decisions

 By thinking both pros and cons and then taking a decision.

 It also contributes in rational merit based decision makings in day to day work of them. Ex.
Team work, solving emergency issues like riotous situation.

 within judicial / administrative procedure, there should be mechanism for appellate board
e.g. in taxation, land acquisition etc.

 It also plays a big role in reducing menace of corruption from the system.

 Right to be heard:

 often officers don’t hear the complaint or opinion of people properly and just do the things
that are in their mind. Hence new schemes should have ‘social audit / public hearing’
components.

 Information management:

 if you don’t have hardcore information /statistics, you can’t take objective decisions.

 E.g. sustainable development goals (SDG) have 17 goals and 169 targets. Previously in
Millennium development goals (MDG), we had 18 indicators, yet we lacked proper
statistical databases to compare performance. Lack of data, prevents us from finding the
faults and fixing them.

 Transparency:

 Being objective ensures that work of civil servant becomes fair, transparent and visionary
above all narrow considerations of kinship, nepotism, favouritism.

 e.g. right to information act. Bureaucrat will think twice before taking
subjective/discretionary decisions, fearing that he’ll have to answer it if someone files an
RTI

Relevance in Private life

 Objectivity is necessary to get an accurate explanation of how things work in the world.
 E.g.: In a country like India, where black magic, superstition is still prevalent, objectivity
becomes very imperative in bursting the myths.

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 It helps to tackle prejudices and stereotypes.

 E.g.: The disabled and crippled are seen as a curse, while being unaware of the scientific
reasons behind it.
 The women are always held responsible for birth of a girl child while the actual fact remains
that it is the man and his genes which is responsible for sex of the child.
 Objectivity helps to tackle fake news menace which is growing at rampant rate.
 Objectivity helps to overcome the ethical dilemmas, value judgement & complexities of social
phenomena.

Conclusion

In public life objectivity as a value must strive for in all interaction but at many times being
objective become difficult. Fairness as a value closest to objectivity can be practiced which
progressively leads to objectivity.

Attitude: content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and
behaviour; Moral and political attitudes; Social Influence and Persuasion
In a just society, the economic rights, personal freedoms and social imperatives must be
in balance. (150 words)
Difficulty level: Tough
Why the question: The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of
‘Abstract Thursdays’ in Mission-2022 Secure.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction:
Give a simple elaboration on the concept of a just society.
Body:
Write about the various of a just society wherein economic rights, personal freedoms and social
imperatives are in a balance. Cite examples to substantiate. Write about the lack of balance can
disrupt the justice in the society.
Conclusion:
Conclude by mentioning ways to achieve that balance.
Introduction

Philosophers, politicians, and everyday people have wrestled with this question for as long as society
has existed. The term “social justice” first applied only to economic resources. Over time, it has
become aligned with human rights. The distribution of resources, how people are treated, and
access to services and opportunities all play a role in social justice. Because society is complex, social
justice is complex as well.

Body

Just society basis

 Rationality — A rational concept of justice requires an understanding of human nature and

society, as well as a logical evaluation of evidence. It also requires an appreciation for the
complexity involved in making moral assessments, which can be seen by how many different
ethical theories have arisen throughout history.

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 Morality — Humans are social creatures who function best when they live together with
others who share common goals; therefore, morality can be used to help facilitate
cooperation among members while allowing for personal freedom within set
boundaries (i.e., laws). This is necessary because humans are not always rational actors;
emotions often influence their actions and lead them astray from what they would
otherwise want or need to do if left alone without any external interference. Therefore,
some form of morality should exist so that people can work together while still preserving
individual autonomy.
 Fairness — Fairness is important because it allows people to trust one another and work
together for common causes. It also mitigates the effects of bias, which can result in
injustice if left unchecked.

 Equality — The distinction between civilized societies and those that are not rests on
whether or not they treat all individuals equally before the law. This means that public policy
should be evaluated based on how it affects everyone, regardless of their race, sex, religion,
ethnicity, etc.

Conclusion

A Just society is one in which each person is socially and economically secure, and where the state is
politically, legally, and administratively inclusive and fair. For a society to be just, it must ensure the
protection of everyone’s civil, political, economic, cultural, and social rights. These rights include the
right to life, the right to free speech, liberty and equality.

Compare and contrast between persuasion and influence.

Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Conceptual
Tuesdays’ in Mission-2023 Secure.
Key Demand of the question:
A straightforward question to distinguish between persuasion and influence and to justify if
persuasion is more effective than force.
Directive word:
Compare and contrast – provide for a detailed comparison of the two types, their features that are
similar as well as different. One must provide for detailed assessment of the two.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by clearly defining Persuasion and Influence In your own words.
Body:
Through suitable illustrations, highlight the contrasting approaches of a Persuasion and Influence.
Use examples to clearly outline the difference between the two.
Next, bring out the relative effect of force and persuasion. Write as to the various emotions
associated with force and persuasion. Use examples to substantiate your argument.
Conclusion:
Mention how Persuasion is a stronger tool as opposed to Influence.
Introduction

Persuasion is symbolic process in which communicators try to convince other people through
transmission of a message to change their attitudes or behaviours. While influence is the change in

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behaviour that one person causes in another, intentionally or unintentionally. It occurs when a
person’s emotions, opinions, or behaviours are affected by others

Body

Social Influence:

 Social influence takes many forms and can be seen in conformity, socialization, peer
pressure, obedience, leadership, persuasion, sales, and marketing.

 As per Herbert Kelman, there are three broad types of social influence.

o Compliance It is described as a particular kind of response, acquiescence to a

particular kind of communication, a request. g.: Tax payment, following traffic rules
o Conformity: It refers to the act of changing a particular belief or behaviour to fit in
with one’s social environment. Main factor that influences conformity is social
norms. E.g.: leaving footwear outside in religious places, banning of sati.

o Obedience: Person obeys direct orders from another to perform some actions. E.g.:
Orders from Military officer to jawans.

 Effect of Social influence is especially visible in the long history of humankind, particularly
World War II, where individuals were observed to commit immoral acts because they scuffle
to act in sync with their personal judgments when faced with external pressure.

Persuasion:

 Persuasion is one form of social influence on attitude; in fact it represents the intersection of
social thinking and social influence of everyday life.

 Persuasion can occur through appeals to reason or appeals to emotion. For example, school-
based substance abuse prevention programs using the social influences model consistently
produce better results than programs emphasizing only health information.

 The government has also utilized this tool for the success of the initiatives like Swachh
Bharat Abhiyan- cleanliness drives; Ujjwala Yojana’s Give it up campaign; Disclosing excess
income campaign; Beti Bachao Beti Padhao by making parents understand it is necessary to
protect and educate a girl child.

Conclusion

Thus, Persuasion is one form of social influence on attitude; in fact it represents the intersection of
social thinking and social influence of everyday life. Understanding these shortcuts and employing
them in an ethical manner can significantly increase the chances that someone will be social
influenced and persuaded by the public policy.

With various forms of addictions on a rise among the youth of the country, empathy
must play an essential role in long-term recovery of addicts. (150 words)
Difficulty level: Moderate
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Abstract
Thursdays’ in Mission-2023 Secure.
Key Demand of the question:

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To write about taking an empathetic approach towards de-addiction.

Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by giving context of rising forms of addictions – drugs, gaming, alcohol, social media etc.
Body:
First, bring out the adverse impact of addictions in brief.
Next, write about empathetic approach towards de-addiction – breaking the stigma, persuading,
care ethics, compassionate support, follow up etc.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing about saving the youth from various addictions.
Introduction

Every youth who destroys his life by drug addiction is a loss to our society. Instead of treating it as
a law-and-order issue, we must think of pro-active solutions to stop people from consuming drugs.
We must identify and rehabilitate such people who are addicted so that they can
become productive part of society. Moreover, branding addicts as criminal will ostracise them and
make it difficult to integrate them in the society due to the stigma attached.

Body

Background

There is also a correlation between drug abuse, social problems, antisocial behaviour and crime in
many areas. People under the influence of drugs and alcohol have lowered inhibitions and this
makes them more likely to commit crimes or indulge in antisocial behaviour. Petty theft to obtain
funds to buy drugs is also more common in areas with high drug usage. Drug abuse places a huge
burden on the financial and human resources. In India, consumption and possession of drugs is
illegal and is an offence where arrest can be made.

Whether drug addiction is a moral issue

Treat the problem as social, not criminal. With addicts, treat them as patients and not as criminals
because addiction is a medical problem. They need patience and care. Drug addiction is a social
problem that needs to be taken seriously by society as a whole and not be swept under the
carpet. One of the best ways to deal with drug dependency is for the addict to get the help that they
need and for their family to be supported through the recovery process.

Residential rehab treatment has proved to be one of the most effective ways of treating drug
addiction.

There are two types of people: those who believe that drug addiction treatment should be given to
everyone, and those who think that drug addiction shouldn’t be treated as a criminal
issue. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter who suffers from addiction, criminal or not. With the proper
help and treatment, one will be able to overcome addiction and fit into society once again. Due to
the process of drug rehabilitation, there is almost a countless number of people who took the
necessary steps to beat their crippling addiction and even become pillars of various communities.

A middle path such as dealing drugs can be considered illegal and a crime, while drug addicts who
are habitually consuming drugs must be identified and given the necessary help.

