case study answer format upsc

How to Answer GS 4 Ethics Paper in UPSC Mains

Note : This is a free chapter from my book, Fundamentals of Essay and Answer Writing. I have previously published two excerpts on  GS-2  and  Introductions to Essay . The book has similar detailed chapters on Essay and answer writing for GS-1,2,3,4, including the Anthropology optional. You can get the book here.

GS-IV can be confounding. That’s because the questions in this paper tend to be subjective with no single correct answer. There can be multiple ways to answer a particular question and all of them might be right. Hence, though aspirants are clear about the syllabus, they are often confused about how to answer ethics questions. Given this subjectivity and confusion pertaining to this paper, it becomes challenging to come up with a convincing framework for answer writing. However, some broad principles can guide us in structuring our responses.

In this chapter, we will go through some of those guidelines that can help you argue your case more clearly and make your ethics answer compelling.

GS- IV syllabus can be divided into two segments:

I. Theory II. Case Studies

In this portion (and to some extent in case studies) questions are usually of three types. One, the definition of an ethical value; two, the significance of the value; and three, the application of that value in our daily lives. To put it simply, theory questions ask you to explain a value along with examples.

Let’s take the term integrity. Three questions that could be asked about it are:

• What do you understand by integrity?  [Definition of the value]
• What is the importance of integrity? In its absence, what are the consequences for an individual, society, country or in different walks of life?  [Significance of the value]
• What are the challenges in cultivating integrity? How do you overcome them?  [Application of the value]You may substitute other ethical values for integrity to guess the kind of questions you may face in the test. Anticipate such questions and formulate a basic answer to all ethical terms given in the syllabus. This exercise will help you immensely in preparing for the theory portion.

Prepare a Definition for Each of the Terms in the Syllabus

If the question pertains to a specific ethical value, you must introduce the answer with a crisp definition, followed by an example. The definition can be a personal one, reflecting what it means to you.

Example 1: Integrity

Integrity means being honest and doing the right thing even when nobody is watching you. It can be conveyed through a simple example: Stopping at a red light signal at 3am in the night, even when the entire road was clear. This is an example of my integrity.

Example 2: Leadership

Leadership is the act of motivating a group of people towards achieving a common goal. Leadership provides inspiration, motivation and a vision for the future. Eg: Mahatma Gandhi showed exemplary leadership to unite the country in the fight for independence.

Always prefer a simple definition and avoid jargon. Simplicity is clarity. Another useful way of introducing your answers is by starting with an interesting quote and then proceeding to define the term.

Example 1: When you are answering a question on Emotional Intelligence, it can be started with the following quote:  “As much as 80% of adult success comes from EQ” – Daniel Goleman

Example 2: A question on RTI can be introduced with this quote:  “RTI is the master key to Good Governance” – 2nd ARC

Value mapping

In this exercise, you think of an eminent personality and then map him or her onto the values they stood for.

Below is a table with some examples of prominent leaders. You can add other values that you think match with a particular leader and repeat this exercise for all eminent persons.

As you map values onto the list of the most important leaders, philosophers, or administrators, it will become easier to recollect and quote relevant thinkers in your answers to give weight to your Ethical analysis.

Flow charts and Diagrams

For some topics such as Emotional Intelligence, Good Governance, and Civil Service Values, illustrating their features through flowcharts and diagrams makes your answers concise and neat. Prepare these flowcharts and diagrams beforehand and incorporate them in your mock tests so that it becomes easier to use them in the final test.

Make a database of real life examples

Examples are what make your answer come alive. They not only make the concept clearer, but also convey how the ethical principles and conflicts manifest in real life. Without them, an ethics answer would be a pointless theoretical rambling. Remember that the examiner is not evaluating how much you know about ethics. They want to see how well you can apply those principles in your day-to-day life. For this, examples are crucial.

Some important sources from which to collect these examples are:

• Newspapers — When you read the newspaper, look out for interesting incidents and news that can be used in your ethics paper. There are tons of examples that are reported everyday. For example, when you read about ‘Selfie with Daughter’ campaign, you must be able to correlate with ‘Social persuasion’ topic of the syllabus. Or, say, a newsarticle about civil servants working in remote districts of the country and how they are transforming them for the better. Even happenings in international affairs can be used as examples. Think of Cyber espionage, Syrian refugee crisis, Snowden controversy, Cambridge Analytica scandal and the moral issues pertaining to big tech companies like Facebook and Google. Such everyday examples are numerous, all you have to do is to link it with the syllabus and note them down for future reference.
• Personal Life (School, College, Family) : Littering on the street, jumping a traffic signal, cheating on a test, lying to your parents, shirking work at office. You can think of many examples from your everyday life to quote in your answers. Also, don’t restrict yourself to your own perspective. For instance, there might have been cases of extreme ragging in a certain college and the administration might have turned a blind eye to it in order to protect its image. You can discuss such ethical violations from other’s perspective which has come to your knowledge.
• Workplace : Every profession has its peculiar set of ethical dilemmas. So when you are brainstorming for examples, think of doctors, lawyers, teachers, engineers, civil servants etc and imagine the moral challenges they might come across in their respective professions. For instance, a lawyer defending a client who is guilty faces an ethical dilemma. An SDM who has to protect government lands and remove encroachments might, in the process, make some poor families homeless. Once you brainstorm, you will have a rich repository of such examples to cite from in your theory answers and case studies.
• From the Lives of Leaders, Philosophers, and Administrators:  Anecdotes, actions, stories, and quotes from the lives of eminent personalities can also be used as examples to drive your argument. Even mythology can be a rich resource to collect good examples. Lincoln’s fight against slavery is an example of moral courage. Dr. Kalam’s commitment to space and nuclear field is a testament to his professional competence.
• Crowdsourcing:  Many online portals such as Insights, IASBABA, ForumIAS, CivilsDaily run a daily module for answer writing practice. Sift through them and you will find some really good answers other people are writing. Reading these can help you build a blueprint for makes an excellent example and prepare your own list.The point of this exercise is to have enough examples for different kinds of situations so that you can easily pick the right one in the right context without wasting much time in the exam hall.

II. Case studies

More than the theory part, case studies bring out our ethical dilemmas and logical reasoning sharply. Done well, they can propel your score beyond 110. Gone wrong, they may restrict your marks to under 90.

The purpose of case studies is to make you ready for the field experience. Once you enter the civil service, you may face situations in which competing values clash. Would you strictly adhere to rules or stay flexible at times to help the needy? Would you suspend an erring subordinate, thereby curtailing his income, or overlook his misdeeds and close it with a warning, considering his dependent family? These are the real-life situations a civil servant confronts on a daily basis. Through case studies, the examiner can understand how you might behave if you were in a similar situation. So, one of the foremost tips (and one of the obvious) is to put yourself in the shoes of an administrator, and consider yourself a problem solver. This makes the whole exercise enjoyable and inevitably your answers exude passion and cogent articulation.

In this component, we will go through some pointers which can help you answer the case studies well.

A standard framework for answers

Having a concrete framework ready while answering gives a sense of flow, coherence and structure to your case study. Else, it

faces the risk of steering away from the question and exceeding the word limit. Therefore, it’s helpful to categorise your answer under the following subheadings:

•  Subject Matter : Briefly in a line or two, capture the entire case study. E.g. In a case Study dealing with an IAS aspirant heading for Interview but sees an accident on the way, subject Matter could be: Dilemma between achieving career ambition and responding to the accident as a good samaritan.

•  Stakeholders : List down the set of people who would be directly and indirectly affected in the case. For instance, you are the CEO of a PSU which is facing severe unionism and strikes, affecting company profits. Stakeholders are yourself, employees, government, public at large, local families, investors, and shareholders. You may also represent this information through a spoke and wheel diagram.

•  EthicalDilemmas/KeyPrinciples :Enumeratetheethicalissues in the case study. This is a crucial part of your answer since you explicitly mention the conflicting values you face in your judgement. For instance, in a case involving mining in a tribal inhabited forest, ethical issues will be: development vs. nature conservation; public interest vs protection of tribal land rights; economic growth vs equitable prosperity. Mention these issues in bullet points, sequentially.

•  Options Available to You : Write 3-4 choices you have in the scenario, along with the pros and cons of choosing each alternative. Two choices inevitably will be the extreme options, which are generally avoided as your choice. The remaining ones should be the practical courses of action you wish to pursue.

•  Choosing an Option : Under this subheading, write about the course of action which can be a combination of the above mentioned options. It should be followed by clear articulation of your arguments (more on this below) along with quotes and examples to substantiate your point of view. The best option to choose in any given situation is not the most original but the most practical. If you come up with a spectacular innovative idea, but isn’t easily implementable, it’s as good as doing nothing. Search for options that can be executed amidst the constraints a govt servant faces. For instance, let’s say in your district, tribals are agitating against a mining company planning to raze the forests and explore the mineral wealth. In such a case, a decision to put a complete ban or a moratorium on mining in your district is impractical and sub-optimal. By

prohibiting any form of mining, you will not help the cause of tribals who would have benefited from the new employment opportunities in the region. So choose an option in which you balance competing interests.

Articulation

Articulation is the beating heart of a case study answer. This follows ‘choosing an option’ section we discussed above.

In this segment, you reason out why you chose a particular option and elaborate on the further of course of action. More than the option you choose, it is the reasoning that led you to choose that particular option that matters more. It’s helpful to narrate from the first person point of view: Use I, wherever possible. It will personalise your answer and therefore carries the weight of a good argument. But, use your discretion based on your experiences on which perspective you want to use.

The course of action you wish to pursue must be mentioned in detail, enumerating the steps clearly. Put yourself in the shoes of the administrator, dive into the details, and make your answer as vivid and concrete as possible. Let me illustrate this through the following examples:

Consider a case study dealing with gender issues in the district. Don’t write something vague saying you will ensure women empowerment in the area. Describe concrete steps by writing on

the lines of: I will try to set up a livelihood opportunity based on their skills, help them produce marketable goods, procure that material in all govt departments, and then encourage local private sector to buy these goods. Quote examples of successful models like SEWA, Prajwala, Lijjat papad etc.

