Tag: APSC Mains ethics Integrity Aptitude question paper

APSC Mains 2023-24 General Studies (GS-4) Paper 5 Question Analysis

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APSC Mains 2023-24- General Studies GS 4 Question Paper 4 Analysis

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Section-A

  1. “Human behaviour builds on beliefs and values.” Do you agree? Elaborate with examples. (Answer in 150 words) 10
  2. Explain the following components of Emotional Intelligence briefly.  (Answer in 150 words) 10
  1. Self-awarness
  2. Self- regulation
  3. Internal motivation
  4. Empathy
  5. Social awareness
  1. Comment on the necessity of Old Age Home in a modern society. (Answer in 150 words) 10
  2. In quest of scientific and technological development, ethical values should not be neglected. Discuss it in the current context.  (Answer in 150 words) 10
  3. What do you understand by Social Intelligence? Discuss its relation with Emotional Intelligence of an individual. (Answer in 150 words) 10
  4. If you were a District Commissioner of a district, what steps would you take to arrest the menace of drug addictions and alcoholism in the state. (Answer in 150 words) 10
  5. Critically analyse the provisions of the Public Service Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 in tackling unfair means in Public examinations (Answer in 150 words) 10
  6. “Social media has not only endangered our social fabric, it has also led to an erosion of values.”Examine the statement. (Answer in 150 words) 10
  7. You are the District Commissioner of a district. The Chief Medical and Health Officer of the district hospital was constantly monitoring the treatment of a self-immolated girl during some agitation. At about 11 a.m., he informed you confidentially that the girl died. One lakh people has gathered outside the hospital as the girl was very meritorious, fought for their cause and expecting her recovery. Situation is tense. You are in the hospital with the Superintendent of Police and some police force. What will you do? Describe with reasons. (Answer in 150 words) 10
  8. You are the Commissioner of a Municipal Corporation in Assam. You have noticed that officers and staff of the Corporation do not follow a first-come, first-serve basis, instead they pick and choose their favourites and therefore citizens suffer in getting building permission, occupancy certificate, etc. The inspecting officer even raises unnecessary objections if their palm is not greased. What steps would you initiate to eradicate the menace? (Answer in 150 words) 10
  9. “The most important thing that you will ever wear is your attitude.” (Jeff Moore) Comment on this. Can attitude be acquired or changed? (Answer in 150 words) 10
  10. “Certainty of punishment is more effective than quantum of punishment.” (a) Discuss the above statement in the context of preventing corruption. (b) Suggest some innovative reforms that can be brought in to make governance more transparent and people-centric. (Answer in 150 words) 10
  11. Discuss the ethical issues of the circumstances when big industrial houses try to influence the government policies. In this regard, suggest measures to enhance transparency and accountability in delivery of services. (Answer in 150 words) 10

 

Section B

  1. Mr. X is posted as the District Commissioner of Y district. Mr. X is widely known for his passion and skill in executing the government development schemes. The government has decided to construct a big irrigation project in Y district to combat the drought situation which has been prevailing for years. The proposed works include diversion of rivulet, construction of RCC canals, culverts, small bridges, etc. This requires large-scale acquisition of residential and agricultural land. The landholders are opposing the land acquisition process. Mr. X has found that most of the people who will be affected by land acquisition process belong to marginal farmer category. In this scenario, as a civil servant, Mr. X must have to stick to the values of civil service. In this context- 

(a) explain which will be the end-oriented values; 

(b) explain which will be the means-oriented values.       (Answer in 250 words) 20

  1. You are posted as the Superintendent of Police in an Upper Assam district. Around 100 big and small tea gardens in the district signify the socio-economic system of the district. Recently a ‘witch-hunting’ incident took place in a very remote tea garden leading to death of an old woman followedby group clashes. From preliminary enquiry, you found that illiteracy and unemployment had been prominently visible. The inhabitants were not much benefitted from the government schemes and tea garden authority was not showing much interest for welfare of the labourers. In this context- 

(a) how will you lead the investigation considering customs and values of the society? 

(b) how will you collaborate with civil administration and tea garden authority for education and awareness of the people? 

(c) what may be your ethical dilemma in nabbing the culprits? 

(d) what may be your suggestions to eradicate the social evils like ‘witch hunting’?           (Answer in 250 words) 20

  1. ‘Tumakbasti’ is a village on the extreme north-eastern side of India-Bangladesh border, where local residents cross the border to reach a town ‘Moinabari’ (just a IS-minute walk away) in Bangladesh to get even the basic necessities of a day-to-day living. The village lacks basic facilities like hospital, concrete road, drinking water, school, police station and so on; the nearest Indian town falls about 100 km away from the village. The people of the village have no other option than to cross the border to get their health check-ups and necessary medicines. Often in an emergency, the people carry the patients on their shoulders across the border where Border Guards of Bangladesh stop them for security reasons which delay patients’ treatment. Consider the following statements and answer the questions : 

(a) The area falls under your jurisdiction of being a District Commissioner. What actions would you take in the above-described situation? 