Government initiatives such as ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat’, or Drug-Free India Campaign which focuses on
community outreach programs can go a long way in solving this issue.

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Conclusion

Addiction should not be seen as a character flaw, but as an ailment that any other person could be
struggling with. Therefore, the stigma associated with drug taking needs to be reduced. Society
needs to understand that drug-addicts are victims and not criminals.

Emotional intelligence-concepts, and their utilities and application in

administration and governance.
Emotional intelligence is a personal attribute that is very useful in easing conflict.
People with a high emotional intelligence are empathetic and sensitive to the feelings
of others. Discuss. (150 Words)
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Conceptual
Tuesdays’ in Mission-2022 Secure.
Directive word:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you must debate on paper by going through the
details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You must give reasons for both for
and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by defining emotional intelligence.
Body:
Next, mention the various components of emotional intelligence that help in reducing conflicts at the
work place. Link it with proper examples real or hypothetical ones to substantiate your points.
Conclusion:
Conclude by stressing on training public servants to use emotional intelligence for conflict resolution.
Introduction

Conflict resolution can be defined as the informal or formal process that two or more parties use to
find a peaceful solution to their dispute. Emotional intelligence or EI is the ability to understand and
manage your own emotions, and those of the people around you. EI helps in understanding the
emotions, evaluating it and managing it which paves the way for conflict resolution.

Body:

Components of Emotional intelligence:

 Self-awareness: being aware of your reactions and tendencies

 Self-management: staying on top of, and managing your reactions

 Social awareness: being able to perceive what others are feeling and thinking and picking up
on the emotions of others

 Relationship management: using your awareness of your emotions and those of others to
manage interactions; this includes communicating clearly and handling conflict.

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 Stress tolerance: To stay focused, stress should be managed and it involves own reactions to
stress or the reactions of others to the stress. Employees with high EQs are more likely to
listen, reflect, and respond to constructive criticism

 Impulse control: Independent people evaluate the alternatives and initiate the work by
taking appropriate action by executing the right options. People who manage their impulses
avoid being distracted and losing control of the situation. Emotionally intelligent employees
are more likely to keep their cool under pressure

 Optimism: Optimistic people have a target that they’re aiming toward. These people are
confident in their ability to carry out the required actions and meet the target by looking for
successful solutions to problems.

 Negotiation: For being able to empathize and be creative in finding win-win solutions will
consistently pay off to all the stakeholders involved.

How EI helps in Conflict resolution:

 Self-serving fairness interpretations: Rather than deciding what’s fair from a position of
neutrality, we interpret what would be most fair to us, then justify this preference on the
bases of fairness.

o For example, department heads are likely to each think they deserve the lion’s share
of the annual budget. Disagreements about what’s fairlead to clashes.

 Overconfidence: We tend to be overconfident in our judgments, a tendency that leads us to

unrealistic expectations. Disputants are likely to be overconfident about their odds of
winning a lawsuit,

o For example, an error that can lead them to shun a negotiated settlement that
would save them time and money.

 Escalation of commitment: Whether negotiators are dealing with a labor strike, a merger, or
an argument with a colleague, they are likely to irrationally escalate their commitment to
their chosen course of action, long after it has proven useful.

o We desperately try to recoup our past investments in a dispute (such as money

spent on legal fees), failing to recognize that such “sunk costs” should play no role in
our decisions about the future.

 Conflict avoidance: Because negative emotions cause us discomfort and distress, we may try
to tamp them down, hoping that our feelings will dissipate with time.

o In fact, conflict tends to become more entrenched, and parties have a greater need
for conflict resolution when they avoid dealing with their strong emotions.

Conclusion:

Governance in modern times is becoming increasing complex with affective components of

behaviour having a major role to play. Intelligence quotient alone can’t solve majority of problems
an administrator faces, use of emotional intelligence is a must for better public service delivery as
well as redressal.

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Emotional intelligence amidst a crisis situation helps decision makers to maximize the
pertinent of emotional intelligent skills to improve decision making. Elucidate. (150
words)
Difficulty level: Easy
Key Demand of the question:
To explain how EI makes a difference in extreme crisis situations.
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Abstract
Thursdays’ in Mission-2023 Secure.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
In your own words, define Emotional intelligence.
Body:
Emotional Intelligence (EI) refers to the capability of a person to recognize, understand and manage
own emotions, as well as to understand, manage and influence emotions of others. It is not always
virtuous and can be used as a tool for positive and negative ends.
Very briefly describe the key 5 components of EI.
Explain why it is so valuable in the context of crisis situations. Mention how it makes a difference and
people with high EI can manage any situation and rise above it. Cite examples to substantiate your
points.
Conclusion:
Conclude by summarising.
Introduction

Emotional intelligence or EI is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions, and those
of the people around you. Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive emotions, to access and
generate emotions so as to assist thought, to understand emotions and emotional knowledge, and
to reflectively regulate emotions so as to promote emotional and intellectual growth.

Body:
According to Daniel Goleman, an American psychologist who helped to popularize emotional
intelligence, there are four key elements to it viz. Self-awareness, self-management, social
awareness & relationship management.

Significance of Emotional intelligence:

 Appraising emotions arising from situations:

o Using emotions for reason based decisions and policy making.

o Identifying emotions in faces, voices, postures, and other content during public
management activities.

 Stress tolerance:

o To stay focused, stress should be managed and it involves own reactions to stress or
the reactions of others to the stress.

 Impulse control:

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o Independent people evaluate the alternatives and initiate the work by taking
appropriate action by executing the right options. People who manage their
impulses avoid being distracted and losing control of the situation.

 Negotiation:

o Whether you’re dealing with a trading partner, competitor, customer or colleague,

being able to empathize and be creative in finding win-win solutions will consistently
pay off.

 Peer relationships:

o Good networking skills are a staple of job effectiveness for the average worker.
Networking has too often been associated with “using” other people, but a
heightened EQ ensures a mutually beneficial approach to others.

 Social responsibility:

o When a leader cares about others, he is not a centre of attention and keeps
everyone in the loop by making their intentions known.

 Optimism:

o Optimistic people have a target that they’re aiming toward. These people are
confident in their ability to carry out the required actions and meet the target by
looking for successful solutions to problems.

Ways to develop emotional intelligence in civil servants:

 Assessing personal strengths and limitations

 Providing feedback with care

 Maximizing learner choice

 Encouraging participation

 Linking learning goals to personal values

 Adjusting expectations

 Gauging readiness

 Fostering a positive relationship between the trainer and the learner

 Maximizing self-directed change

 Setting clear goal

 Maximizing opportunities to practice emotional intelligence

 Providing frequent feedback on that practice

 Enhancing insight into emotions and thought patterns

Conclusion:

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The Center for Creative Leadership even draws on research to suggest that 75% of careers are
negatively impacted by emotional competency-related themes. These include the inability to
respond adaptively to change, nurture trust, lead teams during tough times, and deal effectively
with interpersonal problems. So developing your EI skills will help civils servants perform better in
the workplace.

Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world.

The middle path is the core of Buddha’s teaching and can be adopted in all walks of life.
Elaborate with examples.
Difficulty level: Moderate.
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Philosophical
Mondays’ in Mission-2022 Secure.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about middle path of Buddha and its application in present day.
Directive word:
Elaborate – Give a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the context. You must
be defining key terms wherever appropriate and substantiate with relevant associated facts.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start with a brief middle path of Buddha.
Body:
Write about the concept of ‘middle path’ (madhyamaka) which steers clear of the extremes. Elaborte
upon it as it essentially implies avoiding extremes, such as what we are witnessing today-narrow
nationalism and unbridled liberalism, religious bigotry and decrying religion, obsession with a
glorious past and justifying all things considered modern; in short, blind faith in what one considers
right without consideration for the other’s point of view.
Conclusion:
Conclude by mentioning Buddha’s call to avoid extreme ways of practice and walk the middle way of
reasonableness is the need of the hour.
Introduction

Buddhist philosophy and doctrines, based on the teachings of Gautama Buddha, give meaningful
insights about reality and human existence. Buddhism teaches the Middle Path renouncing extreme
steps like indulgence and strict abstinence. According to him everyone was responsible for their own
happiness in life, stressing upon the individualistic component of Buddhism.

Body

The middle path is the core of Buddha’s teaching and can be adopted in all walks of life.

 It essentially implies avoiding extremes, such as what we are witnessing today-narrow

nationalism and unbridled liberalism, religious bigotry and decrying religion, obsession with
a glorious past and justifying all things considered modern. g.: blindly targeting a section of
people of a particular faith over dress, food etc.

 In short, blind faith in what one considers right without consideration for the other’s point of
view.

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 Buddha’s[Link]
moral-thinkers-from-india-and-the-world/indian-moral-thinkers/the-buddha/ call to avoid
extreme ways of practice and walk the middle way of reasonableness is the need of the
hour. For instance, the ongoing Ukraine war where Russia and NATO are trying to achieve
their own ends.

 Buddhism inculcates a lofty system of ethics and what is enunciated in the eight-fold path is
a simple yet powerful guide for all individuals including those in high places-political and
business leaders, religious seers, bureaucrats and professionals.