In a case relating to negligent monitoring of government schemes or projects, instead of saying I will collaborate with NGOs to ensure third party accountability, a better way of conveying would be: “I will speak to the reputed local NGOs, hold a meeting with them to take their views. I will give them specific inputs as to when they can go and inspect the schemes and project works discreetly and report to me in person or through WhatsApp.” You can substantiate with a real life example how such Socialcops played a terrific role in effective implementation of Ujjwala Yojana.

Consider a hypothetical case in which you are posted as the DM of a resource-poor district that has a history of vector-borne disease outbreaks. Monsoon season is approaching and you have to prepare for the challenge with limited funds at your disposal. You can narrate the following concrete steps. “Based on the previous years’ data, I will rank specific blocks in terms of their vulnerability and prioritise these hotspots for immediate attention. Fogging shall be done and anti-mosquito nets shall be distributed to these blocks on priority. Intense training sessions will be provided for ASHAs to help them detect of malaria/dengue promptly. I will use the District Mineral Fund (if available) and local CSR funds to procure rapid diagnostic kits. I shall designate every Friday as Dry-day where households in the district will be encouraged to drain out

stagnant water along with conducting a weekly review meeting with all health workers from village level to district level to assess preparedness and correct any issues.”

For a case on eradicating child marriages in a remote area, instead of saying “I will ensure awareness on the subject and adherence to law”, write— “I will take part in bi-weekly Gram Sabha sessions and make the community take a pledge against child marriages. I shall encourage rallies by school children and officers of all government departments. To monitor the on ground situation, I shall depute my officers as special officers responsible for set of blocks where they will tour, discreetly inspect and report back to me. I will monitor complaints and grievances on the issue and ensure a resolution within 30 days.” It helps to mention Govt. schemes like Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana or slogans such as Meri Beti-Mera Garv.

In a case where you, as the Chief, must change the work culture in your office— “At the start of every month, I will conduct a one-on-one meeting with each of my officers, take them into confidence and set mutually agreed goals. At the end of the month, I shall review each officer’s performance against these preset goals and rate them as per objective criteria. Best performers shall be given a letter of appreciation under my letterhead and put a copy of it on the notice board for others to see. The laggards shall be given a warning and if they don’t heed, I will initiate disciplinary action as per the rules to ensure deterrence.”

I don’t mean to say these are the only solutions to these case studies. The point is whatever be your decision, be concrete and specific. It will strike the examiner as practical and implementable.

Towards the end of your answer, quoting a relevant thinker’s opinion or quote gives credence to your decision. For instance, if the ethical issue is about professional integrity, E Sreedharan and his leadership in executing a complex rail project should be quoted as an example. Or let’s take a case study in which you are faced with a decision whether to give clearance to an important road project through a National Park (thereby helping the government save taxpayer’s money) or devising an alternate, but more expensive option (thereby preserving the ecosystem, but hurting govt finances). If you opt for the second option, you can stress on the importance of environmental economics and end with a quote saying:

As environmentalist Wangari Maathai said,  “We need to promote development that does not destroy our environment”.

Just the addition of the above sentence makes the argument more powerful. Your arguments now have the moral backing of an eminent personality. The value mapping exercise we did for the theory section will be helpful here. So for every case study, try and add such relevant quotes to substantiate your points. It will show that you not only read the works of those eminent people, but also understand how to apply their teachings in real-life.

Observe Time Limit

There is a tendency among aspirants to dedicate disproportionate time to case studies. But, remember that they are worth only 120 marks. Irrespective of whether you start with theory portion or the case studies, dedicate time proportionate to their weightage for marks. So for case studies, you should spend the maximum of 90 minutes i.e. 15 minutes per case study.

Further, you should realise that UPSC can change how it distributes marks across questions, but it cannot change the 250 marks assigned to a paper (without prior notice). So, whatever be the number of questions or distribution of marks across those questions, your target must be to write 80 marks worth of answers in the first hour, another 80 in the second hour and 90 in the final hour. This translates to 40 marks in the initial 30 minutes. So whether you start with Part A or Part B, aim to finish questions worth 40 marks in the first half-hour and then repeat this process. Always have an eye on the clock and if you think you are falling behind time, accelerate.

Gain Adequate Practice

Ethics paper has an emphasis on articulation and practical examples, which comes only with adequate practice. Besides, case studies across the years tend to have similar themes and ideas. So answering a lot of these beforehand will give you a sense of confidence to tackle any type of question.

III. Sample Answers

Q. How could social influence and persuasion contribute to the success of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan? (10 Marks)

Social influence is the process through which a person’s attitudes, opinions, or behaviour are changed through social communication. Persuasion is a method of social influence.

Social influence and persuasion contribute to Swacch Bharat Abhiyan (SBA) through:

•  Behavioural change among all the stakeholders : By changing attitude toward open defecation in the society through campaigns and media. E.g: Darwaza Band campaign and rallies by school children to build awareness

•  Social pressure and peer pressure : By naming and shaming people who don’t have toilets, they will be forced to build one.

E.g: Children persuading their parents, Gram sabhas reading out names of households without toilets. Positive peer pressure in the form of prizes and rewards for building and using toilets can also help people change.

•  Role-Model effect:  When celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan persuade for SBA, it can bring about a change in orthodox opinions about open defecation.

•  Community Ownership : Through Gram Swachhdhoots, SBA can be made community driven to make it . Such persuasive methods were very successful in Bangladesh.

•  Healthy competition among stakeholders : through initiatives like Swacch Survekshan.

Thus social Influence and persuasion techniques, by effectively targeting the social psyche and behaviour can accelerate the goal of Swacch Bharat Mission.

Q. You are aspiring to become an IAS officer and you have cleared various stages and now you have been selected for the personal interview. On the day of the interview, on the way to the venue you saw an accident where a mother and child who happen to be your relatives were badly injured. They needed immediate help. What would you have done in such a situation? Justify your action. (25 Marks)

Subject matter:  Dilemma between achieving career ambition Vs responding to accident as a good samaritan.

Stakeholders involved:  The mother, child, me, my family, society at large and the UPSC.

Ethical dilemmas :

• Personal ambitions vs. Moral responsibility to help others • Being punctual to the interview vs Saving life • Personal and family’s dream to be civil servant vs Moral

obligation to relatives

Options Available

Final Course of action

I shall choose the last option because I have a moral responsibility to help the victims, and a personal responsibility to myself, my family and my career. I worked hard to reach the interview stage, so it makes sense to balance both these obligations.

So my immediate response would be to quickly move the victims to my cab. Using Google Maps, I’ll check for nearby hospitals and find the shortest route possible to get there. I will call the hospital and ask them to arrange emergency services by the time we reach.

Along the way, I will also call the relatives’ family and ask them to reach the hospital. I will admit the victim to the hospital and pay any charges, if required. If it gets late for the relatives to reach, I will entrust the cab driver to kindly look after her, pay him his waiting charges and proceed to the interview.

In the meantime, I will also check if I can reach out to anyone who can inform the interview panel about my situation and that I may reach late. If I do get delayed, I will make every attempt to convince the authorities involved as to the reasons why it happened. As soon as the interview is done, I will come back to the hospital and check on the victims’ condition and help them in anyway I can.

As remarked by Gandhiji  “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others” . By helping people, we not only make the world a better place but also stay true to our conscience. It leads to harmony, balancing social good with personal ambition.

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41 thoughts on “ How to Answer GS 4 Ethics Paper in UPSC Mains ”

Hey anudeep, thank you so much for the invaluable insights you have provided us in your book. Its a wonderful piece of your hard work. I got so much to learn from it. Thank you so much. God bless you 🙂

Glad to hear that. Thank you!

क्या आपकी पुस्तक हिंदी में या फिर English में

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Sir how you learn fluent english Please give reply sir

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Meru e book videos freega endhuku cheyatam ledhu, afford cheyaleni aspirants me valuble suggestions ela telusukuntaru ?

Kya main BA karke CSE apply karskta ho Apki 5 tips aur konsi konsi books Leno chahiye…

Good Evening sir, I want to write GS paper in English and take Hindi Literature. It’s possible or not.

Yes,Of course. Explanation: If your optional is a literature paper then you have to write those optional papers in that very language. Except them, all papers, Essay and G.S I, II, III, IV are to be written only in Hindi or English. So, You can choose English as your medium and Hindi Literature as your optionals.

Wonderful Sir Salute to your hard work and perseverance You are a true IAS officer,dedicated to Steve your country’s people.

Sir. 1.May I know which online platform for prelims and mains test series is the good one ? 2 .whether to join integrated prelims and mains or separate prelims and separate mains test series? 3.what is the right time to join ?

Sir I am unable to open the video lectures of your book..as those videos are unsupported in my mobile…sir Its a …….please send me those videos in my gmail account as your each video and lecture is very important to me and all the upsc aspirants..

Really it is very helpful for the beginners.. Thank you so much anudeep sir.

for beginners it will give full clarity on how be a good thinker and on track aspirants it will give value addition. we good to see u providing this enormous information which u are giving for aspirants. THANK YOU BRO..KEEP ON GIVE THIS BOOST TO ASPIRANTS

Sir Thankyou very much for this book .Immensely helpful.Sir is your book enough for upsc preparation if we understand it and like this way.

Will you release new editions in the upcoming years?? Or is this book useful for upsc 2022 please reply sir….

Sir is this only e-book or can I get its hard copy ? If yes can I know how to get it .

Thanks a ton sir! What an exaplanation you have presented before us. I cleared all doubts and ambiguities related to paper 4. thanks again sir .love you sir..

Thank you sir

Tnq so much resp. Sir..! Valuable guidance for us…To clear all doubts regarding paper IV.🙏

Hello Sir, Your ethics notes are very concise and effective and I am grateful to you for providing these notes. One thing i can’t make out is the LMR you’ve written at certain places with an highlighter. Please decode this puzzle so that I can be at peace.😭🙏

‘Last Minute Revision’ 🙂

Thanks a lot sir ji one day i will join in your group

Thank u very much sir 😊 such a wonderful explanation for the beginers like me. Keep going in writing such awesome books like this. Actually sreaching for good network ,I think this is the correct platform for not only me but also all the asparents … Thank u sir from the bottom of the heat 😁

Hello Sir, but sir from where i get all quotes.

Your advice is solid. This is amazingly articulated with detailed suggestions. Thank you so much for this. Hope you’re doing well as an IAS officer, best wishes.