(b) A District Commissioner has authority to do many things and if she/he wants she/he can transform the village into a modern one. How will you act in this situation and what contribution will you make for the village? 

(c) Bordering areas are too sensitive and cause security problems. Open border with Bangladesh has many of such implications including robbery, killing, smuggling, etc. How will you manage such security scenario? (Answer in 250 words) 20

  1. “According to Buddhism, for a man to be perfect there are two qualities that should develop equally-Compassion (Karuna) on one side and Wisdom (Panna) on the other side.” Analyze. (Answer in 250 words) 20  
  2. Nagen, who is a BPL category person, needs information about the budget of different development schemes in his village. He approached to the SPIO of the District Commissioner Office and submitted an RTI application. He forgot to enclose the required fee and being partially literate, his application was full of grammatical mistakes. In total, it was not in any format but the content can be understood. The SPIO has seen the application but did not point anything to Nagen. On completion of 30 days, the information was denied stating that his application was not in format and required fee. 

(a) How far is the reason of rejection of the application justified?

 (b) What is the remedy available to Nagen to get these information? 

(c) Whether the SPIO failed to discharge his duties as enshrined in the RTI Act? If so, explain in detail.             (Answer in 250 words) 20

  1. Moloypur, a remote district inhabited by a tribal population, is marked by extreme backwardness and economically underdeveloped. Agriculture is the . mainstay of the local population, though it is primarily subsistence level due to the very smalllandholdings. There is an insignificant industrial or mining activity. Even the targeted welfare programmes have inadequately benefitted the tribal population. In this scenario, the youths have begun to migrate to other States to supplement their family income. The plight of minor girls is that their parents are persuaded by labour contractors to send them to work in the construction sites in a nearby State. The unhygienic living and working conditions in these sites have caused serious health issues for the minor girls. NGOs in the districts of domicile and construction firms appear to be compromised and have not effectively espoused the twin issues of child labour and development of the area. 

You are appointed as the District Commissioner of Moloypur. Identify the ethical issues involved. Which specific steps will you initiate to ameliorate the conditions of minor girls of your district and to improve the overall economic scenario of the district?                                                                            (Answer in 250 words) 20

Important Quotes for APSC Mains GS-IV Paper

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Important Quotes for APSC Mains GS-IV Paper 

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Area: Gender Equality 

“A gender-equal society would be one where the word ‘gender’ does not exist: where everyone can be themselves” — GLORIA STEINEM

“Gender equality is more than a goal in itself. It is a precondition for meeting the challenge of reducing poverty, promoting sustainable development and building good governance” — KOFI ANNAN

“Achieving gender equality requires the engagement of women and men, girls and boys. It is everyone’s responsibility” — BAN KI-MOON

“I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved” — B. R. AMBEDKAR

 Area: Women 

“Women are the largest untapped reservoir of talent in the world” — HILLARY CLINTON

“You educate a man, you educate a man. You educate a woman, you educate a generation” — BRIGHAM YOUNG

“To educate girls is to reduce poverty” — KOFI ANNAN

“Empower a woman – Empower a community” — KOFI ANNAN

“When women do better economies do better” — CHRISTINA LAGARDE

“There is no chance of the welfare of the world unless the condition of women is improved. It is not possible for a bird to fly on one wing” — SWAMI VIVEKANAND

 Area: Poverty

“Poverty is like a punishment for a crime you didn’t commit.” — ELI KHAMAROV

Area: Health

“It is the health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver”— MAHATMA GANDHI

Area: Environment and Climate Change

“What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another” — MAHATMA GANDHI

“Climate change is simply, the greatest collective challenge we face as a human family” — BAN KI MOON

Area: Sustainable Development

“There is no ‘Plan B’ because we do not have a ‘Planet B.’ We have to work and galvanize our action.”

“There are no passengers on spaceship earth. We are all crew.” – Marshall McLuhan

“Because we don’t think about future generations, they will never forget us.” – Henrik Tikkanen

“Sustainable development is the pathway to the future we want for all. It offers a framework to generate economic growth, achieve social justice, exercise environmental stewardship and strengthen governance”— BAN KI MOON

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Area: Youth

“Any society that does not succeed in tapping into the energy and creativity of its youth will be left behind” — KOFI ANNAN

Area: Education

“We want the education by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded, and by which one can stand on one’s own feet”— Swami Vivekananda

“Education is the manifestation of the perfection already in man.”– Swami Vivekananda

“To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society.” -Theodore Roosevelt