 In today’s world of bitter religious and political conflicts, increasing inequalities and
inequities, and unscrupulous commercial competition, the ‘middle path’ laid out by the
Buddha is the only way to save mankind from the evils of hatred, vituperation and violence.

 One of the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations to be achieved by 2030
is ‘Peace and Justice’.

 As peace and sustainable development are interlinked, the Buddha’s prism can be the
guiding lights to every single stakeholder from local to global institutions and leaders, to
work together for promoting dialogue, harmony, and justice based on compassion and
wisdom.

Conclusion

The Buddhist teachings inculcate compassion, calmness & composure, joy among humans and they
can help maintain a sustainable balance between man and nature. Buddha’s teachings can transform
the societies into their better and more humane forms as reflected by Tibetan spiritual leader the
Dalai Lama “the 20th century was a century of war and violence, now we all need to work to see
that the 21st century is of peace and dialogue.’

History shows that the mitigation and cessation of unjust practices ultimately comes
from the assertion of core values of humanity. Explain with examples. (150 words)
Difficulty level: Moderate
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Philosophical
Mondays’ in Mission-2022 Secure.
Key Demand of the question:
To explain how unjust practices could be overcome by upholding and asserting core values.
Directive word:
Explain – Clarify the topic by giving a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the
particular context. You must be defining key terms where ever appropriate, and substantiate with
relevant associated facts.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by defining core values of humanity.
Body:
Explain as to how these core values can be used to overcome unjust practises. Use historical
examples to justify the same. Mention the role core values play in mitigation of unjust practises.
Conclusion:
Conclude by summarising the need to use core values to overcome exist unjust practices.
Introduction

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The phenomenon we are facing daily is the “lack of humanity”, which is causing problems for the
whole world. The meaning of humanity is a collection of positive traits that humans should have in
them. These traits or qualities include kindness, compassion, honesty, courage, tolerance towards
differences, empathy, respect, integrity, thoughtfulness, etc.

Practices such as Sati, violence against women and extraction of dowries, marginalization of Dalits
and Tribals have stopped or reduced to a great extent, because human beings became aware of
values of dignity.

Body

Core values of humanity and cessation of unjust practices

 Unites all humans: Humans from different parts of the world follow different religions and
cultures. It means they follow different rituals, have different religious and cultural values.
These differences can create a gap among humans in different parts of the world. However,
the language of humanity is one force that can unite humans despite their differences.

o Eg: Violence on Dalits, minorities have reduced drastically in 75 years of

Independence in India.

 Ensures Peace: One of the factors of humanity is to be tolerant towards those who share
different opinions and backgrounds. When we tolerate the differences, there is less chaos in
the world, and less chaos means the lack of destruction and establishment of peace. If all
humans and governments of every state use the weapon of humanity, there will be peace
and happiness in the world.

o A humane approach would have prevented holocaust against Jews.

o A humane approach may be the only solution to the clash of civilisations that we
see now.

o Terror organisations like Al-Qaeda, ISIS may not have existed if they had humane-
ness in them.

 Humanity is the Ethic: It is a fact that humanity also means moral values of ethical behavior.
We call humane behavior as ethical behavior many times.

o Many institutes and organizations develop an ethical code of conduct for their
employees.

o Many of the claws are based on the basic traits of humanity. If every human works
on developing and polishing one’s human traits then there won’t be a need to
forcefully ensure ethical behavior from everyone.

o Better humanity can eliminate the issues of moral values and ethics from society.

 Reduced Crime Rate: The increase in the number of crimes in today’s world is mainly
because of humanity.
o Yes, there are some times when the criminal is forced to commit a crime because of
whatever conditions life has put.
o But, the root cause remains the lack of humanity from people in power who are
busy with corruption and ignore the needs of the poor segment of the society.
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o If there is humanity, there will be a reduced crime rate in the world.

o Similarly, humanity can prevent a criminal from committing a crime whether out of
need or out of fun.

 No Wars: If we look at history, even just a couple of decades back, we shall notice numerous
wars in different parts of the world. Syria, Afghanistan, Lebonan, and many other countries
have been facing worse situations because of proxy wars between some countries.

o Moreover, there countries like India and Pakistan, which are in a war or war-like
situation and have tensions of military nature between them.

o These wars are a result of poor judgment from the governments and authorities
from both countries and a lack of humanity.

o Countries need to realize the importance of humanity and stop wars. Instead, focus
on the real development of people of their countries.

Conclusion

The importance of humanity is a serious matter. The topic is much needed in the world more than
ever. No one can deny the impact of humanity in the world. By practicing humanity, the world can
become a better place for everyone. However, it requires our efforts to practice humanity, as it may
not always seem the essay choice but it is the only right choice that humans can make. The world
would have been a nice place to live if there is humanity among us and if humanity is encouraged by
others.

Utilitarian ethics accepts consequentialism, welfarism, and impartiality. Elaborate.

Difficulty level: Moderate.
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Philosophical
Mondays’ in Mission-2023 Secure.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about consequentialism, welfarism, impartiality as a part of Utilitarian ethics.
Directive word:
Elaborate – Give a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the context. You must
be defining key terms wherever appropriate and substantiate with relevant associated facts.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start with a brief of Utilitarian ethics.
Body:
First, write about consequentialism as a part of utilitarian ethics – bringing about good outcomes is
all that ultimately matters, from a moral perspective.
Next, write about welfarism – from a welfarist perspective, good consequences are those which
increase well-being in the world, while bad consequences are those which decrease it.
Next, write about impartiality – Accepting this conception of impartiality means treating well-being
as equally valuable regardless of when, where or to whom it occurs.
Conclusion:
Conclude by summarising.
Introduction

Utilitarianism would say that an action is right if it results in the happiness of the greatest number of
people in a society or a group. Utilitarianism is a theory of morality, which advocates actions that

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foster happiness or pleasure and opposes actions that cause unhappiness or harm. When directed
toward making social, economic, or political decisions, a utilitarian philosophy would aim for the
betterment of society as a whole.

Body

Utilitarianism and consequentialism

Greatest good of the greatest number, was famously given by Jeremy Bentham, the father of
utilitarianism. Bentham’s fundamental axiom, which underlies utilitarianism, was that all social
morals and government legislation should aim for producing the greatest happiness for the greatest
number of people. Utilitarianism, therefore, emphasizes the consequences or ultimate purpose of an
act rather than the character of the actor, the actor’s motivation, or the particular circumstances
surrounding the act. It has these characteristics:

 Universality, because it applies to all acts of human behaviour, even those that appear to be
done from altruistic motives;

 Objectivity, meaning it operates beyond individual thought, desire, and perspective;

 Rationality, because it is not based in metaphysics or theology; and

 Quantifiability in its reliance on utility.

Utilitarianism and welfarism

Welfarism is the view that only the welfare (also called well-being) of individuals determines the
value of an outcome.

Specifically, from a welfarist perspective, good consequences are those which increase well-being in
the world, while bad consequences are those which decrease it. Philosophers use the term well-
being to describe everything that is good for a person in itself, as opposed to things only
instrumentally good for a person. For example, money can buy many useful things and is thus good
for a person instrumentally, but it is not a component of their well-being.

Utilitarianism and impartiality

Utilitarianism is committed to a conception of impartiality that builds in the equal consideration of

interests: Impartiality is the view that the identity of individuals is irrelevant to the value of an
outcome. Furthermore, equal weight must be given to the interests of all individuals.

Accepting this conception of impartiality means treating well-being as equally valuable regardless of
when, where or to whom it occurs. As utilitarian philosopher Henry Sidgwick states: “the good of
any one person is no more important from the point of view of the universe than the good of any
other”. As a consequence, utilitarians value the well-being of all individuals equally, regardless of
their nationality, gender, where or when they live, or even their species. According to utilitarianism,
in principle you should not even privilege the well-being of yourself or your family over the well-
being of distant strangers (though there may be good practical reasons to do so).

Limitations

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 A limitation of utilitarianism is that it tends to create a black-and-white construct of

morality. In utilitarian ethics, there are no shades of gray—either something is wrong or it is
right.

 Utilitarianism also cannot predict with certainty whether the consequences of our actions
will be good or bad—the results of our actions happen in the future.

 Utilitarianism also has trouble accounting for values like justice and individual rights.
For example, say a hospital has four people whose lives depend upon receiving organ
transplants: a heart, lungs, a kidney, and a liver. If a healthy person wanders into the
hospital, his organs could be harvested to save four lives at the expense of his one life. This
would arguably produce the greatest good for the greatest number. But few would consider
it an acceptable course of action, let alone an ethical one.

Conclusion

Utilitarianism is a form of consequentialism because it rests on the idea that it is the consequences
or results of actions, laws, policies, etc. that determine whether they are good or bad, right or
wrong. In general, whatever is being evaluated, we ought to choose the one that will produce the
best overall results. In the language of utilitarians, we should choose the option that “maximizes
utility,” i.e. that action or policy that produces the largest amount of good.