Sir it’s an honour to have read this chapter! Thanks a lot for publishing the book! I’ve placed my order and am eagerly awaiting. Thanks once again, Sir. I believe that you are a blessing to all the aspirants. I hope to clear the exam with flying colors and meet you in person to share my respect and admiration for you! I’m from Hyderabad and it feels so proud to be associated with the land where you come from. Believe me, coming from the bottom of my heart. 🙏😊

A warm good afternoon sir! the way you present your answers really awesome sir. sir my small request you to present upsc prelims and mains best books to aspirants ,to clear upsc.

Thank you so much sir for giving well knowledge about answer writing in UPSC mains iam froam Warangal I hope that iam become a civil servant with your blessings sir..

I have to appear in CSE in 2024…so when should I start preparing Ethics..?

Sir please start YouTube channel sir for village people sir

If above case studies come true in life, should I persue the same as given in elaboration. And if I got delayed, I would be entertained for the interview…if “yes” its ok and if not… I can go with court help..

Now it’s clear that how to score good in ethics. Thank you so much for this. 😊

Hello sir , Good evening

Sir i want to write my gs and essay papers in regional language. and going to choose literature of that language too. But the thing is authentic material is not available in this language …so i have decided to read in eng. And translate in my notes in my language….is it advisable ?? Or should i improve my english writing skills ? Or can i reach that level of eng. Writing in a year ?

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Format For Answering Case Studies in Ethics GS4 UPSC Paper- A Complete Guide

Steps in Answer Framing

To approach ethics case studies, particularly in the context of UPSC exams, here’s a comprehensive guide that synthesizes information from multiple sources:

• Understanding the Question: Grasp the requirements of the question. Case studies often have multiple ethical dilemmas, so it’s important to identify them correctly and understand the different aspects of the case​
• Analyzing the Dilemmas: Recognize the various ethical layers and dilemmas presented in the case study. This could involve conflicts like personal ambition vs. family responsibility or stable career vs. uncertainty​
• Identifying Stakeholders: Determine who is affected, both directly and indirectly, by the outcomes of the case and in what ways. This includes enumerating all involved parties and considering their interests and rights​
• Exploring Possible Actions: Consider all potential actions you could take in response to the case study. This involves being imaginative and also realistic about the possible courses of action and their consequences​​​
• Evaluating Pros and Cons: For each action, assess the advantages and disadvantages. This helps in presenting a balanced view and showcases an understanding of the complexity of real-life decisions​
• Decision Making: After thorough analysis, decide on the most ethically sound action, which is feasible and justifiable under the given circumstances. This choice should reflect a balanced consideration of ethical, legal, and pragmatic aspects.
• Justifying the Action: Provide a rationale for the chosen course of action, demonstrating how it aligns with ethical principles and the greater good, while also being a practical and enforceable solution​.
• Quoting Ethical Thinkers: Enhance your answer by citing relevant philosophers or thinkers to give weight to your ethical stance and to show that your decision is grounded in established ethical thought​
• Concluding Remarks: Summarize your response, reiterate the justifications for your chosen action, and reflect on the broader ethical implications of the case.

When writing your answer, be sure to use key phrases that indicate your analytical process, such as “Upon consideration of…,” “Balancing between…,” “Given the stakeholder interests…,” “In light of the ethical principle of…,” “The most feasible action seems to be…,” and “This action is justified by…,” to signal a structured, thoughtful, and ethical analysis.

The above steps serve as a blueprint to tackle any ethics case study by providing a structured approach to demonstrate your critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and decision-making skills in alignment with the expectations of UPSC examiners.

Ethical Lenses:

Apply different philosophical lenses to analyze the ethical dimensions of the case. These include:

• The Rights Lens : Focuses on respecting the moral rights of those affected.
• The Justice Lens: Centers on fairness and what individuals are due.
• The Utilitarian Lens : Weighs actions based on the balance of good over harm for the majority.
• The Common Good Lens : Aims for actions that contribute to the community’s welfare.
• The Virtue Lens: Aligns actions with ideal virtues like honesty, courage, and compassion.
• The Care Ethics Lens : Prioritizes caring relationships and individual-specific circumstances​

The Rights Lens

The Rights Lens emphasizes the intrinsic dignity of individuals and their rights to make choices about their own lives. For example, in a workplace scenario, this lens would prioritize the right of employees to a safe working environment over a company’s interest to maximize profits by cutting corners on safety standards.

The Justice Lens

Justice seeks to ensure that individuals are treated fairly and equitably. If two employees with similar roles and contributions receive different salaries due to discrimination, the justice lens would argue for equal pay for equal work, rectifying the imbalance.

The Utilitarian Lens

Utilitarianism considers the overall happiness or welfare created by an action. A policy decision to implement a new tax benefiting the majority at the expense of a wealthy few may be justified under this lens if it leads to a greater collective good.

The Common Good Lens

This lens advocates for actions that support the conditions necessary for the well-being of the community. For instance, public health measures like vaccinations are supported not just for individual benefit but because they protect and enhance the health of the entire population.

The Virtue Lens

Virtue ethics focuses on the character and virtues that enable us to live and act according to our full potential. When a leader demonstrates integrity by taking responsibility for a mistake, they are acting in a manner consistent with the virtue lens.

The Care Ethics Lens

Care ethics values empathy and the importance of caring relationships. For example, a company may choose to provide extended parental leave, recognizing the importance of the bond between parents and a new child, prioritizing the well-being of the family unit in its policies.

Decision-Making Framework:

• Identify ethical issues and get the relevant facts.
• Evaluate alternatives through the lenses mentioned.
• Choose and test an action, considering public opinion and implementation concerns.
• Implement the decision and reflect on the outcome to learn for future scenarios​

Identify Ethical Issues and Get the Relevant Facts

To identify ethical issues, one must discern the nature of the dilemma, which often includes conflicting values or rights. Getting the facts involves understanding the context, the stakeholders involved, and the potential consequences of actions.

Example: Consider a pharmaceutical company deciding whether to release a drug with life-saving potential that has not been tested for long-term side effects. The ethical issue is the balance between the potential for saving lives and the risk of unknown harm.

Evaluate Alternatives Through the Lenses Mentioned

This step requires exploring various actions through the ethical lenses to assess their implications.

Example: The company could release the drug immediately, wait for more testing, or release it with warnings. Each option is weighed for rights, justice, utility, the common good, virtues, and care.

Choose and Test an Action

After evaluating options, one chooses an action. This choice is ‘tested’ by considering the reaction of respected peers or the public if the decision were made public.

Example: If the company chooses to release the drug with warnings, they would imagine the public response and the practicality of this course of action.

Implement the Decision and Reflect on the Outcome

The chosen action is then implemented with attention to detail and the concerns of all stakeholders.

Example: The company decides to release the drug with strict guidelines and a robust follow-up plan for monitoring side effects. After implementation, they would reflect on the impact of this decision to inform future decisions, such as improved testing protocols or patient education programs.

Keywords and Focus Phrases to be Smartly Placed in Answer

Using the following terms effectively requires understanding their definitions and contexts within ethical discourse, ensuring that their use enriches the analysis and communicates a clear, thoughtful engagement with the case study. Using them contextually can help articulate a nuanced and well-considered response that showcases a depth of ethical understanding and reasoning skills.

Here’s a comprehensive list of keywords and focus phrases that can enhance the quality of answers in ethics case studies:

• Ethical dilemma
• Moral imperative
• Rights and responsibilities
• Stakeholder interests
• Fairness and equity
• Consequential outcomes
• Deontological consideration
• Utilitarian perspective
• Common good
• Virtuous conduct
• Care and empathy
• Respect for autonomy
• Justice and reparation
• Beneficence and nonmaleficence
• Transparency and accountability
• Informed consent
• Conflict of interest
• Civic virtue
• Prudence and practical wisdom
• Sustainable and ethical practice
• Reflective equilibrium
• Cultural competency
• Precautionary principle
• Due diligence
• Fiduciary duty
• Legal compliance vs. ethical obligation
• Normative ethics
• Applied ethics
• Philosophical reasoning
• Critical thinking
• Human dignity
• Moral judgment
• Social contract
• Ethical standards
• Normative principles
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[Ethics] Sample Questions, Case studies for UPSC General studies paper 4 based on Donald Menzel’s book

Essay-ish / abstract questions, disobeying an informal order, returning unspent money, misleading for good purpose, private matter of public employee, political neutrality, political neutrality part.2, salary hike vs team spirit, holding charity auctions in the office, spouse in the same office, private endorsement by public official, man of word or man of money, courage with a price tag.

So far in the [Ethics] mock-question series

• UPSC’s sample paper for GS4
• Samples questions based on ethics courses of San Diego and Texas University

Now this this articles contains case-studies/questions are based on Donald C. Menzel’s book Ethics Moments in Government:Cases and Controversies .

• For the Essay-ish questions I’ve merely lifted statements from the book. Because UPSC seems to be doing similar thing for Public Administration (lift sentences from some book and ask the candidate to ‘comment’ on it).
• for the case-studies questions, I’ve given Indian flavor to those American cases and included a few answer key points but by no means they’re sacred/official/final/marksworthy- they’re only meant to serve as lighthouse for the utterly confused.

Answer following questions 12 marks/120 words each:

• What do you understand by ethics audit? How is it different from financial audit?
• Are ethics practices and behaviors in the business world different than those found in public service? If so, why?
• Describe an ethical issue you have had to address in your school or college life and the way you handled it. If confronted with the same issue today, would you handle it in the same way?
• Are ethical standards in business organizations higher or lower than those in public service organizations?
• Is there more unethical behavior in government than in business?
• Do you believe the ethical performance of an employee can be evaluated fairly and accurately? Yes/No/Why?
• Is a professional code of ethics that is not enforceable a satisfactory code? Yes/No/Why?
• How does corrupt behavior resemble or differ from unethical behavior?
• Should we hold appointed officials, such as collectors and tehsildaars, to a higher standard of behavior than elected officials such as municipal councilors? Yes/No/Why?
• Gandhi always advocated the purity of means- with respect to that, do you think it is unethical for a military officer to mislead the enemy? Yes/No/Why?

