UPSC Mains 2014
General Studies – Paper IV
v Time Allowed: Three Hours
v Maximum Marks: 250
v QUESTION PAPER SPECIFIC
INSTRUCTIONS (Please read each of the following instructions carefully before
attempting questions)
v There are FOURTEEN questions
divided in two Sections and printed both in HINDI and in ENGLISH.
v All questions are compulsory.
v The number of marks carried
by a question/part is indicated against it.
v Answers must be written in
the medium authorized in the Admission Certificate which must be stated clearly
on the cover of this Question-cum-Answer (QCA) Booklet in the space provided.
No marks will be given for answers written in medium other than the authorized
one.
v Word limit in questions,
wherever specified, should be adhered to.
v Any page or portion of the
page left blank in the Question-cum-Answer Booklet must be clearly struck off.
v Answer questions in NOT MORE
than the word limit specified for each in the parenthesis. Content of the
answer is more important than its length.
SECTION—A (130 marks)
Each of the following questions is worth 10 marks and
150 words.
(01) All human beings aspire for happiness. Do you
agree? What does happiness mean to you? Explain with examples.
(02) What does ethics seek to promote in human life?
Why is it all the more important in public administration?
(03) In the context of defence services, ‘patriotism’
demands readiness to even lay down one’s life in protecting the nation.
According to you, what does patriotism imply in everyday civil life? Explain
with illustrations and justify your answer.
(04) What do you understand by ‘probity’ in public
life? What are the difficulties in practicing it in the present times? How can
these difficulties be overcome?
(05) “Integrity without knowledge is weak and
useless, but knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful.” What do
you understand by this statement? Explain your stand with illustrations from
the modern context.
(06) “Human beings should always be treated as ‘ends’
in themselves and never as merely `means’.” Explain the meaning and
significance of this statement, giving its implications in the modern
techno-economic society.
(07) Which eminent personality has inspired you the
most in the context of ethical conduct in life? Give the gist of his/her
teachings giving specific examples, describe how you have been able to apply
these teachings for your own ethical development.
(08) There is a heavy ethical responsibility on the
public servants because they occupy positions of power, handle huge amounts of
public funds, and their decisions have wide-ranging impact on society and
environment. What steps have you taken to improve your ethical competence to
handle such responsibility?
(09) The current society is plagued with widespread
trust-deficit. What are the consequences of this situation for personal
well-being and for societal well-being? What can you do at the personal level
to make yourself trustworthy?
(10) It is often said that poverty leads to
corruption. However, there is no dearth of instances where affluent and
powerful people indulge in corruption in a big way. What are the basic causes
of corruption among people? Support your answer with examples.
(11) What factors affect the formation of a person’s
attitude towards social problems? In our society, contrasting attitudes are
prevalent about many social problems. What contrasting attitudes do you notice
about the caste system in our society? How do you explain the existence of
these contrasting attitudes?
(12) What does ‘accountability’ mean in the context of
public service? What measures can be adopted to ensure individual and
collective accountability of public servants?
(13) We are witnessing increasing instances of sexual
violence against women in the country. Despite existing legal provisions
against it, the number of such incidences is on the rise. Suggest some
innovative measures to tackle this menace.
SECTION—B (120 marks)
Case: Environment degradation (20m)
Now-a-days, there is an
increasing thrust on economic development all around the globe. At the same
time, there is also an increasing concern about environmental degradation
caused by development. Many a time, we face a direct conflict between
developmental activity and environmental quality. It is neither feasible to
stop or curtail the development process, nor it is advisable to keep degrading
the environment, as it threatens our very survival.
Discuss some feasible strategies which could be
adopted to eliminate this conflict and which could lead to sustainable
development. 250 words
Case: Ethics not essential (20m)
Suppose one of your close
friends, who is also aspiring for civil services, comes to you for discussing
some of the issues related to ethical conduct in public service. He raises the
following points:
·
In
the present times, when unethical environment is quite prevalent, individual
attempts to stick to ethical principles may cause a lot of problems in one’s
career. It may also cause hardship to the family members as well as risk to
one’s life. Why should we not be pragmatic and follow the path of least
resistance, and be happy with doing whatever good we can?