If greed is the sin of capitalism, then envy is the vice of socialism. Debate. (150 words)
Difficulty Level: Tough
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Philosophical
Mondays’ in Mission-2023 Secure.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the limitations of capitalism and socialism from an ethical point of view.
Directive:
Debate – Weigh up to what extent something is true. Persuade the reader of your argument by citing
relevant research but also remember to point out any flaws and counter- arguments as well.
Conclude by stating clearly how far you agree with the original proposition.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by giving context.
Body:
First, write about as to how greed is sin of capitalism and give arguments to elaborate. Substantiate
using examples.
Next, write about the vices of socialism especially in regards to envy and its impact. Cite examples to
substantiate.
Conclusion:
Conclude the answer by giving a balanced opinion.
Introduction

Capitalism is based on individual initiative and favors market mechanisms over government
intervention, while socialism is based on government planning and limitations on private control of
resources. Left to themselves, economies tend to combine elements of both systems.

Body

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Greed is the sin of capitalism

Capitalists don’t cause harm to their employees out of malice or greed. Their motivation comes from
the brute reality of market competition. If a capitalist doesn’t produce at the lowest price, he knows
that he will lose customers, and if that continues, his firm will start bleeding money. So he has to
keep his selling price as low as possible. But if he’s going to lower his selling price, he also has to
lower his costs, or he won’t make any money. Hence, he tries to pay out as little as possible for his
inputs—the machines and raw material that he buys, and the wages he’s paying to his workers. So
every capitalist constantly tries to get the most out of every dollar he spends, including from his
workers. This is how firms survive in the market.

In this process, the socialists call capitalists as greedy. Karl Marx said “While the miser is merely a
capitalist gone mad, the capitalist is a rational miser”.

Crucially, the capitalist drive to accumulate money isn’t primarily about individual capitalists being
bad, greedy people, but rather the relentless pressures of the system itself.

It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner,
but from their regard to their own interest. We address ourselves, not to their humanity but to
their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities but of their advantages.

Envy is the vice of socialism

Socialists are by and large concerned about people amassing personal wealth. They commit
themselves to expropriate wealth and distribute it to less wealthy. If someone became wealthy
because they founded a successful business, what socialists fail to understand is that that person has
found a way to produce something that consumers happily hand their money over for. And that they
created jobs in the process where workers are happy to exchange their time and skill for an income.

Socialists see the outcome, not the process. Envy blocks them from trying to understand how
economic value is created by the free market. They cannot accept that the free market creates
more winners than any other system because they only see that some people win even more than
others. Capitalists don’t care if Bill Gates is wealthiest on this planet. As a matter of fact, millions of
people were able to get an income from working at Microsoft or using their product to make their
business more efficient. The free market is a system that is literally built on voluntary exchange of
goods and services, creating what’s called economic surplus. People only trade voluntarily if they
benefit from it. But socialists would want to being Bill Gates down.

Hence socialism is based on three-legged stool which are envy, ignorance and faith according to its
critiques.

Conclusion

Each ideology has its own shortcomings in their truest form. Today no economy is purely capitalistic
or socialistic. They are a mix of both. China is communist but trades freely with the world. India
believes in welfare state model while economy is capitalistic. USA also is majorly capitalist but has
allowances for the needy. Combining both elements is the new norm.

Throw light on the contributions of Indian philosophy and philosophers in laying down
norms and standards for ethics. (150 words)
Difficulty level: Tough
Why the question:

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The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4.

Key Demand of the question:
To write about source and ideals of ethics in Indian culture and philosophy.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by mentioning that the Indian tradition is repository of numerous ethical and moral discourses.
Body:
In detail mention the various sources – Vedas, Upanishads, Dhramashastras, Smritis, Buddhist canon,
Jaina ethics, Bhagwad Gita, folk tales, teachings of sufi and bhakti saints, teachings of modern
philosophers like Swami Vivekanada and Mahtma Gandhi etc.
Describe the major ethical and moral tenets of the above-mentioned sources or teaching of the
personalities.
Conclusion:
Conclude by drawing the contemporary importance of the above.
Introduction

Indian history has an abundance of great thinkers, philosophers, and teachers with immense
knowledge. They all contributed to shaping the rich culture and philosophy of the land.

Body

Gautama Buddha

Gautama Buddha was an ascetic, a religious leader, and a teacher who lived in ancient India during
the 6-5th century BCE. His teachings laid the basis of Buddhist philosophy and traditions as well as
Buddhism as a religion.

The fundamental ethical and spiritual point behind the Buddha’s philosophy is that impermanent,
conditioned, and conditional things such as wealth, social position, power, sensual pleasures, and
even meditative states, cannot generate a state of ultimate happiness. To overcome the existential
dissatisfaction generated by all ephemeral and contingent things, one needs to follow a
comprehensive path of ethical and mental training conducive to the state of ultimate happiness
called nirvana.

Adi Shankaracharya

Adi Shankara was an Indian philosopher and theologian who set forth the doctrine of Advaita
Vedanta. Shankaracharya combined the ideologies of ancient ‘Advaita Vedanta’ and also explained
the basic ideas of Upanishads. He advocated the oldest concept of Hinduism which explains the
unification of the soul (atman) with the Supreme Soul (Nirguna Brahman).

While Shankaracharya was a firm believer in ancient Hinduism, he condemned the ‘Mimamsa school
of Hinduism’ which was purely based on ritual practices.

Thiruvalluvar

Thiruvalluvar was a celebrated Tamil poet and philosopher best known as the author of the
Tirukkural which is a collection of couplets on ethics, political thought, economical matter, and life.
The text is considered an exceptional and cherished work of Tamil literature.

Thiruvalluvar showed that a person could lead a divine life or a life of purity and sanctity even if
they are a Grihastha or householder. He showed that there was no necessity to leave the family
and become a Sannyasin to lead a divine life of purity and sanctity.

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Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda was one of the most celebrated spiritual leaders of India. He was a prolific
thinker, great orator, and passionate patriot. He carried on the free-thinking philosophy of his guru,
Ramakrishna Paramhansa forward into a new paradigm. He followed the Advaita Vedanta school of
philosophy.

He worked tirelessly towards betterment of the society, in servitude to the poor and needy,
dedicating his all to his country. He was responsible for the revival of Hindu spiritualism and
established Hinduism as a revered religion on the world stage.

His message of universal brotherhood and self-awakening remains relevant, especially in the
current backdrop of widespread political turmoil around the world. His teachings have been an
inspiration to many, and his words have become goals of self-improvement, especially for the youth
of the country.

Mahatma Gandhi

The twin principles of Gandhi’s thought are truth and nonviolence or Satya and ahimsa. Gandhi
believed that truth is the relative of truthfulness in word and deed and the Ultimate Reality. This
ultimate truth is God and morality. The moral laws and codes are the basis of truth and morality.

Ahimsa is not mere peacefulness or the absence of overt violence but denotes active love for
everything in this world according to Gandhi. It is the polar opposite of violence, or “Himsa”, in
every sense.

He has said “As soon as we lose the moral basis, we cease to be religious. There is no such thing as
religion overriding morality. Man, for instance, cannot be untruthful, cruel or incontinent and
claim to have God on his side”

Hence Gandhian philosophy stems from the truth and non-violence and teaches that one should
acknowledge and accept the truth that people are different at all levels (“truth”). Also, one should
never resort to violence to settle inherent differences between human beings at any level: from
between two people to two nations to two races or two religions (“non-violence”).

There are seven social sins according to Gandhi:

 Politics without Principles

 Wealth Without Work

 Pleasure Without Conscience

 Knowledge Without Character

 Commerce Without Morality

 Science Without Humanity

 Worship Without Sacrifice

Conclusion

Humans are social animals and seek a cause-effect relationship that motivates them to question the
society where they live which can be achieved through philosophy. Philosophy can be applied to the

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physical world existing around us and also applied to intangible objects and imaginary like a god,
cosmology.

Ancient Greece and India were the cradles of ethical thinkers and philosophers whose thoughts and
teachings laid the base for a great many discoveries and changes in the world.

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Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration: Status and

problems; ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions;
laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance;
accountability and ethical governance; strengthening of ethical and moral values
in governance; ethical issues in international relations and funding;
Why is probity in governance considered to be an exception rather than being a norm in
the modern day administration? (150 words)
Difficulty level: Tough
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about why probity is such a rare occurrence in governance.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by defining probity in governance.
Body:
First, with examples mentions why civil servants with strong moral principles are rare and mention
the factors that make civil servants compromise their integrity.
Next, mention steps that must be taken to improve and promote probity in governance.
Conclusion:
Conclude by suggesting measures to make these measures more robust and effective.
Introduction

Probity is “the quality or condition of having strong moral principles, integrity, good character,
honesty, decency”. It is the act of adhering to the highest principles and ideals rather than avoiding
corrupt or dishonest conduct. It balances service to the community against the self-interest of
individuals.

Body

Probity is an exception rather than a norm

 It is the lack of probity in public life that resulted in increasing cases of misallocation of
public funds like 2G scam, taking grafts for delivery of public services to citizens, inclusion of
fake beneficiaries, use of public power for the personal interest and nepotism.

 There is no recognition of good work in civil services.

 Honest and brave officers are threatened with suspension and humiliation.

 Today, our bureaucracy is twenty times more bureaucratic, our deference to the chain of
command more cringing and decorous, our worship of paper more entrenched.

 To quote Hyman Rickover, “If you are going to sin, sin against God, not the bureaucracy. God
will forgive you but the bureaucracy won’t.”

