UPSC Mains 2018 GS4 Previous Year Questions

Question list

Open any question to see the examiner demand, demand-wise word budget, answer plan, common mark leaks and value addition in the same answer-sheet format.

1. Q1(a) · State the three basic values, universal in nature, in the context of civil services and bring out their importance.
2. Q1(b) · Distinguish between “Code of ethics” and “Code of conduct” with suitable examples.
3. Q2(a) · What is meant by public interest? What are the principles and procedures to be followed by civil servants in public interest?
4. Q2(b) · “The Right to Information Act is not all about citizens’ empowerment alone, it essentially redefines the concept of accountability.” Discuss.
5. Q3(a) · What is meant by conflict of interest? Illustrate with examples the difference between actual and potential conflicts of interest.
6. Q3(b) · “In looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence and energy. And if they do not have the first, the other two will kill you.” – Warren Buffett. What do you understand by this statement in the present-day scenario? Explain.
7. Q4(a) · “In doing a good thing, everything is permitted which is not prohibited expressly or by clear implication.” Examine the statement with suitable examples in the context of a public servant discharging his/her duties.
8. Q4(b) · With regard to morality of actions, one view is that means are of paramount importance and the other view is that the ends justify the means. Which view do you think is more appropriate? Justify your answer.
9. Q5(a) · Suppose the Government of India is thinking of constructing a dam in a mountain valley bound by forests and inhabited by ethnic communities. What rational policy should it resort to in dealing with unforeseen contingencies?
10. Q5(b) · Explain the process of resolving ethical dilemmas in Public Administration.
11. Q6(a) · “The true rule, in determining to embrace, or reject any thing, is not whether it has any evil in it; but whether it has more evil than good... our best judgment of the preponderance between them is continually demanded.” – Abraham Lincoln. What does this quotation mean to you in the present context?
12. Q6(b) · “Anger and intolerance are the enemies of correct understanding.” – Mahatma Gandhi. What does this quotation mean to you in the present context?
13. Q6(c) · “Falsehood takes the place of truth when it results in unblemished common good.” – Tirukkural. What does this quotation mean to you in the present context?
14. Q7 · Rakesh, a responsible district officer, must identify beneficiaries under a healthcare scheme for senior citizens. Eligibility requires age 60+, reserved-community status, family income below ₹1 lakh and favourable prognosis. An elderly childless couple seeks aid for surgery; the husband satisfies every criterion except reserved-community status, and financial aid would significantly improve his quality of life. How should Rakesh respond?
15. Q8 · As a senior ministry officer, you have advance knowledge of a mega road project. A minister asks you to realign the road closer to his farmhouse and offers to facilitate purchase of nearby land in your wife’s name. The change would increase land acquisition, public cost, displacement and tree cutting, while potentially benefiting the minister and you. What will you do? Critically examine the conflicts of interest and your responsibilities as a public servant.
16. Q9 · You are Superintendent of Police in a prohibition state where illicit liquor causes deaths. Traditional raids and prosecutions have had limited impact. Your inspection shows the affected areas are economically, industrially and educationally backward, agriculture suffers from poor irrigation, and community clashes reinforce illicit distillation. What new approach will you adopt to bring the problem under control?
17. Q10 · A large chemical company is allowed to operate near a city despite environmental objections. Years of pollution damage land, water, crops and health, triggering protests and eventual closure. Closure causes unemployment in the factory and ancillary units and harms dependent industries. As the senior officer responsible for the issue, how will you address the competing environmental, livelihood and economic concerns?
18. Q11 · Dr. X plans a charitable super-speciality hospital in a neglected region. As head of the tax investigation agency, you find substantial tax irregularities which he agrees to pay, along with technical compliance defaults. Strict pursuit of the technical defaults would consume time and may hamper the hospital. Should you take a broader view—ensuring substantial tax compliance while ignoring merely technical defaults—or pursue every default strictly? Which course would you choose and why?
19. Q12 · Edward Snowden disclosed confidential government documents on surveillance programmes, violating the law but arguing a moral duty to inform the public about actions undertaken in their name and against them. Some view him as a whistle-blower defending privacy; others say he compromised national security. Were his actions ethically justified despite being legally prohibited? Weigh the competing values.