Comment on following statements (12 marks/120 words each)

• Ethics are less a goal than a pathway, less a destination than a trip, less an inoculation than a process.
• Righteous disobedience is better than Moral muteness.
• Exemplary leadership is critical to encouraging ethical behavior in government organizations.
• Openness and transparency are critical safeguards that keep our democracy alive and well.
• Ethical codes are merely veneers. Shiny on the outside but hollow on the inside.
• Living up to the public trust is much more than just an act of compliance.
• Ethics is the cornerstone of effective, efficient, democratic governance.
• Ethics may be only instrumental, it may be only a means to an end, but it is a necessary means to an end.
• The relationships between ethics, service, and trust are mutually reinforcing.
• Ignorance is not an excuse for misconduct.
• Those who commit misconduct out of ignorance should be treated less harshly.
• If men were angels, no government would be necessary
• Humans roam the earth, not the heavens, so ethics are indispensable.
• Honesty and truthfulness have to be practiced and balanced with delicate diplomacy on some occasions.
• List the reforms necessary to encourage ethical behavior and prevent misconduct in public organizations of India.

Ethics Case Studies / Role playing Questions

DevAnand is working as a clerk in Collector’s office. Due to staff shortage, Dev also performs the task of raising flag over the office building every morning and taking it down every evening, although it is not part of his official job description.

One day a criminal turned politician Madan Puri dies. Years ago, Devanand’s best friend was murdered during a riot allegedly orchestrated by Madan Puri.

Nonetheless, State secretariat passes an order to all District collectors, to keep National flag at “half-mast” over their offices, to mourn the death of the Mr.Madan Puri.

DevAnand sees this news on TV, gets angry with such mockery of our national flag. He decides not to goto office next morning and keeps the door key of rooftop with himself. He is confident, “ no formal punishment can be given to me, because this was not part of my official duty. At most Collector sahib will reprimand me informally but I don’t care because Madan Puri killed my best friend. ”

Do you think DevAnand has made the right decision? Yes/No/Why?

Answer keypoints

DevAnand made a wrong decision because:

• It prevents other staff members from carrying out the ‘official’ order from StateHQ.
• It puts his boss in an embarrassing position in front of the StateHQ.
• If Dev’s conscience doesn’t permit him carrying out a task, he should inform his boss. But running away with keys, without informing anyone = irresponsible.
• Such behavior is not expected from a good team player / a public servant.

DevAnand is running an NGO to help street children. He receives government grant of Rs.2 lakh rupees for a project to teach the “out of school” children, who work at tea-stalls, do boot-polishing etc. A year passes, but Dev managed to utilize only 50,000 rupees from the grant. Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t convince many poor children or their families to join his NGO’s program.

As per the grant rules, Dev has to return all the unspent money back to government by the end of March 31 st . But his colleague Pran suggests following:

• If we honestly return Rs.1.5 lakh back, then government officials will think we are amateur, ineffective NGOs and they’ll substantially reduce our grant for next year or even worse- they’ll not give us any project next time!
• We should take help of CA Prem Chopra to manipulate our account books and show majority of the grant was utilized for education.
• Many other NGOs do the same thing- there is no problem – nobody will raise any objection, as long as we give 20% of the grant to SDM in charge of this project.
• Although it sounds unethical but we won’t use this money for personal needs, we’ll use it on street children only. Hence our act is fully ethical and moral.

What should DevAnand do with the money?

Answer keypoints:

• “Because others are also doing it” – is never the valid justification to commit an unethical or criminal act.
• Manipulating account books to keep the grant money.
• Bribing SDM to keep the grant money.
• The shelf life of lie and deception is very low- especially when manipulating the account books – ask Ramalinga Raju, ex-chief of Satyam.
• DevAnand was unable to use 75% of the grant money, it implies
• Dev didn’t try hard enough OR
• Government had exaggerated the amount of money required to educate the out of school children OR

In anycase, If Dev keeps the unspent grant, government will continue pumping more money- other NGOs and the SDM will keep amassing wealth. Therefore, DevAnand should return the unspent grant back to the government.

DevAnand is the inspector in charge of Rampur Police station. The police station building is in dire need of repairs, but hasn’t received any grants for years. One day, a cyclone hits a nearby area, damaging most of the houses and shops. Although Dev’s police station gets partially damaged, but most of the building remain intact . Government sends a disaster assessment team to ascertain the level of damage and pay relief money. The DSP Mr. Pran, orders DevAnand to do following:

• Hire some laborers and destroy the remaining parts of your police station building.
• When disaster assessment team comes, you tell them building collapsed by the cyclone, and ask them to give priority in funding after all police station is one the most important public offices in a town.

Should DevAnand obey his boss’s order?

Answer keypoints The shelf life of lie and deception is very low. Especially when many people are involved. In this case: laborers and any bystanders. Both Dev and Pran are risking themselves to an unnecessary negative publicity and possible departmental inquiry and punishment for professional misconduct. Indeed police building needed repairs and should have been given a grant months ago, but three wrongs don’t make a right:

• Wanton destruction of a public building.
• Misleading the disaster assessment team.
• Police officer DevAnand spending his time and energy in such activity rather than doing rescue-relief-patrolling duty after the disaster.

DevAnand is working as an under Secretary in the pension department. One day, his friend GuruDutt, an SBI PO, narrates following incident:

• For last two years, a retired Government employee Mr.Ashok Kumar is giving away 30% of his monthly pension to Mrs.Bindu Chopra every month through cheque.
• I found Mrs.Bindu Chopra happens to be the wife of Mr.Prem Chopra, a section officer in the pension office under you (DevAnand.)
• I feel something is fishy- may be this is part of a large bribe scam where senior citizens are forced to pay money to clear their pension files from Prem Chopra, and have to submit bribes in his wife’s account.

DevAnand visits Mr.Ashok Kumar’s house but he is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, unable to give coherent answers. Frustrated DevAnand directly confronts Prem Chopra. But Prem says “Mr.Ashok Kumar was a friend of my father. He has no relatives or children and my wife Bindu has been taking care of him like daughter since a long time. Therefore, Mr.Ashok Kumar gives us money out of good will, so we can send our son to an expensive IIT coaching class @Kota, Rajasthan. Besides this is a personal family matter and none of your damn business.”

Do you think DevAnand made a blunder or was he merely performing an ethical duty?

Here, both GuruDutt and DevAnand has failed to act in responsible manner. Because:

• A banker must keep his clients’ data confidential, unless required by the law to disclose it.
• GuruDutt didn’t even wait to cross verify who else is giving money to Mrs.Bindu Chopra’s account. Because if there was a ‘large scale bribe scam’ then lot other senior citizens would be making payment to Bindu’s account, and not just Mr.Ashok Kumar alone.
• Even in that situation, Gurudutt had to consult his boss within his own bank first. He cannot go around giving informal tips to outsiders. This is an unethical act for a banker.
• DevAnand too acted in hasty manner. First, he starts ‘investigation’ based on an informal tip from a banker who is not supposed to tip him in the first place. He should have consulted the vigilance department before moving further.
• Second, Dev Anand confronts Prem Chopra, without any hardcore evidence. When you’re holding a public office, you can’t go around accusing people in such haste. It breaks the office discipline, destroys the staff morale and allows the guilty person to cover his tracks.

Prem Chopra, a civil society activist, has launched a mass-movement to change Prime-ministerial form of government to presidential form of government. Dev Anand is an undersecretary in the PMO. Before joining civil service, he had done Ph.D on the demerits of presidential form of government. He is invited by a news channel for prime-time debate. The newschannel anchor, Mr.Arnab Goswami assures DevAnand following:

• It’ll be only an educational-intellectual debate among scholars.
• No politicians from ruling or opposition party are invited in our show.
• You’re invited in your capacity as a scholar in political science and not as a bureaucrat.

Should DevAnand accept Arnab Goswami’s invitation for news-debate?

Answerkey point:

No. Because bureaucrats should not voice their opinion about political matters on public platform. Even if no politician is invited, some other scholar/participant/anchor might raise points in favour or against the ruling party during the debate, and Dev will find himself in a political minefield.

To curtail the mounting fiscal deficit, Finance Minister Pran Chindu decides to merge agriculture ministry with forest ministry; coal ministry with oil ministry and reduce personnel in the central services by 30%. But opposition party is hardly raising any objection –they are occupied with onion price rise issue. Media is too busy covering MS Dhoni’s new hairstyle.

DevAnand, an employee in the Cabinet secretariat feels both Opposition party and media have failed to perform their ethical duty to inform citizens about matters of public interest. Therefore, he starts writing anonymous blogs and tweets to inform public about the negative consequences of Chindu’s austerity measures. Is DevAnand doing the right thing?

Answer key points:

• No. DevAnand is not doing the right thing.
• Role of public servant is to obey the will of the community- articulated through the elected members including the said Finance Minister.
• Public servant has to remain politically neutral. Dev is crossing that Laxman-Rekha by his anonymous blogs.

DevAnand has been serving as the Chief fire officer in city for over 3 years. Because of his efficient management, there were very few fire incidents, no lives were lost and property damage was minimum. He enjoys almost a celebrity like status in local media and city dwellers. As the election year comes, Mayor Pran, with an aim to garner goodwill among voters, frames a budget with 10% pay raise to fire bridge staff and 25% pay raise for the Chief fire Officer. Should DevAnand accept it or not/Why?

• Firefighting is a team work. Team leader must display fairness and equity.
• If Dev accepts 25% raise, it could promote his image as an aloof, insensitive, self-serving boss. Staff may not follow his lead with same enthusiasm afterwards.
• Therefore, Dev should not accept more than what is being offered to other employees of Fire brigade. (10%).

Pran, the bank employee, approaches Bank Manager DevAnand and says following:

• My child is suffering from blood cancer. I don’t have health insurance policy and my salary is insufficient to meet these medical expenses.
• But over the years, I’ve been collecting autographed bats and balls of various cricketers.
• I seek your permission to hold a charity auction in the office. I’ll also send fliers to clients of our bank. Everyone is welcome to bid for these bats and balls, so I can raise money for the medical treatment of my child.

Three other bank employees-Prem Chopra, Madan Puri and Ranjith overhear this conversation. They also inform DevAnand – indeed Pran’s financial situation is very bad and his child will die if the treatment is not done on time, therefore permission should be given to hold this charity auction.