 An administration certainly needs guardrails in the form of non-negotiable rules. Without

such rails, the system can stray badly. But necessitating a dozen signatures where a few can
do, is a criminal surfeit of supervisory controls.

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 Similarly, we have a colossal army of paper-pushing subordinates churning out work of

frivolous value leading to redtapism.

 Corruption, favouritism, criminalisation of governance, self-centred functionaries etc. are on

the rise.

Measures to ensure probity

 Statutory Code of Values and Ethics for Public Services– It should be expressed in simple
language, easily understandable and should lay down fundamental values that ought to
govern the conduct of public servants. For example, British Civil Services Code.

 Ethical framework –Need for an ethical framework that should provide for prevention and
guidance, investigation, disciplinary action, and prosecution.

 Ethical Guidance –It should include training in ethics, awareness and development of
essential skill for ethical analysis and moral judgement.

 Sanction and punishment –Violation and breaches of the Code of Ethics should
invite sanction and punishment under the disciplinary rules. A simplified disciplinary regime
should be put in place which, while following the principle of natural justice, may speedily
and summarily decide cases and take punitive action against delinquent employees.
 Independent office of Ethics Commissioner– Need to create such an independent office on
the US pattern to provide leadership in ethics and values. Ethics Commissioner should issue
and interpret rules which govern standards of conduct and conflict of interest.

Conclusion

Integrity and probity in public life demand that those elected or appointed to public office are
themselves imbued with a sense of responsibility to the society that puts them there; that the
decisions they take should always be solely in terms of the public interest and not to gain benefits
for themselves, family, friends or associates; that they act with honesty and integrity by not
allowing their private interests to conflict with their public responsibilities; and that the behaviour
must always be able to stand up to the closest public scrutiny. Similarly, civil society and
institutions have a crucial role to play by calling to account those who will flout the rules and by
refusing to tolerate any but the highest standard of behaviour in those who they elect or appoint
to serve the public interest.

Value addition

Concept of Probity

 Probity is confirmed integrity. It is usually regarded as being incorruptible.

 It is the quality of having strong moral principles and strictly following them, such as honesty,
uprightness, transparency and incorruptibility.

 Probity in Governance is concerned with the propriety and character of various organs of the
government as to whether these uphold the procedural uprightness, regardless of the
individuals manning these institutions.

 It involves adopting an ethical and transparent approach, allowing the process to withstand
scrutiny.

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 Probity goes further than the avoidance of being dishonest because it is determined by
intangibles like personal and societal values.

 Probity has been described as a risk management approach ensuring procedural integrity.

 It is concerned with procedures, processes and systems rather than outcomes. The principles
of probity, ethics and good governance operate on many levels – from, the individual, to the
organization and on to the ‘watch-dog’.

What do you understand by international morality? Does morality exist in international

relations? (150 words)
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by Lexicon Publications.
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4.
Key Demand of the question:
To write international morality and its nature.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by defining international morality.
Body:
Start by explaining what is international ethics – moral principles, customary International Law,
Human rights, Cooperation, Non-aggression etc. Cite examples to substantiate your points.
Next, write about if it is just a theoretical concept or it is applied in practise as well.
Conclusion:
Conclude by giving a balanced opinion on international morality.
Introduction
Ethical questions are central to the study of international relations, as it is a field of study concerned
with war and peace, trade and production, and law and rights. Yet, a persistent conventional wisdom
suggests ethics are marginal to international relations.

Realists believe that International relations is solely based on power and national interest and has no
place for morality. In the words of Thucydides “the strong do what they can and the weak suffer
what they must”.”

Body

Do Ethical considerations have a say in international relations?

To answer this question, realists and idealists have an ongoing debate. But since the second world
war, the debate was settled largely in favour of the realists.

Hans Morgenthau, gave 6 principles of Realism in International Relations

 Politics is governed by Objective Laws which have roots in Human Nature:

o The first principle of political realism holds that “politics, like society in general, is
governed by objective laws that have their roots in human nature.” Humans are
power seeking by nature and so are the states.

 National Interest defined in terms of National Power:

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o No considerations of Moral Imperatives when it comes to national interest. For eg:

Even though India espoused Panchsheel principles, China went to war with India in
1962 without as much of a warning.

 National Interest is always dynamic and it keeps changing. Eg: Russia had imposed arms
embargo on Pakistan by being a friend to India, which was lifted recently.

 Abstract Moral Principles cannot be applied to Politics:

o Politics is not ethics and the ruler is not a moralist. The primary function of a state is
to satisfy and protect the demands of national interest by means of national power.

 No universal moral principle in international relations

o Political realism refuses to identify the moral aspirations of a particular nation with
the moral principles that govern the universe. It refuses to accept that the national
interests and policies of any particular nation reflect universally applied moral
principles.

 Autonomy of International Relations: It is neither ethics nor law or economics. It is an

autonomous discipline where national interest reigns supreme

However, it must be noted that, it is without the element of morality that USA decided to use
nuclear bomb on Japan. Only after this plan was executed, the world became aware of the
devastating consequences that had ensued. Below are examples that highlight this norm.

 The alleged just war cause where a country thinks it’s their moral responsibility to save the
world. E.g.: USA and Iraq war.

 Threat to the Rules-based order of the world by side-lining of the Global bodies like UNSC,
WTO such as USA. Pursuing unilateralism and Protectionism goes against the ideal of Rules-
based international world order.

 China’s dominance in the South China Sea and its policy of “Debt-Trap diplomacy”, “Island-
encirclement” and “String of Pearls” show that there is no adherence to morality.

International morality and International Relations

 Rights and Responsibilities: The UNPeackeeping mission is based on the principle of

universal peace. This is the responsibility of the Security Council and all the nations to
maintain universal peace. India believes in this ideology and has been the largest cumulative
troop contributing nation.

 Equality: Ethics aim at “Peaceful World”, “Respect for All” & “Equality” while forming
international organizations, declarations & forums. E.g.: The demand for equality in IMF &
UNO shows the demand of adhering to ethics in a way.

 Resolving Tensions: Ethics helps to avoid the “Ego Clash” & “Ideological Clash” between two
or more nations. For instance, the disruption between India & Pakistan relations can be
avoided if both take a decision based on ethics.

 Solidarity: Natural disasters and refugee crisis situations require a more compassionate view
of the global community. These are not isolated events and rather, the duty of every global
citizen to help in the times of crisis. g.- Aid during natural disasters (Nepal earthquake)

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 Human rights: Adherence to human rights is vital after the Decalaration of Human Rights in
the UN Charter. Eg- lack of ethics in the international relation has been the cause of wars &
genocide many times in history (Rawnda and Burundi) and also like the first world war.

Conclusion

International ethic is not just an ethic of some leading country, it is not simply an ethic of a powerful
country having obligations towards others, because of the power they have over others.
International ethics may be elaborated as, that which enables one to participate more actively in
shaping and building good international community. The vision of international community that
every country has and reality of an international community provides us with food for thought, on
what ought to be the nature and purpose of investing in international relations to build an
international community.

What do you understand by a ‘moral compass’? Elaborate upon its role in making
morally right choices. (150 words)
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Philosophical
Mondays’ in Mission-2023 Secure.
Key Demand of the question:
Using the metaphor of the moral compass to describe conscience, our inner sense of right and wrong
offers a framework to guide our actions.
Directive:
Elaborate – Give a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the particular context.
You must be defining key terms where ever appropriate, and substantiate with relevant associated
facts.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by describing what you understand by moral compass (conscience) which governs the actions
you take in day-to-day life.
Body:
Elaborate on how the moral compass aids in deciding what right from is wrong. Use examples to
substantiate your points.
One way is to treat others the way you want to be treated.
Next way, to use Rights Theory that obligates us to respect the rights of others and live up to our
obligations towards them.
Another way is to utilitarian perspective to do maximum good for maximum people.
Conclusion:
Completed the answer by bring out how the moral compass prevents us acting purely from self-
interest and helps us live a life of integrity.
Introduction

Moral compass is a term used to describe our inner sense of right and wrong offers a framework to
guide our actions. Conscience is inner moral sense of a person which guides him/her to regulate
his behaviour. Voice of conscience corresponds to an inner voice that judges your behaviour. Voice
of conscience is the source of ethical decision making for many.

Body

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Conscience can be defined as something within each of us that tells us what is right and what is
wrong. Therefore, if one uses his/her conscience when making decisions it would be guided by what
is the right thing to do and what is wrong.

The traditional test is to apply ethical decision-making methods such as Rights Theory that obligates
us to respect the rights of others and live up to our obligations towards them. Another approach is
to evaluate the possible benefits and harms of alternative courses of action on stakeholders who
may be affected by our possible actions and choose the one that maximizes net benefits.

 Our conscience is our inner guide and it helps you figure out how to make good choices. As
we grow up, we learn right from wrong. Our conscience is the thought and feeling we have
that tells us whether something is a right or wrong thing to do or say. Thus voice of
Conscience is a consistent guide to ethical decision making.

 A person can prepare himself/herself to heed to the voice of conscience by:

 Pausing and thinking about the dimensions of issue.

 Practicing the power of silence.

 Meditating and prayer.

 Freeing oneself from external influences and selfish interests.