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”―Nelson Mandela

“By education I mean an all-round drawing out of the best in child and man-body, mind and spirit. Literacy is not the end of education or even the beginning.” – M. K. Gandhi

Area: Education

“Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.” – Confucius

“The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence.” – Rabindranath Tagore

“Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of minds to think.”–Albert Einstein

“Education is the transmission of civilization.”  –Will Durant

“Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a cleverer devil.” ― C.S. Lewis

“What is really needed to make democracy function is not knowledge of facts, but right education.” – M. K. Gandhi

 “If we want to reach real peace in this world, we should start educating children.”– M. K. Gandhi

Area: Ethics

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in a harmony” — MAHATMA GANDHI

“We must become the change we want to see” — MAHATMA GANDHI

“To believe in something, and not live it, is dishonest” — MAHATMA GANDHI

“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean area dirty, the ocean does not become dirty” — MAHATMA GANDHI

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others” — MAHATMA GANDHI

“An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind”— MAHATMA GANDHI

“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will”— MAHATMA GANDHI

“Peace is its own reward”— MAHATMA GANDHI

“The mind is everything. What you think, you become”— BUDDHA

“Be kind to all creatures; this is the true religion”— BUDDHA

“Purity, patience, and perseverance are the three essentials to success, and, above all, love” — SWAMI VIVEKANAND

“Gratitude is a flower that blooms in noble souls”— POPE FRANCIS

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power” — ABRAHAM LINCOLN

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” — MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

“Greed has poisoned man’s souls” — CHARLIE CHAPLIN

“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all” — ARISTOTLE

“The best test of a man is authority.”— ANONYMOUS

“The test of progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; It is whether we provide enough for those who have little” — FRANKLIN D ROOSEVELTHEALTH

Area: Technology

“I fear the day when technology will suppress human interaction and the world will have a generation of idiots” — ALBERT EINSTEIN

“The great thing about social media was how it gave a voice to voiceless people.” — JON RONSON

“The Internet is becoming the town square for the Global village of tomorrow” — BILL GATES

Area: Courage

“The best way out is always through.”―Robert Frost

Area: Character

 “Always do right. This will gratify some people, and astonish the rest.” – Mark Twain

“The great hope of society is individual character.”- William Ellery Channing

Area: Tolerance and Peace

 “The day the power of love overrules the love of power, the world will know peace.”― MK Gandhi

“In the practice of tolerance, one’s enemy is the best teacher.”–Dalai Lama

“The highest result of education is tolerance.”–Helen Keller

“Anger and intolerance are the twin enemies of correct understanding.”–Mahatma Gandhi

“Through the centuries, the history of peoples is but a lesson in mutual tolerance.”–Emile Zola

“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”–Martin Luther King, Jr.

If civilization is to survive, we must cultivate the science of human relationships – the ability of all peoples, of all kinds, to live together, in the same world at peace.—  Franklin Roosevelt

Area: Change

 “Everything changes but change itself.”- John F. Kennedy

“Impermanence is the law of the universe.”- Carlene Hatcher Polite

“Where the old tracks are lost, new country is revealed with its wonders.”- Rabindranath Tagore

“Only in growth, reform, and change, paradoxically enough, is true security to be found.”- Anne Morrow Lindbergh

“Change is inevitable in a progressive society. Change is constant.”- Benjamin Disraeli

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” – George Bernard Shaw

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Area: Conscience

“Conscience is a man’s compass.”- Vincent van Gogh

“Never do anything against conscience even if the state demands it.”- Albert Einstein

“There is no witness so terrible and no accuser so powerful as conscience which dwells within us.”- Sophocles

Area: Poverty

 “Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice.”- Nelson Mandela

“Extreme poverty anywhere is a threat to human security everywhere.”— Kofi Annan

“Poverty is like punishment for a crime you didn’t commit.”– Eli Khamarov

“Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime.”– Aristotle

 “As long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality exist in the world, none of us can truly exist.”– Nelson Mandela

“A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.”- Mahatma Gandhi

“There’s enough on this planet for everyone’s needs but not for everyone’s greed.”- Mahatma Gandhi

“To a man with an empty stomach food is God”- Mahatma Gandhi

 “Poverty is not an accident. Like slavery and apartheid, it is man-made and can be removed by the actions of human beings..” – Nelson Mandela

“There can be no peace as long as there is grinding poverty, social injustice, inequality, oppression, environmental degradation, and as long as the weak and small continue to be trodden by the mighty and powerful.” -Dalai Lama

“The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much it is whether we provide enough for those who have little.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

Area: Agriculture

 “Agriculture was the first occupation of man, and as it embraces the whole earth, it is the foundation of all other industries.” – E. W. Stewart

“No race can prosper till it learns there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem.”- Booker T. Washington