Should Dev give permission or not?

• No. Because some members may informally feel pressured to give money -Especially Pran’s juniors and subordinates.
• It might create a feeling of alienation between employees who bid and those who don’t.
• Next time another employee will try to do the same, may be with a trivial reason e.g. I’m willing to auction t-shirts autographed by filmstars to repay the last EMI of my home loan, allow me to hold auction in the office. And if Dev says no that time, it might create an impression Dev is biased towards certain employees- staff morale goes down.
• Therefore, it is best to keep auctions and other money raising activities out of the workplace irrespective of their noble aims.

DCP DevAnand marries Sub inspector Rosie. In the office, Rosie doesn’t directly report to DevAnad but Dev has responsibility for signing off on her annual evaluation. Although Dev doesn’t give any preferential treatment to Rosie but one of her colleague, Prem Chopra, complained several times to the DIG Pran: “Dev saab always gives highest ratings to his wife and I’m always given average ratings despite my best performance in criminal investigations.“

DIG conducts inquiry, doesn’t find anything against DevAnand. Later Dev officially reprimands Prem Chopra for this unprofessional behavior.

Frustrated Prem Chopra narrates this incident to his wife Bindu. Bindu decides to take matters in her own hands, writes an anonymous email to the local press, informing how Rosie hasn’t legally divorced her first husband Marco, yet she is staying with DCP DevAnand and gives vivid details of their “adulterous” live-in relationship.

Rita reporter, an expert on such masala news, starts giving ball by ball commentary in her newspaper about Rosie’s past by interviewing her college friends, neighbors, relatives etc. Everybody in the town starts gossiping about this. Dev asks his IT expert friend GuruDutt to investigate. GuruDutt digs out that email originated from Prem Chopra’s home computer.What should DevAnand do:  Reprimand Prem Chopra once more?  Suspend him for indiscipline? Sue him for defamation? Is doing nothing an option?

• Doing nothing is not a viable option since situations like this only fester and become more problematic.
• It is never a good practice for a public official to have a relative in a subordinate position. Despite efforts to avoid perceived acts of favoritism, sooner or later the official will find himself being accused of an inappropriate action. Therefore, Police and Military organizations often have anti-fraternization policies. (e.g. As per the US Air Force rules, one of the couple has to quit from the service.)
• This situation is all about the perception of favoritism. The perception may or may not be true whether DevAnand is giving preferential treatment to Rosie during annual performance evaluation.
• To prevent this from happening, DevAnand needs to stop chasing Prem Chopra and take steps to get his wife posted in another office, or seek his own transfer to another office.
• Last but not least, the DevAnand should put to rest the question of the legality of his marriage to avoid future accusations.

Prem Chopra runs a company that offers private security guards, CCTV, burglary alarm and other security devices.

DCP DevAnand learns that everytime after a theft or robbery takes place, Police Inspector Pran advices the victim and bystanders to install security devices from Prem Chopra’s company to make their home and shops secure from criminals. Pran even tells them “ When you goto Prem Chopra’s office, tell him I’ve sent you, he’ll give you special discount. ”

Dev confronts Pran about this matter. Pran justifies his action by saying:

• Yes, I take money for Prem Chopra to endorse his security products for homes and offices.
• I use this money to pay my informers and keep a check on criminal elements. I don’t spent this money on myself or my family.
•  Even municipal buses and railway-wagons have advertisements, then why is an endorsement by a city official unethical or illegal?
• Besides, Prem Chopra’s security devices are very effective at preventing burglary.

Should DevAnand permit Pran to continue this endorsement activity? Yes/No/Why?

• Advertisement on bus / railway wagon is not same as a public official promoting a brand. Because those bus/railway ads don’t interfere with vehicle’s primary function of transporting persons from one place to another. But when a public official promotes a brand, he is spending part of his office time and energy for private gain rather than serving the citizen.
• If Dev permits Pran, then other staff members will also start similar marketing. Thus part of the office-time will diverted to selling products rather than solving crime
• Might even lead to internal rivalries about who is earning more commissions.
• Citizens may feel informal pressure to buy such products fearing their file / matter will not be cleared by the public officials otherwise.
• Endorsements of commercial products by public officials can easily result in an unethical situation: sharing financial gain through bribes, kickbacks, or postemployment opportunities for government officials.

In short, it will open a Pandora’s box. Therefore, DevAnand should order Pran to stop this activity at once.

DevAnand is a brilliant maths teacher in a private English medium school in Ahmedabad and gets yearly package of Rs.3 lakhs. Another school at Baroda offers him package of Rs. 3.5 lakhs. Dev makes a verbal commitment to the Baroda school principle, “Sure,I’ll join your school from next month.“

But when Dev submits his resignation to A’bad school, its Principle Mr.Pran requests him to stay and offers new package of Rs.3.8 lakhs. Should Dev take back his resignation? yes/no/why?

• from ethical perspective, even verbal acceptance = contract. And contract must be honored.
• Even if Pran’s counteroffer is higher, Dev has a moral obligation to remain consistent with his original intention (of joining Baroda school).

(Copy pasting a news report from TheHindu )

December 7, 2012, Chandigarh.

Robanjit Kaur, 23-year-old daughter of ASI Ravinderpal Singh was returning home after her IELTS coaching class when Shiromani Akali Dal leader Ranjit Singh Rana and his goons started teasing her. She called up her father Mr.Ravinderpal Singh, an ASI with Punjab Police.

When her father arrived and confronted the group, a heated argument followed and Rana pulled out his pistol and began firing at both father and daughter. Both received bullet injuries and father collapsed.

Even as Ms. Kaur struggled to shift her father into a vehicle to take him to hospital, Rana and his gang returned with a rifle and shot Ravinderpal Singh again in full public view.

Ms. Kaur said to media, “Rana kept kicking and hitting us in full public glare. I cried and pleaded for help but everyone ran away. Even when the ambulance came, I had to lift my father into it as no one came to help me.”

End of news.

A Sociologist remarks: “Our government has not set up a system to encourage civilians to fight against criminal acts. Why should someone risk injury or their life to save another if one’s life or livelihood is endangered? Government needs to enact a new scheme named after you know who , to reward any civilian with Rs.10 lakh, a government job and a 3 BHK flat, if he prevents a crime in a public place.”

Do you believe announcing big financial rewards to pedestrians who standup against a criminal, will change the situation? Does or can courage have a price tag? Yes/No/Why?

• Indeed an act of courage should be rewarded and applauded.
• But running a scheme with Rs.10 lakh and a government job, might lead to vigilante mobs of unemployed youth, roaming around with hokey sticks and baseball bats looking for a crime to happen (or orchestrating a crime by themselves) in order to get the money and the job.
• In the given case, goons were armed with pistols and rifles. No unarmed civilian can be expected to fight with them. In future, might lead to a situation where a poor man intentionally jumps in the fight, knowing fully well that he’ll be killed- but only doing so his family can get Rs.10 lakh.
• Maintenance of law and order is state’s responsibility not civilians’. Money is better spent on recruiting more policemen and judges.

For more on case studies & revision notes, visit Mrunal.org/ETHICS

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62 comments.

Thank u buddy

epic(awe)some ;) as always

Wonderful adaptation from ASPA Book Mrunal. Exemplary work.

@MRUNAL SIR PLEASE POST THE E-BOOK…

Thank you sir..

This is very good article on UPSC, thank you very much for providing such a nice article, for more about UPSC, please visit to http://upscmpscguide.blogspot.in

sir should we buy this book and from where,I mean what material should we read to answer your questions

anyone having this book pls share

thank you very much sir.you have done very good job.

really commendable job…thanx sir

Hi Mrunal, I have recently started following your Blog and I must say that you are doing a great job. Can you please suggest me some books or reading resources for preparing for “Ethics” section of the exam ? Can any of the other aspirants suggest something on this? Thanks.

Sir,cAn u suggest some boooks for this paper

Great job Mrunal…. This is my first site by first surfing on the internet for the ethics …so I appreciate u for data… So I am starting for ethics right now….

Please suggest a good book for GS Paper 4…Subbarao or Arihant…or any other.

Sir,please post important study materials for preparation of

UPSC(GS -4) mains paper on my Email.I need your help sir .please!!!

#Case Study : You have an opportunity for an internship in a respected business in the community. Part of your qualifications comes from a Senior Project that you worked on with several other students. Through the interview process, you discover that you are given credit for a key section of the project that really impressed the company. In fact, another member of your senior team, with little input from you, did that section. How do you proceed?

Firstly if you are aware that your senior has helped you out to get your work done then say the truth.

Mrunal sir ur site has been extremely beneficial fo my mains prep

Commendable perspective..

Lovely article – one of the best things I’ve recently read, and by far the most useful. I think it could also be useful for everyone to know how and where to fill a form online. Try PDFfiller to fill a form here http://goo.gl/W3yHeH . It allows you to to fill out PDF files.

Dear Mrunal Greetings from Nepal,

The Public Service Commission (PSC) of Nepal recently changed the syllabus of Joint Secretary. It includes one of the chapters “Ethics and Morality” has covered different topics which almost you are mentioned in your site. Here (Kathmandu) most of the aspirants of PSC competition exam (especially Joint Secretary competition ) has been suffering from the materials in this topics. Actually, I benefited…

Thank u very very much for ur great job….

Bal Sagar Giri Under Secretary Government of Nepal

Plz sir which books are study for ethics

Sir, Please provide a list of materials that are needed to ace the ethics paper.

Sir, Please update it to the next level. Thank you for the great work.

Sir Aap jo abhi case study newspaper analysis me dete ho uske model answer bhi diya kro

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How to Solve Case Studies for Ethics Paper - UPSC Mains 2022

Aug 16, 2022

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Follow a standard framework, be specific.

Practice Writing

Track Your Time

Follow the steps below to ensure that you always write good answers for the case study questions. 

You must have a standard framework for writing case study answers. This ensures that your answer is well structured and easy to understand for the examiner. 

Otherwise, you waste time figuring out where to start and what to write. You also run the risk of moving away from addressing the core issue. 

Here is a standard framework you can use

• The Core Issue

Here you have to capture the essence of the entire case study in a few lines. Let us take the earlier example of development vs. environment dilemma. 