 A human being always comes across ethical dilemmas in the decision making the process.
Voice of Conscience acts as the guide for taking correct decisions when we have to choose
between competing sets of principles in a given, usually undesirable or perplexing, situation.
Example: Helping accident victim on your way to an interview.

 The voice of conscience of an individual help in analysing the situation from different
perspectives and help in taking the right decision.

 Voice of Conscience helps in avoiding Conflicts of interest for better decision making. It can
help in deciding between personal gains and public welfare.

 Voice of Conscience is our ability to make a practical decision in light of ethical values and
principles.

 Voice of Conscience is a person’s moral compass of right and wrong as well as the
consciousness of one’s actions. Expressions such as ‘gut feeling’ and ‘guilt’ are often applied
in conjunction with a conscience.

 The voice of conscience might suggest different principles and different behaviours to
different situations. But it for a moment help individual from not doing wrong based on
universal values.

Conclusion
Acting purely from self-interest, at best, keeps us parallel to the original position and can turn our
compass south if our actions do harm to others. We avoid going in that direction by living a life of
integrity. We also need to understand and appreciate why we should consider the needs of others
before acting. We could simply go back to The Golden Rule: Treat others the way you want to be
treated. None of us, presumably, wants to be disrespected so we should treat others respectfully.

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Corporate governance in India is often said to be ‘toothless’ in preventing corrupt and

unethical practices. Examine the ethical issues arising out of it with recent
examples. (250 words)
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Insights on India, Live Mint
Why the question:
Hindenburg Research, the US-based short-seller, has accused the Adani group of stock manipulation.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about shortcomings of corporate governance in India.
Examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we must investigate the topic (content words) in detail, inspect
it, investigate it and establish the key facts and issues related to the topic in question. While doing so
we should explain why these facts and issues are important and their implications.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by defining corporate governance.
Body:
Write about the various limitations and shortcomings of corporate governance – frequent scams,
lack of transparency, absences of accountability, corruption etc. Give recent examples like Yes bank,
the recent NSE co-location scam, Alleged manipulation of stock by Adani group, Infosys case in the
US etc.
Suggest steps to overcome the above (do mention the Uday Kotak Panel case).
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward.
Introduction

Corporate governance is the system of rules, practices, and processes by which a firm is
directed and controlled. Corporate governance essentially involves balancing the interests of a
company’s many stakeholders, such as shareholders, senior management executives, customers,
suppliers, financiers, the government, and the community. Ethics is at the core of corporate
governance, and management must reflect accountability for their actions on the global community
scale.

Hindenburg Research, the US-based short-seller, has accused the Adani group of stock
manipulation.

Body

Background

 The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) passed its final order in a sordid saga,
involving the country’s largest stock exchange.

 The order, strongly censuring senior officials of the NSE, including its former MD and CEO Chitra
Ramkrishna, throws light on a series of governance lapses at the stock exchange.

 The stock exchange regulator has levied fines on the parties involved in acts of impropriety, and
also barred NSE from introducing any new products for a six-month period.

 The order highlights the scale of misgovernance, including the violation of several rules and
regulations.

 More worryingly, the episode has exposed the absence of checks and balances at the stock
exchange.
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Need for structural changes in Corporate Governance in India

 It is common for friends and family of promoters and management to be appointed as board
members.

 In India, founders' ability to control the affairs of the company has the potential of derailing the
entire corporate governance system. Unlike developed economies, in India, identity of the
founder and the company is often merged.

 Women director appointed are primarily from family in most of the companies which negates
the whole reform.

 Appointed independent directors are questionable as it is unlikely that Independent Directors

will stand-up for minority interests against the promoter. In the Tata case, these directors
normally toe the promoter’s line.

 An independent director can be easily removed by promoters or majority shareholders. This

inherent conflict has a direct impact on independence.

 Data protection is an important governance issue. In this era of digitalisation, a sound

understanding of the fundamentals of cyber security must be expected from every director.

 Board's Approach to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is often found unsupportive.

 Conflict of Interest - The ICICI Bank Ltd fiasco demonstrates the challenge of managers
potentially enriching themselves at the cost of shareholders in the absence of a promoter.

 In the corporate world, much is forgiven on grounds of performance.

 When a performing CEO chooses to unduly favour a particular individual or individuals, boards
see that as a forgivable infirmity.

 As for dysfunctional or ineffective boards, these remain the norm despite numerous regulations,
seminars and papers over the past four decades.

Measures to improve Corporate Governance:

 Ensure a balanced, competent and diverse Board: Business should strive for directors who are
qualified, understand the business and can offer a fresh perspective. Studies show Boards with
greater gender diversity result in improved financial performance.

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 The top management must be allowed to choose not more than 50% of the independent
directors.

 The rest must be chosen by various other stakeholders — financial institutions, banks, small
shareholders, employees, etc.

 Review your Board composition on a regular basis to identify any shortcomings and make
timely improvements.

 Build solid foundations for oversight: Establish, monitor and evaluate the roles and
responsibilities of the Board and management. The Board needs to have visibility of
management actions and key decision making.

 Gear key performance indicators towards long term value creation not just in the short term.

 Prioritize risk management: Establish an effective risk management and internal control
framework and periodically review its effectiveness. Developing a disaster recovery plan is
essential.

 Ensure integrity in corporate reporting including safeguards such as conducting external audits
of the business.

 Provide timely and balanced information: Providing transparency to key stakeholders both in
the good and bad times promotes stakeholders’ confidence in the business.

 Emphasise integrity, promote ethical behaviours and consult different categories of

stakeholders on their interests.

 Treat shareholders equitably and respect their rights.

 Ensure adequate disclosures around related parties’ transactions and director’s other interests.
This is especially important where a director may have external financial interests that could
influence his decision.

 Regulators must penalise errant directors through a whole range of instruments — strictures,
financial penalties, removal from boards and a permanent ban from board membership.

Conclusion:

The effectiveness of the Corporate Governance has become a global concern. Mainly after
many corporate collapse (e.g. Enron, Boeing etc.), fraud cases (e.g. Lehman Brothers), shareholder
suits or questionable strategic decisions are drawing attention to the top level decision-making body
of the corporation and the board of directors, necessitating the need for ethical considerations
where in Indian context, Uday Kotak committee recommendations can form guidelines for better
ethical corporate governance.

Value addition

Importance of Corporate Governance:

 Ensures that the management of a company considers the best interests of all stakeholders
involved;

 Helps companies deliver long-term corporate success and economic growth;

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 Maintains the confidence of investors and as consequence companies raise capital efficiently
and effectively;

 Has a positive impact on the price of shares as it improves the trust in the market;

 Improves control over management and information systems (such as security or risk
management)

 Good corporate governance also aims at a faster decision-making process by establishing a clear
delineation of roles between owners and management.

 Gives guidance to the owners and managers about what are the goals strategy of the company;

 Minimizes wastages, corruption, risks, and mismanagement;

 Helps to create a strong brand reputation;

 Most importantly, it makes companies more resilient.

 An increase in staff retention and motivation can be expected, especially from senior staff, when
the company has a well-defined and communicated vision and direction.

 A focus on the company’s core business will also make it easier to penetrate the market and
attract the interest of shareholders.

 Improved reporting on performance in turn leads managers and owners to make more informed
and fact-based decisions, leading ultimately to improving sales margins and reducing costs.

What is the meaning of ‘crisis of conscience’? Give instances of it in public life. (10M)
Difficulty Level: Easy
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Philosophical
Mondays’ in Mission-2023 Secure.
Key Demand of the question:
Write about the ‘crisis of conscience’ and describe it in the case of public life. Try to give practical
examples.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by describing what you understand by ‘Crisis of Conscience’
You may write:
Conscience refers to an individual’s inner sense which helps him/her’ to distinguish between right and
wrong. ‘Crisis of conscience’ is a situation wherein a person is drawn between two or more choices all
of which appear to be morally acceptable. Such situations can arise in both private and public life.

Body:
Elaborate on the concept by dividing it into various parts and giving examples for each from your
own life or others. E.g. Lives vs. livelihoods conundrum; Transparency and confidentiality, e.g. the
right to information law allows disclosure of information on public issues but not those related to
sensitive defence matters; Independence and obedience of higher authority, e.g. order to carry out
the raid on some ex-ministers family members due to political reasons
Very briefly write how these crises can be resolved.
Conclusion:
You may conclude by writing:

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A crisis of conscience is an integral part of everyone’s lives, and mechanisms to face this situation
should be taught and developed amongst us in a consistent and ethical manner both in our private
and public lives. Failure to do so might push a person into anxiety, depression, fear etc.
Introduction

Conscience is inner moral sense of a person which guides him/her to regulate his
behaviour. It is a cognitive process that elicits emotion and rational associations based on an
individual's moral philosophy or value system. Often Conscience is related to religious text and
supreme command to be followed by one’s inner self. Conscience comes to play when a person is in
moral dilemma and need deep assessment of scenario and his behaviour.

Body

Crisis of conscience:

 It is a situation in which it is very difficult to decide what is the right thing to do.

 It is also a time when people are worrying because they think that they have done something
unfair or morally wrong.

 It is a case of ethical dilemma, but often in a stronger sense.

 When there is a crisis of conscience, the individual fear that his action may be against the voice
of conscience and hence ethically wrong.

