UPSC MAINS GENERAL STUDIES PAPER – 4, 2012
SECTION A
Question -1
How is ethics in private relationships different from ethics in public relationships? Explain with examples. (150 Words)
Question -2
Examine the relevance of the following in the context of civil service:
(a) Ethics
(b) Efficiency
(c) Aptitude
(d) Attitude
(e) Emotional Intelligence (150 Words)
Question -3
As a future civil servant, what are the instance where there can be a conflict of interest? How would you plan to resolve a possible conflict of interest? (150 Words)
Question -4
(a) What do you understand by the term integrity? Explain with reference to a real-life example, how you upheld integrity.
(b) How do you distinguish between empathy and compassion? Between empathy and compassion, which quality is more ideal for a civil servant? Explain. (150 words)
Question -5
(a) “After a time, civil servants tend to become no longer servants and no longer civil.” – Winsent Churchil.
Do you agree? Why? Explain.
(b) “With bad laws and good civil servants, it’s still possible to govern. But with bad civil servants, even the best possible laws can’t help. – Otto Von Bismark
Do you agree? Why? Explain your views. (150 Words)
Question -6
(a) How will you apply emotional intelligence while framing policies?
(b) Explain the importance of ethics in international relations. (150 Words)
Question -7
(a) The need of the hour is some innovative and practical ideas to solve the problems our country faces. List out five major problems India currently face. Give you innovative ideas to solve any major problem.
(b) ‘Egoism is the very essence of a noble soul’ – Friedrich Nietzsche. Do you agree with this view? Explain. (150 words)
Question -8
(a) What are the components of the attitude as explained by the ABC model? Give examples
(b) ‘Even though we may assume that behaviour is rooted in attitude, they are attitudes and actual behaviour are not always perfectly aligned’. Explain the cases where you noticed of divergence in behaviour from attitude with examples.(150 words)
SECTION B
Question -9
(a) Waste Management is a major problem not only in cities but also in villages. In cities, decentralised waste management is not easy, due to space constraints. However, there is widespread opposition against centralised waste management as well from people living near waste dumping areas.
(b) What are your practical suggestions to solve the waste management problem in the cities and villages of India? Elaborate your suggestions with examples, whenever possible.(250 Words)
Question -10
How different can be the job of a civil servant in the next 15 or 20 years? What are the new problems and challenges a civil servant like to face in the next 15 or 20 years?. Explain. (250 Words)
Question -11
You are the head of the district administration. Your state is facing a major flood, and your district is one of the worst affected districts. Lakhs of people are affected. It’s your duty to rescue people to the possible rescue camps at the earliest. You and your staff are already overworked.
The Armed Forces, NDRF, and state police are available for the rescue operation. Opposition parties are asking to hand over the rescue operations to the Armed Forces to minimise the casualties. However, the state government is reluctant to hand over the responsibilities completely to the Armed Forces.
In such a scenario, what will be your strategy?
What recommendation would you provide to the higher authorities?
Assuming that you are in full charge in your district, explain at least five major steps you can take in rescue and relief operations, clearly mentioning your priorities. (250 Words)
Question -12
You are the manager of an emerging company A. You want to secure a deal with a bigger company B. Securing this deal will help you get a good name and will boost your career growth.
However, the Manager of the bigger company B is asking you to arrange him some favours to give you this deal. Many of the favours he asked are not illegal but are immoral in the society in which you live.
You know the importance of this deal for you and your company. If you fail to grab the deal, there are many other companies around who will arrange the favours for company B, and thus secure the deal.
As a law-abiding citizen with ethical viewpoints, what are the dilemmas you face? What will be your response to the situation? (250 Words)
Question -13
Every year thousands of people die in road accidents in India. As per the latest statistics, about 400 people die in India roads every day. What is more worrisome is that as per the data, 16 children die every day, due to no mistake of their own.
Give reasons for such incidents taking place across the country. Suggest measures to prevent their occurrence. (250 words)