Area: Integrity

 “Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful.”- Samuel Johnson

Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not. – Oprah Winfrey

“Courage combined with integrity is the foundation of character.”- Brian Tracy

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APSC Mains 2020 General Studies (GS4) Paper-IV

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APSC Mains 2020 General Studies (GS-4) Paper-IV

General Studies-IV (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude)

 
 
 
Full Marks: 250                                                                                                        Time: 3 hours
 
 
Section-A
 
1. Law and Ethics are two tools for controlling human conduct. Explain with examples how the two differ in their approaches. (Answer in 150 words) 10
 
2. “Family as an institution in inculcating values seems to set deteriorated in the recent past. Do you agree? Justify your stand. (Answer in 150 words) 10
 
3. Discuss the importance of the values of empathy, tolerance and compassion for a bureaucrat in his/her attitude towards weaker sections of society. Do such values contradict the attitude of impartiality and non-partisanship expected from a civil servant? (Answer in 150 words) 10
 
4. Civil services today work in an environment beset with numerous problems and challenges. What is the role of emotional intelligence in guiding administrators to handle these situations?  (Answer in 150 words) 10
 
5. “You must be the change you want to see in the world”, Mahatma Gandhi once said. Discuss the role of administrators as initiators of positive change in society within the regulatory framework of administration, with one’s conscience as a source of ethical guidance.  (Answer in 150 words) 10
 
6. What do you understand by ‘probity’ in governance? Examine the ways in which probity and integrity in governance can check misuse of power and enhance legitimacy of authority.  (Answer in 150 words) 10
 
7. Examine the extent to which corruption possesses a challenge to the development of a proper work culture and acts as a hindrance to delivery of public services.  (Answer in 150 words) 10
 
8. Is ‘ethics’ and ‘effective leadership” cause and effect relationship? Enlist some requirements of leaders which will help them to capitalize on their ability to influence ethical conduct.  (Answer in 150 words) 10
 
9. How are self-accountability and external accountability related to achievement of ethical standards in public administration?  (Answer in 150 words) 10
 
10. What do you understand by the term voice of conscience? How is it different from ‘crisis of conscience? Narrate one incidence to show ‘crisis of conscience’.  (Answer in 150 words) 10

 

 
11. Differentiate between personal ethics and professional ethics. Is there a scope for conflict between them in the conduct of professional duties? (Answer in 150 words) 10
 
12. How can an impartial and non-partisan public service help in proper administration of a democratic government? Give your own reasons to substantiate your answer. (Answer in 150 words) 10
 
13. Distinguish between code of ethics’ and ‘code of conduct’ with suitable examples. (Answer in 150 words)  (Answer in 150 words) 10
 
 
Section-B
 
14. Suppose there is a flute and three children are claiming it:  (Answer in 250 words) 20
Child 1: 1 have worked hard to make the flute, so I should get it.
Child 2: I can play flute very well, so I should get it. Only I can make a complete use of it. 
Child 3: Both the children are rich and I am poor, so I should get the flute. Other two have other means of enjoying life. 
 
(a) Who according to you should get the flute?
(b) What are the ethical issues in this matter?
(c) What role does justice play in this situation?
 
15. You are head of irrigation department in a district and entrusted with the responsibilities to construct and maintain canals in the district. District is drought prone and irrigation activities are very scanty. The reputation of the department is also dented by a scam. Few employees were caught red-handed while taking bribe.  (Answer in 250 words) 20
(a) What steps would you take for the welfare of the district? 
(b) Give some suggestions by which reputation and prestige of the department can be restored. 
 
16. A young dalit man has recently migrated to a city from his village in search of better employment opportunities. The man is very poor and he does not have any identity proof because of which he is not getting any place on rent and employers are also not giving him any job. He went to a nearby municipal committee office and shared his problem. Out of four officials whom he met, the first official was apathetic, the second official was sympathetic, the third official was empathetic and the fourth official was compassionate.  (Answer in 250 words) 20
(a) How will you judge the attitude of these four officials? 
(b) Why are empathy and compassion important aptitudes for civil servants in India?
 
17. Increased national wealth need not mean increase in the per capita income of all the citizens. Equitable distribution of wealth is still a distant dream in India. There are pockets of minority wealthy families to whom concentration of wealth occur. Majority of people are still without basic necessities of life.
 
Critically analyse the above statement in the context of contemporary Indian economy and society. (Answer in 250 words) 20
 
18. As a civil servant, you are incharge of a government housing construction project which aims at providing houses to weaker sections of the society. However, such construction will result in clearing forest area which is domicile of endangered species. There is no alternate space nearby. How do you respond to such a situation in the context of global warming and sustainable development? (Answer in 250 words) 20
 
19. “If people are good only because they fear punishment and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed.” (Albert Einstein)
 
Examine the essence, determinants and consequences of ethics in human actions in the light of the above statement. (Answer in 250 words) 20