 For example, a municipality official has been ordered to forcefully evict illegal shelters
constructed by squatters on government land. The official observes that the occupants are poor
people who have small infants to take care of. In such case the official has to choose between
his/her conscience of giving them time to vacate or follow government order and perform his
duty.

 In health care, conscientious objection involves practitioners not providing certain treatments to
their patients, based on reasons of morality or “conscience.”

 ‘Crisis of conscience’ and its effect on individual is visible in the form of ‘whistle blowing’, where
an individual brings out irregularities happening inside the organisation out into the public
domain.

 Ex: Public official in the revenue department observes that some colleagues have conspired to
illegally sell a government land which has been allocated to an orphanage. They have offered
him a huge sum of money to keep quiet. ‘Crisis of conscience’ will force the official to bring out
this information into the public domain, even if it is anonymously.

 A public official is forced to resort to public activism if he/she is unable to do what his conscience
expects him/her to do so. In this case he may follow a path of political activism or social activism.

 Ex: An officer is trying hard to sanction drinking water project to a poor residential area but
there is ignorance on the part of concerned officials. He/she is forced to file petition with court
in order to implement the project.

Conclusion

To quote Gandhiji, “There is a higher court than courts of justice and that is the court of
conscience. It supersedes all other courts.” Thus, the voice of conscience guides a person in

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treading the moral highway. For a public servant faced with crisis of conscience, Gandhi’s Talisman
is the best source of solution to overcome the crisis.

Probity in Governance: Concept of public service; Philosophical basis of

governance and probity; Information sharing and transparency in government,
Right to Information, Codes of Ethics, Codes of Conduct, Citizen’s Charters, Work
culture, Quality of service delivery, Utilization of public funds, challenges of
corruption.
Why is transparency an important aspect in the utilisation of public funds? Explain with
examples. (150 words)
Difficulty level: Easy
Reference: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by Lexicon Publications.
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4.
Key Demand of the question:
To explain how transparency associated with utilization of public funds of the country will improve it
efficacy.
Directive:
Explain – Clarify the topic by giving a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the
context. You must be defining key terms wherever appropriate and substantiate with relevant
associated facts.
sStructure of the answer:
Introduction:
Discuss the importance of transparency and accountability in public funds.
Body:
Explain the lacunae in the country with respect to utilization of public funds such as corruption,
nepotism, incomplete works, bad quality work, siphoning funds etc.
Discuss the significance of Transparency and efficiency as tools for monitoring and supervising
distribution of public fund.
Explain various mechanisms through which it can be done – Public Fund Management System,
Auditing agencies – CAG, Budgeting – Outcome based budgeting, zero base budgeting, Participation
and transparency – Social Auditing, Financial Prudence etc.
Conclusion:
Summarize of this will aid in the developmental process of the country as well as reduce corrupt
practices.
Introduction

Transparency is a fundamental requirement for the reliability and integrity of public institutions in
order to promote public trust and public support. Transparency in public administration guarantees
legal assurance and increases the level of legitimacy in decision making process.
‘Public money ought to be touched with the most scrupulous conscientiousness of honour. It is not
the produce of riches only, but of the hard earnings of labour and poverty.’ – Thomas Paine

Kautilya also wrote extensively on handling public funds in Arthashastra which remains relevant
even today. Government and public funds are riddled with corruption and only complete
accountability and transparency can rid us of this situation.

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Body

Importance of Transparency in the utilisation of public funds

 It is vital to uphold the ‘social contract’. Citizens must be confident that they are protected
by the law and that public institutions and servants will act in accordance with it.

 Public institutions with operational independence from political control are more likely to
be trusted to act in the public interest.

 A well-informed population is far more likely to be confident about investing for the future.
This means both providing appropriate information in ways that are accessible and easy to
understand, and educating citizens as well as inviting them to participate in decision making.

 Effective public financial management requires that decision-makers, citizens and other
stakeholders, are able to ‘follow the money’ to see how taxes were raised, why decisions
to spend it were made, how the money was actually spent and what was bought.

 Where government plans and activities are measured against expected outputs
and outcomes, citizens and other stakeholders will be able to judge the performance of
government. This, in turn, provides the basis for feedback and continuous improvement
mechanisms.
 For the public to believe that public officials will do the right thing, a range of controls to
promote integrity and ethical behaviour and to tackle fraud and corruption are required.

 Most importantly, the public must believe that individuals will be held responsible for their
actions, no matter who they are.

 A climate for investment is created when investors believe a state is stable, well run and
that political and fiscal risks will be managed effectively.

Conclusion

Only transparency and accountability can ensure that public funds are being used for the greater
welfare and benefit of the people and society. Weeding out corruption is also necessary to ensure
funds are not underutilised or siphoned off illegally. Only when we bring in more openness in
working of government can there be real productivity and good governance.

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Case Studies on above issues.

You are appointed as an officer heading the section in Environment Pollution Control
Board to ensure compliance and its follow – up. In that region, there were large number
of small and medium industries which had been granted clearance. You learnt that
these industries provide employment to many migrant workers. Most of the industrial
units have got environmental clearance certificate in their possession. The
environmental clearance seeks to curb industries and projects that supposedly hamper
environment and living species in the region. But in practice, most of these units remain
to be polluting units in several ways like air, water and soil pollution. As such, local
people encountered persistent health problems.
It was confirmed that majority of the industries were violating environmental compliance. You
issued notice to all the industrial units to apply for fresh environmental clearance certificate from
the competent authority. However, your action met with hostile response from a section of the
industrial units, other vested interest persons and a section of the local politicians. The workers
also became very hostile to you as they felt that your action would lead to the closure of these
industrial units, and the resultant unemployment will lead to insecurity and uncertainty in their
livelihood. Many owners of the industries approached you with the plea that you should not
initiate harsh action as it would compel them to close their units, and cause huge financial loss,
shortage of their products in the market. These would obviously add to the sufferings of the
labourers and the consumers alike. The labour union also sent you representation requesting
against the closure of the units, You simultaneously started receiving threats from unknown
corners. You however received supports from some of your colleagues, who advised you to act
freely to ensure environmental compliance. Local NGOs also came to your support and they
demanded the closure of the polluting units immediately.

(a) What are the options available to under the given situation?

(b) Critically examine the options listed by you.

(c) What type of mechanism would you suggest to ensure environmental compliance?

(d) What are the ethical dilemmas you faced in exercising your option? (250 Words) (20 M) (UPSC
2022)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by giving the context. Bring out the key stakeholders in the above case study and major ethical
issues present.
Body:
In the body, write about the rational course of action available for you as the officer in charge.
Next, give valid arguments for the both the above-mentioned courses of action that you can take.
Evaluate its pros and cons in detail.
Next, write about the compliance you will take suggest justify that ethically.
Next, write about major ethical dilemmas you will face.
Conclusion:
Conclude by stressing on the importance of rationality and courage in decision making.
Introduction

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As per Gandhian philosophy, the public servants are the trustees of natural resources, therefore the
development process should be inclusive of the voice of all without compromising on future
developmental needs.

Body

Stakeholders

 Government

 Environment and Development dichotomy

 Livelihoods of labours and their families

 Health of the people and future generations

 Myself as an officer in charge

 Industries and politicians with vested interests

 Nature and surroundings

Ethical issues involved

 Development vs Environment debate

 Inequalities to access clean air and land: Poor being exploited to do polluting jobs and
making their lives dependent on it. While such work is hazardous to their health.

 Exploitation of resources: Flouting environmental norms legally with a piece of paper that
allows them to pollute without any monitoring.

Options in the situation and their critical analysis

Option 1: Withdraw the notice to re-apply for fresh clearance

Merits: This would mean employees/labours get to keep their jobs. No more threats to life.

Demerits: Environment is exploited perpetually without accountability on anyone. Health of people

living around and labourers are also affected. Flouting norms will continue and repercussions will be
more on the poor.

Option 2: Go ahead with the notice and implore companies to renew their issuance with strict
process of compliance

Merits: This will force the polluting industries to comply with environmental clearance. And ensure
that proper discharge mechanisms are installed in place to enable industries to get license.

Demerits: Threats to life will continue and politicians may be irked leading to transfers.

Course of action: Suggested mechanism for compliance

I would go ahead with option 2, as environmental degradation is a major problem that can lead to
hazardous living situations especially for the poor. By making industries accountable, safe discharge
mechanisms can be put in place, without some capital investment. This can go a long way in safe
future for next generations without disrupting livelihoods of labours while making it safer and non-
polluting. Fixing of responsibility is needed as land degradation is already a major issue in India.

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Ethical dilemmas faced

Even though the decision to ensure environmental compliance is a must, enforcing that decision has
a lot of obstacles including one from labours who would lose their livelihoods if the industries
shutdown. With unemployment running high, it is difficult to make such decisions as it would affect
the governments stature in the eyes of the people who are a major vote bank. But responsibility
towards the planet weighs in more than other issues which can be easily solved by better treatment
mechanism.

Conclusion

As the population in cities is increasing, infrastructural development is essential to accommodate the

growing demand, but environmental protection is a necessity for the sustainability of life which
cannot be neglected at any cost.