On one hand, you are dealing with the dilemma of deciding whether or not to approve the construction of a factory that will generate thousands in employment and bring hope to many families. 

On the other hand, you are dealing with the issue that factories will generate a lot of non-biodegradable waste, pollute the environment and cause the life expectancy of the people around them to decrease. 

Here, the core issue can be summarised as a “dilemma of choosing between development and the environment. ”

• Stakeholders

Here you need to list the people directly or indirectly affected by the problem. 

To continue the above example, the stakeholders are the employees, the government, the public, local families, investors, shareholders, and yourself.   The stakeholders involved will differ according to the case study you are given.

• List the Ethical Issues Involved

Here you have to list all the ethical issues you will face. For example, in a whistleblowing case you as an IAS officer have to decide whether to let the public know about some wrongdoing in your department that harms the public interest or ignore the matter and be loyal to your organisation. 

If you decide to be a whistleblower, you know that you will be ostracized and your colleagues will stand against you. 

The ethical dilemmas, in this case, will be “Personal Loss as against Public Interest” and “Organisational Loyalty as against Public Interest.”

• Write the Options Available and Their Merits and Demerits

Study the given situation and write 3-4 choices you have along with their merits and demerits. One or two choices might be too extreme to be considered. Nonetheless, you still have to list them as they are options. 

• Decide Your Final Course of Action  

Here you list the final course of action that you would pursue. This can be one of the options you listed above or a combination of them. 

Once you have decided the course of action you want to take, present clear arguments along with quotes and examples to support your view. 

Usually, the best course of action is the most practical one. Try to come up with an action that you believe will be easily doable amidst all government rules and regulations and is possible with the available resources that you as an administrative officer at that time would possess. 

When you are listing out your final course of action, be specific in mentioning what you aim to do. Put yourself in the shoes of an administrator and think like a civil servant. 

Let’s assume you have to decide whether to allocate land to a helpless, lonely, widowed woman without proper documentation that verifies her claim to the land. 

Here the dilemma is, “Upholding the law as against Public Interest.”

In this situation, you should not simply write, “I will follow the law and refuse to allocate the land as she lacks the proper documentation. However, I will ensure that she gets help.”

You have to list concrete steps that you will take in this situation. Write something like this, “I will follow the law and refuse to allocate the land as she lacks the proper documentation. However, I shall contact the nearest relevant NGO and ensure she gets food and shelter for the next few days. In addition, I will discuss with my seniors and direct the NGO to the best possible course of action in getting the widow proper documents so that she can stake her claim.” 

Towards the end of your answer, you can insert a relevant quote by an iconic or famous personality. For example, you can write Mahatma Gandhi’s famous quote, “The only way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” 

Although it is not necessary to include a quote, doing so can make your answer more presentable to the examiner. 

Practice Writing 

To score high in the case study section of the Ethics paper, you must be articulate and able to provide practical, actionable solutions to real-world problems. 

Go through previous year's questions (PYQs). Case study questions have a common theme, so practicing PYQs will give you a fair idea of how you need to write your answers and give you confidence. 

Avoid spending too much time writing the case study answers as you have to complete the rest of the paper. In 2021, UPSC allotted 120 marks to the case studies section of the Ethics paper. Assuming that the marks distribution will remain the same for 2022, you still have an additional 130 marks to attempt. 

You can start with either the theory portion or the case studies. However, dedicate your time according to the weightage of marks. 

And with that, we have come to the end of the framework for writing case study answers. 

If you want to write answers that impress the examiner, you must practice with high-quality QBank and Mock Tests. 

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How to answer/approach ethics case studies-upsc civil service exam

Ethics case studies in upsc civil service exam is a test for your ethical values. Your aptitude and attitude will be judged from your way for approach in ethics case studies. So approaching ethics case studies and answering your actions in ethics case studies becomes very important.

How to approach/answer Ethics case studies?

• Understand the question demands.
• Analyse the layers and levels of ethical dilemmas.
• Printout various dilemmas in case study.
• Point out possible actions in that particular case.
• Brief the Pros and cons of each actions available.
• Finalize your best action and justify it.

We will explain it with a case study example given to our IASTODAY users . Dont just start writing immediately after reading a case studies. There will be different layers in good case studies. So take time to read atleast twice as reading again will enlighten new ways.

Consider a ethics case study provided in our MASTER 2020 daily answer writing series

Q:  From your childhood, your dream was to become an IPS officer. You actively told your friends and teachers that you will become IPS officer.

Done? Now we can proceed to next:

• Following my dream V/s family responsibility
• Stable career at MNC v/s unpredictability of exam
• Following heart instinct v/s following well-wishers advise
• Allegation about corrupt IPS v/s elite life as IPS.
• Bond in MNC v/s age over for exam.
• Self-satisfaction v/s family satisfaction.

Such a starting gives better impression about your understanding than general repetition of issues in case study. 

Next step is your actions? What will you do? Rather than writing in a stretch, analyse the possible options in front of you.

• Joining MNC by accepting job offer.
• Rejecting offer from MNC and prepare for exam.
• Joining MNC after negotiating Bond conditions (as I have excellent academics) and continues preparation with job.
• Searching for other job and keep preparing for exam.

You wrote these in your answer? Compare now.

These steps makes better. Still there is more things expected as per 250 words demanded.  Try to understand the merits and demerits of each options. Restructure above points with those aspects too.

See a sample below for body part of the answer.

Pros : will clear my liabilities, Family will be happy & fulfilled responsibilities to family.

Cons : Never gets self-satisfaction, possible depression and mental suffering for leaving dream.

Pros : Self-satisfaction pursuing dream, more chances of clearing exam. Cons : Failure as a family man, Uncertainty in exam, No money for education, leaving parents in utter distress due to my action, Family unhappy.

Pros : Can solve economic issues in short term, Can full fill my dream in long term as I can pay compensation to company later.

Cons : Chances of low perks and promotions due to negotiations.

Pros: Dream remains safe, Freedom without bond, solving financial problems eventually with low salary.

Cons : No assurance of job, extra pressure on finding a job, No money for family and education if getting job delayed.

Now you covered all options and merits. Now you can come to a conclusion with your final action. Which one will you opt from these options?

Showcase your creativity. Here is the final model answer for you.

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UPSC Essentials : Mains answer practice: GS 4 —Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude (Week 2)

Upsc cse mains 2023 season has begun. are you ready for it here are questions from gs paper 4 for this week with essential points as the fodder for your answers. do not miss points to ponder and answer in the comment box below. try them out.

UPSC Essentials   brings to you its new initiative for the practice of  Mains answer writing . Mains Answer Writing will cover essential topics of static and dynamic parts of the UPSC Civil Services syllabus covered under various GS papers. This answer-writing practice is designed to help you as a value addition to your UPSC CSE Mains.

We will cover one new subject four days in a week. Attempt today’s answer writing on questions related to topics of GS-4  to check your progress. Come back tomorrow to attempt questions on topics related to  GS-1.

What is conscience? How parents can raise children with a conscience in a virtual world?

Ravi is a strong supporter of girl child education. He motivates a lot of members of society to realise the importance of girl child education to sponsor the education of a girl child. For the past twelve years, he has been sponsoring the education of Asmita. Now, Asmita has cleared medical entrance exams and her name appears for provisional admission in two of the medical colleges. One of them, say XYZ, is ranked one in the state and happens to be Asmita’s dream college too. Asmita has worked hard day and night for this college and Ravi knows it. The fee of the XYZ college is very high but Ravi is ready to pay it for Asmita’s bright future. However, unfortunately, on the day of the submission of admission fees to XYZ College (which is the last day of fee submission), Ravi’s mother meets with an accident. The doctors tell Ravi that his mother has to go through an operation immediately. Ravi figures out that the operation will cost him a lot and he will not have any money for the admission. If he doesn’t pay the fees, Asmita’s admission might be cancelled.

(a) What are the ethical issues involved?

(b) What should Ravi do? Justify.

THOUGHT PROCESS

You may enrich your answers by some of the following points

Introduction:

Since the question has two parts and there is a word limit, you may simply start with a definition of conscience. For example:

Conscience is a kind of faculty which is unvarying, innate, and incorruptible and it is present in all human beings. In other words, conscience is the true self of human beings and a kindle of guidance. It is a dependable source and it carries a voice. It is that inner voice which guides a person ethically by telling him or her what is right or wrong.

It is the blend of morality, self-awareness , and self-analytical ability that separates rationality from blind belief or rage.

You may add if time and space allow:

The challenge to conscience is the noise around us. The noise of confusion, ignorance, beliefs, notions, power, dogmas, upbringing, pressure, and other temptations. And in the midst of that noise, one will have to learn to heed to the voice of conscience. For listening to that voice in the middle of that noise of darkness one needs that input of human values and ethical competence. That ability to investigate that noise will prepare a mortal to listen to the voice, the voice of conscience.

You may incorporate some of the following points in the body of your answer:

Moral empathy vs digital

— Children from the age of 0 to 7 years are highly malleable and their sub-conscious is heavily influenced by life experiences which are majorly dependent on their parents. However, being a role model in today’s age is double the challenge, thanks to the exposure of digital platforms which makes children susceptible.

— Children today are exposed to digital media before they are even born, with their parents using digital media during the gestation period.

— However, that is just the start of the digital infiltration which affects the way a child thinks and reacts. Thanks to the constant viewing of the screen, the ability to feel and respond in real time takes a beating as the brain is aware that it is the virtual world.

— This virtual connection cuts the link between real-life empathy, blurring the lines between what is right and wrong. Though digital is not all bad and does create a medium of engaged learning, it is always a big no-no for children under two years and should be allowed in moderation for other children.

How parents can help germinate conscience

— Parents are role models. There is no denying that a child learns first in his home and then steps into school. Therefore, it is imperative that adults pay attention to their behaviour around the child.

— For that, they need to get rid of negativity that can impact their communication. Granted that adulthood comes with its own set of challenges, but efforts should be made in keeping a negative atmosphere at bay when around a child.

— Parents must form a strong bond with their children and communication is the key element that effectively reinforces this connection. A child should be able to talk to his/her parents who will help them understand the nature of their actions.

— For instance, if they are taught that cyber bullying is wrong or hurting someone physically or emotionally is not the act of a virtuous person, they will think twice about taking that action. The conscience will be at work here, telling them this is wrong. The spiritual path is a constant guiding light in a child’s heart but setting them in that direction is the job that parents have to fulfill for the betterment of their children.