·
When
so many people are adopting wrong means and are grossly harming the system,
what difference would it make if only a small minority tries to be ethical?
They are going to be rather ineffective and are bound to get frustrated.
·
If
we become fussy about ethical considerations, will it not hamper the economic
progress of our country? After all, in the present age of high competition, we
cannot afford to be left behind in the race of development.
·
It
is understandable that we should not get involved in grossly unethical
practices, but giving and accepting small gratifications and doing small
favours increases everybody’s motivation. It also makes the system more
efficient. What is wrong in adopting such practices?
Critically analyze the above viewpoints. On the basis
of this analysis, what will be your advice to your friend? [250 words]
Case: Bogus rape complaint (20m)
You are a no-nonsense, honest
officer. You have been transferred to a remote district to head a department
that is notorious for its inefficiency and callousness. You find that the main
cause of the poor state of affairs is the indiscipline of a section of
employees. They do not work themselves and also disrupt the working of others.
You first warned the troublemakers to mend their ways or else face disciplinary
action. When the warning had little effect, you issued a show cause notice to
the ringleaders. As a retaliatory measure, these troublemakers instigated a
woman employee amongst them to file a complaint of sexual harassment against
you with the Women’s Commission. The Commission promptly seeks your
explanation. The matter is also publicized in the media to embarrass you
further. Some of the options to handle this situation could be as follows:
·
Give
your explanation to the Commission and go soft on the disciplinary action.
·
Ignore
the Commission and proceed firmly with the disciplinary action.
·
Brief
your higher-ups, seek directions from them and act accordingly.
Suggest any other possible option(s). Evaluate all of
them and suggest the best course of action, giving your reasons for it.
Case: give bribe or end career (20m)
Suppose you are the CEO of a
company that manufactures specialized electronic equipment used by a government
department. You have submitted your bid for the supply of this equipment to the
department. Both the quality and cost of your offer are better than those of
the competitors. Yet the concerned officer is demanding a hefty bribe for
approving the tender. Getting the order is important both for you and for your
company. Not getting the order would mean closing a production line. It may
also affect your own career. However, as a value-conscious person, you do not
want to give bribe.
Valid arguments can be
advanced both for giving the bribe and getting the order, and for refusing to
pay the bribe and risking the loss of the order. What those arguments could be?
Could there be any better way to get out of this dilemma? If so outline the
main elements of this third way, pointing out its merits. [250 words]
Case: (20m)
Rameshwar successfully
cleared the prestigious civil services examination and was excited about the
opportunity that he would get through the civil services to serve the country.
However, soon after joining the services, he realized that things are not as
rosy as he had imagined. He found a number of malpractices prevailing in the
department assigned to him. For example, funds under various schemes and grants
were being misappropriated. The official facilities were frequently being used
for personal needs by the officers and staff. After some time, he noticed that
the process of recruiting the staff was also not up to the mark. Prospective
candidates were required to write an examination in which a lot of cheating was
going on. Some candidates were provided external help in the examination.
Rameshwar brought these incidents to the notice of his seniors. However, he was
advised to keep his eyes, ears and mouth shut and ignore all these things which
were taking place with the connivance of the higher-ups. Rameshwar felt highly
disillusioned and uncomfortable. He comes to you seeking your advice.
Indicate various options that
you think are available in this situation. How would you help him to evaluate
these options and choose the most appropriate path to be adopted? 250 words.
Case: Why villagers migrate? (20m)
In our country, the migration
of rural people to towns and cities is increasing drastically. This is causing
serious problems both in the rural as well as in the urban areas. In fact,
things are becoming really unmanageable. Can you analyze this problem in detail
and indicate not only the socio-economic but also the emotional and attitudinal
factors responsible for this problem? Also, distinctly bring out why—
(01) Educated rural youth are trying to shift to
urban areas;
(02) Landless poor people are migrating to urban
slums;
(03) Even some farmers are selling off their land and
trying to settle in urban areas taking up petty jobs.
(04) What feasible steps can you suggest which will
be effective in controlling this serious problem of our country?
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