You are Vice Principal of a degree college in one of the middle-class towns. The principal
has recently retired and management is looking for his replacement. There are also
feelers that the management may promote you as Principal. In the meantime, during
the annual examination, the flying squad which came from the university caught two
students red-handed involving in unfair means. A senior lecturer of the college was
personally helping these students in this act. This senior lecturer also happens to be
close to the management. One of the students was the son of a local politician who was
responsible for getting college affiliated to the present reputed university. The second
student was the son of a local businessman who has donated maximum funds for
running the college. You immediately informed the management regarding this
unfortunate incident. The management told you to resolve the issue with the flying
squad at any cost. They further said that such an incident will not only tarnish the image
of the college but also the politician and the businessman are very important
personalities for the functioning of the college. You were also given hint that your
further promotion to Principal depends on your capability in resolving this issue with
the flying squad. In the meantime, you were intimidated by your administrative officer
that certain members of the student union are protesting outside the college gate
against the senior lecturer and the students involved in this incident are demanding
strict action against defaulters.
1. a) Discuss the ethical issue involved in the case.

2. b) Critically examine the options available with you as Vice Principal. What option will you
adopt and why? (250 Words) (20 M) (UPSC 2021)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by giving the context. Bring out the key stakeholders in the above case study and major ethical
issues present.
Body:
In the body, write about the rational course of action available for you as the Vice Principal in charge.

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Next, give valid arguments for the both the above-mentioned courses of action that you can take.
Evaluate its pros and cons in detail.
Next, write about the course of action you will take and justify that ethically.
Conclusion:
Conclude by stressing on the importance of rationality and courage in decision making.
Introduction
The glaring issues in the college where blatant misuse of power is being done sets a bad examples to
the students and to the society. This case highlights issue of injustice, immorality and abuse of
power by the wealthy. An education institution that is expected to set a good example is violating
the principles of ethics.

Body

Stakeholders

 Myself as an aspiring Principal

 Students who were caught and their future

 Other students protesting outside

 Management and senior lecture of degree-college

Ethical issues involved

 Integrity: The foremost ethical issue in this case is that of professional integrity. While the
senior lecturer has compromised his professional integrity, the situation is also a test of my
own integrity, as it creates a conflict between my values/duty and personal interest.

 Test of moral strength (morality): The present situation is also a test of my moral strength,
as one hand it is the lucrative opportunity to become the principal of the college and on the
other hand it is the duty to do the right thing.
 Impartiality: The present situation involves the issue of impartiality, as the
examination procedure has to be fair for all, any leniency for a few students will make
the process partial for other students.

 Professional ethics: The situation involves a test of my professional ethics. As it remains to

be seen, if I can carry out my duty without any considerations of fear or favour.

Options available

 Option 1: To listen to the advice of the school management and try to resolve the issue, at
any cost, without taking any actions against the students.

o Merits: This option will save the reputation of the college, in short term. The college
will continue to gain, political and financial patronage from the politician and
the businessman. It might make the possibility of my elevation as principal more
certain.

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o Demerits: It will compromise the sanctity of procedures. It will be impartial for the
other students. It will tarnish the credibility of the college. It will set a bad precedent
for the future. It will compromise my own professional ethics/morality and integrity.
It will aggravate the student protests.

 Option 2: To let the flying squad/concerned authorities take strict action against the senior
lecturer, and the two students, according to the procedure, in a fair way.

o Merits: It will enforce the sanctity of procedures. It will enhance the credibility of
the college. It will set a right precedent for the future. It will ensure check against
corruption/malpractices by teachers. It will calm the protests by other students.
o Demerits: It might jeopardise future of the two children It might have financial
implications for the college. It might lead to a bad publicity for the college. It
will/might tarnish the reputation of the families of the concerned students. My
chances of elevation will be diminished.

 Option 3: To convince the flying squad not to take any action, and thereafter, punishing the
boys and the lecturer after conducting an internal enquiry.
o Merits: It will save the reputation of the college in the short term and its patrons. It
will save the career of the two students and the lecturer. It will show my capability
for crisis management.

o Demerits: It will aggravate the protests. It might encourage more such incidents in
the future. It will compromise the sanctity of fair procedures.

I will adopt the second option. Even though, it might bring a bad name to the college and
may sabotage my promotion, it is the right course of action because:

 College is a place for students to learn righteous values. This option will teach the
students importance of ethics and morality.

 Also, involvement of a senior lecturer in the incident, highlights that the situation requires
strict action.

 As gaining promotion by unfair ways, will defy the sanctity of means, violating the principle
of purity of means and ends.

 This option will be fair towards all the students who were honestly writing their exams.

 This option will aid in pacifying the protests by the students.

 This option will uphold the credibility of the college as a fair and impartial institution.

Conclusion

Even if one is ambitious, only right means leads to right destinations and not through obliging to
unjust measures. Gandhiji said that if we sow the seeds of babool, one cannot expect or reap rose
flowers.

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You are hailing from a remote village. You are the only person who is pursuing a degree
in your community. You have had access to education and modern values. You want
every child in your village to have a good education. During holidays you visit your
village and teach the children. In one such instance, you have come to know that one of
the girls whom you used to teach is getting married. She is 17 and is about to complete
her 12th standard. Child marriages like these were common within your community in
the past but these have largely reduced now. You want to eliminate such practices. You
have come to know that the person she is getting married to is your cousin. You talk to
him about the importance of her education and the ills of child marriage. He seems to
ignore your advice but promises that she will be allowed to continue her education and
he is even ready to fund it. The girl’s parents have convinced her to accept the marriage
as they can’t afford to educate her any further. You speak to both parties again but they
are not ready to call off the marriage or wait for another year until she turns 18. Your
mother scolds you for interfering in their family matters and says that nothing much is
going to happen in a year. She warns that any further attempts would lead to fights
within the family and even within the community. If that happens you will not be
allowed to interact within the community and teach them further.
1.

1. What are the options available to you in this scenario? Discuss their merits and
demerits. Would you consider contacting the police despite such a warning from
your mother?
2. Why do you think people still practice child marriage? Highlight the ethical issues
associated with it.

3. Discuss the steps required to strengthen the community values in such scenarios.

Difficulty level: Moderate

Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by giving the context. Bring out the key stakeholders in the above case study and the major
ethical issues present.
Body:
In the body, first, write about the options available to you. Mention their merits and demerits.
Next, write about the course of action you will take and justify that ethically.
Next, give valid arguments as to why people still practice child marriage. Evaluate its cons in detail.
Then explain the steps you’ll take to strengthen your community values.
Conclusion:
Conclude by giving a rational viewpoint.
Conclude by giving a balanced opinion.
Introduction

Children are innocent and not rational being. They grow at the pace of biological maturation and in
the way what is exposed to them. Their growth depends on environment, parents, facilities like
books/schools/outside exposure, foods etc.

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In initial years their mind and body is fast changing. Hence, it takes time to grow as mentally stable,
physically capable to sustain as a part of society.

After marriage one has to take bigger roles and wider decisions about family which a child can’t
sustain economically and psychologically.

Body

Options available

 Option 1: To let the marriage happen as the girl will be 18 in one year

Merits: I can continue to teach other children and since I'm assured, she will be educated further,
marriage should not become a hindrance.

Demerits: One incident will lead to several more in the community. More children will be dragged
for such marriages. It will create social pressure and also avenues for parents who think girl child as
burden.

 Option 2: Call the authorities to stop the marriage

Merits: This will act as a deterrence to others and will lead to empowerment of other women and
girl children in the community. Instead of one degree holder, there will be many.

Demerits: I may be ostracized in the family and community. But that will not stop me from doing the
right thing.

2. Why people still practice child marriage? Ethical issues

 The present situation is mainly due to conflict between the general laws and
traditional customs of communities with respect to marriage.
 According to the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 marrying a girl child at an
age of less than 18 is prohibited. But in some societies, like discussed in present case,
tradition of child marriage is prevalent.
 This dilemma for the community is always there. However, they should be made to
understand traditional values like this may be detrimental to their own community.

Physically also a marriage have a toll on both boy and girl and life becomes more tiring after
marriage due to physical work needed and body is not ready to have sexual intercourse .

Also, it is considered a maturity comes at the age of 18 years and that’s why there are lot of things
which are allowed at the age of 18 years such as suffrage, driving license etc.

So denying a girl to marry at 17 years is not denying her rights as at the age of 17 she is not that
mature to take the decisions of her choice. She will not be able to understand the impact and think
from all angles before taking such a decision. Although we cannot say that girl will be able to take
right decision at the age of 18 years but still she will be more mature and should be able to
understand things much better at this age.

Steps needed

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 Afterwards my priority will be to educate and motivate the people of the concerning
community so that they give up the irrational and rudimentray traditional custom of child
marriage and do not marry their girl child untill she attains at least 18 years of age.

 For this purpose I can take help of elderly and senior people (community leaders,
representatives, religious leaders etc.) of the community. If they can appreciate the idea of
girls empowerment, the society itself will start to transform.
 A widespread community camps or mobile van advertisements with the help of various
NGOs can be done in this region to make people aware of the welfare schemes associated
with the girls.

Conclusion

Child marriage is a sin robbing girl child of her childhood and education. It makes life more difficult
and stressful leading to health issues. Such marriages are against the rights of girl children. Society
must widen their horizons and encourage women’s education instead of considering girl child as a
burden.

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