— The early rectification is especially important because as they grow into teenagers, children learn from their own decisions and mistakes. It is important to give them controlled freedom to make choices, fail and learn. Children have a safety net in their parents and can learn lessons for the future when they may not be around. Any experience of the child becomes a part of him.

— Almost in all cases, these habits, belief systems, traits continue for life. So this is an apt time to inculcate good values. But the first step to do that is to raise your own awareness as a parent, heal your emotional wounds and become more conscious.

The right path to growth

— A parent can love the child unconditionally and accept them wholeheartedly, sans any judgment. After all, a child with great self-esteem and self-love quotient, who is also empowered with a spiritual practice, is not vulnerable to bad decisions.

— The initial stages are meant to provide unconditional love and acceptance right from the pregnancy stage. This will give them a strong foundation of great self-esteem and self-love.

— Keeping the parent-child relationship as a bidirectional one instead of hierarchical is important to remain connected so that when the child grows up, it is easy to step in if we need, to maintain their conscience.

( Refer: How parents can raise kids with a conscience in a virtual world by Kuhoo Gupta, founder of The K Junction.)

Conclusion:

Your conclusion can be a general suggestion. For example:

Above all this, the most important thing is to grow, evolve and heal personally as an individual for the parent to set the right role model for the child in a physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and psychological sense.

Your conclusion can have a striking quote. For example:

To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society. – Theodore Roosevelt. (What does it mean? Think and answer in the comment box below.)

You may make the conclusion fresh and interesting by hinting at a related concept. For example:

‘Tabula Rasa’ ( What it means and how is it relevant here? Think and answer in the comment box below.)

( Sources: UPSC Ethics Simplified | Voice of Conscience — the concept   by   Nanditesh Nilay and How parents can raise kids with a conscience in a virtual world by Kuhoo Gupta, founder of The K Junction.)

Point to ponder: How to listen to that voice of conscience?

Introduction

There can be many ways to start a case study. One of the ways that a candidate may choose is by highlighting the problem and mentioning the stakeholders. For example:

The above-mentioned case study represents the problem of  conflicting priorities . The situation creates a dilemma due to the paucity of time and money.

The following  stakeholders   may be identified: Ravi, Asmita, Doctors of Ravi’s mother, the medical college, and the members of society (Why members of society? Think and answer in the comment box below.) You may add or reduce the number of stakeholders as per your answer.

(a) Ethical issues arise due to conflicting priorities.

What are the conflicting priorities in the above case study and why?  (Obvious! Answer in the comment box below)

You may use:

1. Paucity of time and money.

2. Family responsibility Vs social duty.

3. Life Vs Career. 

(b) Whenever there is a conflict between two or more responsibilities, one may prioritize based on urgency and importance. ( Do you know what it is called? )

In this particular case study you may use only first two categories of the table. ( What do you fill in the right hand side of the table? Think! Answer in the comment box below.)

1. Help from members of society.

2. The second medical college.

You may conclude by stating your justification. 

NOTE : You can have different methods, ways, and styles to answer a case study. 

Post your inputs and answers to points to ponder in the comment box below and engage with other aspirants too.  All the best!

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Note:  Catch the  UPSC Weekly Quiz  every Saturday evening and brush up on your current affairs knowledge.)

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UPSC MAINS STRATEGY - GS PAPER 4

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Case Studies

This topic is the final culmination point of all the other topics mentioned in Ethics syllabus. One is required to answer questions based on a given case study, the issue here is that there is no right or wrong answer when answering questions on case-study, but it is all about being reasonable and ethically-morally right based on one's thought process and experiences.

Important Sub-topics/Issues are:

• Gender Issues
• Mal-governance
• Environmental Issues
• Current Affairs Issues
• Human Development factors.
• Ethical Dilemmas
• Conflict of interest

One must be familiar with the common terminology used in the Ethics Syllabus and try to use those keywords while writing answer. It will not suffice to only memorize answers. You must be very good at the basics . It is very important to learn how to skim through contents. This will save you valuable time and effort and you can go through more content in a limited amount of time.

The candidate should understand that if he or she tries to read from too many sources, it won’t serve a purpose. Rather, one should stick to a single source, we recommend Ethical Case Studies: A Broad Dimension by Ankit K. Agarwal and focus on how s author have analysed a particular topic and formulated their theories.

What the examiner seeks?

From the examiner's point of view, the ethics-integrity-aptitude of ethics paper in UPSC seeks to gauge the candidate's basic understanding of topics like Code of Ethics, Code of Conduct, Work Culture, and Quality of service delivery and ability to analyze and form views on various conflicting socio-economic issues.

For the questions framed in this area, the candidates must answer in such a way that reflects his or her complete knowledge on the topic and the formation of the answer should be to the point and relevant to what has been asked.

Answer Writing Strategy for Case Studies

There is never a set answer for a case study. The idea should be to learn from the format:

• Answer Body
• Try to provide practical solutions. Ideal solutions , if unworkable, would not fetch you marks.
• Give out-of-the-box yet practical solutions.
• Try to provide specific solutions . Avoid generalized solutions:To illustrate, don’t say, “I would take steps to promote transparency. Mention how you would promote transparency.
• When you are asked to give all the options available to you - give even the most undesirable course of action as one of the options . However, don’t choose that option: To illustrate, in a case that mentions the offer of a bribe to you, mention ‘acceptance of bribe’ as one of the options. But prefer the options that entail ‘rejection of bribe’.

Do not touch upon only core issues. Also, touch upon peripheral issues in a case study.

To illustrate, suppose a case study in which “you are the head of the committee investigating the irregularities of colleges. You are in the dilemma whether to recommend for de-recognition of college and spoil the career prospects of students or to recommend their regularization in the light of future of thousands of students. You have been offered a bribe of Rs. 5 crores.”

In this case study, a core issue is ‘whether to regularize colleges’. Most candidates would just address this issue in their answer. However, there is another issue, the ‘peripheral issue’, that is, the offer of a bribe. Try to address that issue as well. While addressing bribe issue, please don’t just say – “I won’t accept the bribe”. Also, say – “I would lodge a complaint against the person who has offered me the bribe”.

Let your solutions try to balance conflicting options as much as possible. (Caution – such balancing may not happen always).

For detailed understanding watch the Ethics Case Study UPSC 10 Year Paper videos on YouTube.

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Ethics Case Study: Five Types of Case Studies You Shouldn’t Miss Out On!

The General Studies IV paper of the UPSC Mains Exams mainly focuses on the three parts, i.e. Integrity, Aptitude, and Ethics. GS IV paper has two sections, Section A and Section B. Section B is based on an ethics case study and holds a weightage of 125 marks.

As a UPSC aspirant, you must write appropriate ethical answers to all the case studies asked. It is of utmost importance that you focus on some of the frequently appearing case studies on ethical issues, as this is a major category.

Business Ethics Case Studies

CASE STUDY 1

XYZ Limited is a multinational company which carries out a variety of businesses. This company is generating multiple jobs and also holds a large share base. To grow its branches, it has decided to develop a business in an undeveloped area. Being energy adept this project will save 15% of the production costs.

The government policy of no payment of tax for 5 years for those who invest in undeveloped areas goes hand in hand. But this project will disturb the natural habitat as well. So the residential people started protests. The company tried to manage the issue by making them understand the importance and benefits of this project. Despite all efforts of the company, the people residing in this area opted for the judiciary.

• What are the problems involved in this situation?
• What steps can be taken to satisfy the demands of the company and people who stay there?

Engineering Ethics Cases

CASE STUDY 2

An engineer gets employment in the prestigious chemical industry. The pay from this company is also decent. Within a short span, he discovers a kind of waste that has a high amount of toxicity, is dismissed in the nearby river illegally. This is causing many health-related issues for the people consuming this river water nearby.

He informs his fellow workers about this issue, but they suggest to be quiet. On one hand, he is the only working man in his family and can’t risk his job. On the other, his fellow mates’ suggestion feels wrong as the people are suffering from the consumption of toxic water. You seem an advisable person to him, so he asks for your help.

• What conflicts can you bring up for making him understand that being silent is not a correct option?
• What type of conduct will you suggest to him and why?

Also Read :  Best Books for UPSC Mains Exam Preparation: Here’s the UPSC Books List You were Looking For

Ethical Case Studies in Education

CASE STUDY 3

Currently, you are a Development Officer at a district level. Recently there has been a dispute in one of the villages of your district. The senior groups in this village do not want girls to go out of their houses to study, as it is unsafe. As per them, girls should marry at an early age with less education. The competition is increasing, and male employment is declining due to young girls thinking about their individuality, taking steps for education and freedom.

The situation is heated. Everyday discussions are around these issues. One day you are informed that girls were molested while returning from schools. This led to another huge argument. After fighting their guts, the seniors decided not to send girls to schools and avoid other families who send their girls to study.

• What action would you take to ensure safety and assure the education of these girls?
• How would you handle the patriarchal approach of the senior generation and spread a word of peace in the village? How would you deal with the senior generation’s patriarchal approach, and spread a word of peace in the village?

Professional Ethics Case Study

CASE STUDY 4

A staff member junior to you took a leave on account of her mother’s illness. She joined again a few days ago. Her mother is old as well as very sick. She has been handling both her mothers’ care adjustments and her job at the same time. At times she has to leave the workplace early or arrive late. This created extra pressure on her co-workers as well. You are the manager of this company.

One of her male co-workers stated that she is a female and should stay at home rather than work, which added more stress on her shoulders.

• As a manager, how would you handle the workload suspended on other co-workers?
• How would you use your professional integrity to correct the male co-worker?

Ethics in Finance Case Study

CASE STUDY 5

You are a chief officer in a ministry. As a result, you are allowed to take all the important decisions related to construction and road development. The ministry is all set to announce a huge road consignment. Ample care was taken by the officials to use government land majorly and to make less usage of private land. Also, with minimum deforestation, the road plan was finalized.

At the same time, one of the related ministers insisted that you must change the roadways in such a way that comes closer to his huge farmhouse. He also promises to buy a plot legally in your name after this realignment of this road. But this realignment project will cause a burden on government finances. Many agricultural lands fall under this realignment of the road. Also, hundreds of trees would be demolished for the same.

• What would you do in such a situation?
• What are the areas of arguments and improvements in this situation?
• What is your responsibility as a servant of the public?

The format in the above case studies is usually what is asked in Section B of the GS IV paper in the UPSC Exams. These case studies are of great significance and carry huge weightage in the civil service exams. Along with these case studies, many case studies like nonprofit ethics case study and administration ethics case study also have a good amount of weightage.

You must focus intensively on case studies on ethical issues to score brilliantly in your UPSC exams. Your answers should contain ethical terms and an appropriate approach. Practising various kinds of ethics case studies regularly for IAS will keep you intact with the approach you have to maintain. It will also develop a useful skill to write productive and efficient case study answers.

We here at UPSC Pathshala will keep bringing you important content related to UPSC exams. Stay updated with our regular blogs to come across useful tips, tricks, strategies, and suggestions for UPSC exams.

Also Read :  Sanjeev Newar’s UPSC Results Data Analysis Explained: Facts, Real Issue and Share of Reservation

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These different ethics case studies have helped me a lot for my preparation, will try to answer these questions in an ethical manner.

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• IAS Preparation
• UPSC Preparation Strategy
• Guidelines For Ethics Case Studies

UPSC Mains: General Guidelines for Ethics Case Studies

Ethics is an important paper in the UPSC Mains exam. It consists of two different sections, for a combined total of 250 marks. Tackling case study section may not be easy although it may appear simple. This article gives some important tips that could be implemented while answering Ethics paper in the UPSC Mains examination.

Aspirants would find this article very helpful while preparing for the IAS Exam .

How to Solve Ethics Case Studies?

The General Studies Paper 4, more commonly known as the Ethics Paper can be tricky for many candidates in the UPSC civil service mains exam. In this paper, there are theoretical questions as well as case studies, both for almost the same marks. While the theory portions can be straightforward for candidates to answer, the case studies might prove to be their undoing in the exam. Since candidates have to choose between various courses of action based on ethical and legal considerations and ramifications, they often falter in this decision-making exercise. This article gives you a few general guidelines to follow while solving case studies in the ethics paper in the IAS mains exam.

Using Appropriate Terminologies

Even though the Ethics paper might seem like a generalist paper, it is still based on a syllabus. (Check the UPSC Syllabus for GS Paper 4 here ). To make your answers and solutions more akin to the paper, you should use apt terminologies – specific terms which will show your subject knowledge. Your paper should not look like a general essay or a paper on public administration. Some examples of ethics terminologies are professional integrity, ethical competencies, conscience, ethical reasoning, empathy, tolerance, dignity of the individual, attitude, compassion, diligence, bureaucratic inertia, red tape, intellectual integrity, fidelity, moral turpitude, probity, esprit de corps, morality, hedonism, grey areas, equanimity, etc.

Empathise and Place Yourself in Another’s Shoes

The ethics case studies, all portray an issue with a person as the central character and the ethical dilemma faces by him/her. In such cases, you should know how to empathise with this fictional person. Put yourself in his/her shoes and think about the issue at hand. This will be easier if you practice solving case studies.

Ethics vs Legal

While answering questions on ethics, you should also be aware of the difference between ethicality and legality. Being ethical does not mean you need to break the law, but sometimes, the legal course of action is not necessarily ethically correct. The solution here is to think out of the box and strike a fine balance between legality and ethicality. So when making decisions, you must know the difference between ethical decisions and legal decisions.

Raise Questions

Once you start solving case studies, you should raise questions on the issue. What is the core issue? What are the aspects of work/organisation that are affected by it? Who all are affected? What are the possible courses of action? What are the dangers/hazards involved? What are the pros and cons of each course, etc.?

Follow these general guidelines while attempting the case studies in the UPSC Mains GS paper IV. Case studies need not be a confusing and difficult affair. You only need to follow a basic methodology while dealing with them. Once you have a framework to follow, you can easily work out the solutions.

The above details would help candidates prepare for UPSC 2021 .

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[MISSION 2024] Insights SECURE : Daily UPSC Mains Answer Writing Practice: 5 April 2024

Click on EACH question to post/upload you answers.

How to Follow Secure Initiative?

How to self-evaluate your answer , mission – 2023: yearlong timetable, join ipm 4.0 to get an assured review of 2 secure answers everyday, general studies – 1.

Topic: History of the world will include events from 18th century such as industrial revolution, world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.— their forms and effect on the society.

1.  The mid-18th marked a pivotal period that set the stage for the onset of the Industrial Revolution. Several key factors converged during this time, laying the groundwork for the profound economic and societal transformations that would follow. Discuss. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: Down to Earth ,  Insights on India

Why the question: The Industrial Revolution, one of humanity’s most transformational events, did not begin in 1760 across Georgian Britain. Instead, Britain had already industrialised a century earlier under the Scottish House of Stuart, according to new research from the University of Cambridge. Key Demand of the question: To write about reasons for rise of Industrial revolution in England. 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:  Start by defining Industrial Revolution. Body: In detail, write about the reasons for rise of Industrial revolution in England – Agricultural changes, Population boom, Economic innovations, new ideas and a scientific viewpoint, Transportation foundations, Natural resources, supportive government and numerous colonies. Conclusion: Summarize how all the above factors converged to start the revolution in England.

Topic: population and associated issues.

2. What factors contribute to the decline in the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of India? Evaluate the opportunities that India can harness due to declining TFR. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Easy

Reference: Indian Express ,  Insights on India

Why the question:  The article discusses the disparities in Total Fertility Rates (TFRs) across different regions, Key Demand of the question: To write about the causes of falling TFR and the opportunities it provides. Structure of the answer: Introduction:  Begin by giving context from the NFHS-5 data. Body: First, write about the factors that have contributed to declining TFR are: Higher education, increased mobility, late marriage, financial independence among women and overall prosperity. Next, possible advantages that the falling TFR may lead to. Conclusion: Conclude by suggesting solutions to the challenges.

General Studies – 2

Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

3. NATO has played a significant role in promoting security and stability in Europe and beyond, but it faces ongoing challenges and criticisms that require thoughtful consideration and adaptation to remain relevant in a rapidly changing security environment. Critically examine. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Tough

Reference: Indian Express

Why the question: The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) pompously celebrates the anniversary of its establishment on April 4, 75 years ago. Demand of the question: To write about NATO and its achievements and limitations. Directive word:  Critically examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we have to look into 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. When ‘critically’ is suffixed or prefixed to a directive, one needs to look at the good and bad of the topic and give a fair judgment. Structure of the answer: Introduction:  Start with brief background of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Body: First, briefly discuss the origins of NATO during the cold war. Next, write about the significance of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) – Represents 30 nations, one billion people, and half of the world’s economic and military might. Next, write about the role of NATO in prioritizing dialogue, diplomacy, and engagement with neighbouring countries, including Russia. It calls for a measured and cautious approach that takes into account the interests and concerns of all stakeholders in the region. Next, write about the limitations of NATO. Conclusion: Conclude by writing a way forward.

General Studies – 3

Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

4. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) represents a significant milestone in international efforts to address biodiversity loss. Discuss. (250 words)

Reference: Insights on India

Why the question: The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 3 and mentioned as part of Mission-2024 Secure timetable. Key Demand of the question: To write about Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and key takeaways from COP15. 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 giving context of COP15. Body: First, write about Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and its components. Next, write in detail about the various takeaways from the COP15 – 30×30 initiative, Conservation, protection and restoration, Monitoring and reporting progress, Pollution and pesticides, Harmful subsidies etc. Next, write about the measures that needs to be taken to achieve the above targets. Conclusion: Conclude by writing a way forward.

5. The Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes (MISHTI) is an ambitious and a holistic approach to mangrove conservation and sustainable development in India’s coastal regions. Discuss. (250 words)

Reference: Insights on India ,  Insights on India

Why the question: The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 3 and mentioned as part of Mission-2024 Secure timetable. Key Demand of the question: To write about the conditions to grow mangrove ecosystem, threats faced by them and MISHTI initiative. 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 the answer by briefly writing about mangroves and their ecosystem. Body: First, write about the conditions that are required to grow and sustain mangrove ecosystem and their importance. first line of defense against erosion and flooding. Also mention about the other ecological benefits of mangroves as well as its unique flora and fauna. Next, write about the various types of natural and anthropogenic threats faced by mangroves. Coastal development, clearing for agriculture, excessive Aquaculture &Salt Production, River changes: Dams and irrigation, Destruction of coral reefs, Pollution and Climate change etc. Cite necessary examples, facts and figures to substantiate your point. Next, write about the MISHTI initiative – its features and how it will protect the mangrove ecosystem. Conclusion: Conclude by writing a way forward.

General Studies – 4

Topic: Probity in Governance: Concept of public service; Philosophical basis of governance and probity;

6. Probity is a foundational principle that underpins the success and sustainability of PPP projects in the country. Discuss. (150 Words)

Why the question: The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4. Key Demand of the question: To write about importance of probity in public procurement and its role in reducing corruption. 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: Begin by defining probity. Body: First, write about the need of Probity in Public Procurement and how it will affect the current challenges with respect to public projects. Cite examples to substantiate. Next, write about the steps to ensure probity in PPP projects. Conclusion: Complete by writing a way forward.

Topic: Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world.

7. For Mahatma Gandhi, trusteeship was not just a theoretical concept but a practical path towards building a more just, equitable, and compassionate society. Comment. (150 words)

Reference: mkgandhi.org

Why the question: The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4. Key Demand of the question: To explain about the trusteeship of Mahatma Gandhi and its aim of protecting dignity of beings over materialism. Directive: Comment – here we must express our knowledge and understanding of the issue and form an overall opinion thereupon. Structure of the answer: Introduction: Start by defining the core idea of trusteeship philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. Body: Further elaborate the concept of trusteeship with examples from Gandhian times to contemporary times. Gandhi’s economic ideas were part of his general crusade against poverty, exploitation against socio-economic injustice, and deteriorating moral standards. He wanted to liberate the modern economic philosophy from the quagmire of materialism and bring it to a higher spiritual plane. Human actions were motivated by social objectives of the protection of human rights. Conclusion: End the answer by stressing the need and importance of trusteeship in present times.

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