Approach - Answer:: ABHYAAS TEST 4 - 2034 (2021)

APPROACH – ANSWER: ABHYAAS TEST 4 - 2034 (2021)
SECTION – A
Answer the following questions in not more than 150 words each:
1. (a) Explain the concept of Sarvodaya with the help of examples from the lives of prominent
personalities. (Answer in 150 words) 10
Approach:
Briefly, introduce the philosophy of Sarvodaya.
Bring out the different aspects of the concept of Sarvodaya. Give examples from the life of
Acharya Vinobha Bhave.
Conclude accordingly.
Answer:
Sarvodaya is the socio-political philosophy which emphasizes that an ideal society is one in which
welfare of all living beings is ensured. It is not something which one man or set of men can gain
or enjoy to the exclusion of others. It implies the participation of people from all strata of the society
irrespective of class, caste, creed and religion. It also stands for the total blossoming of all the
faculties - physical, mental and spiritual of the human being.
The concept of Sarvodaya through life and lessons of prominent personalities
It was John Ruskin’s central teachings enlisted in his book titled ‘Unto This Last’ that were
adopted by Gandhiji to build his conception of Sarvodaya. Therefore, the concept borrows
heavily from Ruskin’s central teaching that the good of the individual is contained in the
good of all.
Tolstoy’s simplicity of life and purity of purpose deeply influenced Gandhi’s conception of
Sarvodaya. Both Tolstoy and Gandhiji respected the instrument of love to solve all problems
in their lives. Tolstoy gave great emphasis on the truth, love and non violence.
Gandhiji also, like Thoreau, held the view that democracy can be realised only in a stateless
society and that government is best which governs the least.
Vinoba Bhave aimed to establish a casteless, classless and stateless society based on love
and non-violence. He aimed to eliminate the contemporary ruling system that is based on
oppression and exploitation. To achieve this, he launched the Bhoodan movement through
people’s participation rather than through government legislation.
Sampoorna Kranti (Total Revolution) concept of Jayaprakash Narayan (JP) also dwells in the
concept of Sarvodaya. As per his own words, “there is hardly any difference between sarvodaya
and Total Revolution. If there is any, then sarvodaya is the goal and Total Revolution the
means.”
Although Sarvodaya was propounded as a social ideology, India’s immediate post independence
circumstances led to transformation into a political doctrine. Its objective was eradication of social
inequalities, which could be effectively addressed by political will and state machinery.
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1. (b) The life and teachings of Guru Nanak presents a template for leading a life within the
corridors of ethics and values. Discuss. (Answer in 150 words) 10
Approach:
Give a brief introduction about Guru Nanak.
Mention his teachings and discuss how they are important lessons for leading ethical life.
Answer:
Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion was a great poet, an eminent philosopher, a notable
humanist, and a leading social reformer. Although 550 years have passed since the birth of Guru
Nanak, his life and teachings still hold great power and meaning for humanity in the 21st century.
Template of ethical and value based life:
Truthful Living: He preached that the ultimate goal of human life is to be a sachiara (truthful
being) that can be achieved by following the path of truthful living.
Education as a tool of selfless service: Education is a key factor when it comes to alleviating
poverty and fostering development. Guru Nanak advises to be well educated and the knowledge
thus acquired should be used for the benefit of society by doing selfless service.
Knowing God: Knowing the Truth (God) helps us with a better understanding of our own
identity. Before we can appreciate who we are, we need to know who made us and why we are
here on the earth.
Ego as one’s own limitation: Egoistic consciousness is the cause of man’s all problems and
limitations. It is the root cause of the entire conflict between man and man, between one society
and the other, and between one nation and the other.
Rationality in real-life: Scientific temper is a way of life. Discussion, argument, and analysis
are vital parts of scientific temper. Viewed in this light, Guru Nanak’s life was a continuous
process of scientific experimentation and statement. Guru Nanak’s life and writings are rich in
several such examples wherein his scientific approach to resolve several real-life situations with
logic and rationality is evident.
Inter-faith harmony: Guru Nanak declares that the purpose of human beings is to achieve a
blissful state and to be in harmony with all the God's creation. Interdependence, impermanence,
multiculturalism and peaceful co-existence are keys to unity in humanity.
Social Responsibility: Concept of social responsibility is fundamental to the message of Guru
Nanak. Socio-spiritual welfare of humanity is one of its major concerns. He condemns living by
exploitation, bribery, and corruption.
Guru Nanak, through his life and teachings, set out to reform and remodel the social and communal
structure among diverse societies and cultures of his contemporary times. But the relevance of his
universal humanistic values and ideal of unity in diversity cannot be underestimated in the present
age too.
2. (a) There is no 'invisible hand' channeling self-interest into some social optimum. In this
context, the State has an integral role to play in making available essential public goods and
services, despite the increasing pace of privatization. Do you agree? Justify with examples from
India. (Answer in 150 words) 10
Approach:
Briefly start with the role of the state in core services like health, education.
Discuss why such core services must be with the government and not private players.
Mention factors to be kept in mind to ensure quality service delivery.
Answer:
There has been a long debate around public and private interest theories with respect to
delivery of public services. It is argued that privatization of service delivery improves efficiency. It
cuts through excessive bureaucracy and addresses problems associated with a lack of incentives for

public administrators. By making public service provision become more efficient and competitive,
privatization benefits communities/populations regarding the overall allocation of resources.
However, it is equally important to note that privatization presupposes an equal rationality for
any sector, besides considering merely efficiency as the most important determinant. In this
context, the role of government in public services delivery, especially essential goods cannot be
ignored.
Need for essential goods to remain with the government
Responsibility of the State: It is the responsibility of the state to provide for basic services like
remote area connectivity, healthcare and schools to ensure larger welfare of the society. In this
context, the Right to Education Act in India provides for free education for all in the age group
of 6-14 years.
Put the citizen at the centre: A welfare state puts its citizens ahead of any private interests.
The private sector does not venture into domains/market segments where there is no element
of profit making involved. For instance, the private food chains/malls/schools do not prefer to
operate in underdeveloped parts of the country without credible evidence of a market base.
Social Security: Private sector works on the principles of profit maximisation and seldom
focuses on social security. The governance structure of the country ensures that a basic level of
social security reaches all sections of the society. For example, Schemes like Atal Pension
Yojana, National Pension Scheme, PM Vaya Vandana Yojana.
Infrastructure: The ownership and control of essential infrastructure such as systems of
transportation, power generation, communication and banking, educational and health facilities
should lie with the government owing to national security considerations.
Distribution and Redistribution of Income: Markets do not necessarily produce a
distribution of income that is regarded as socially fair or equitable. As market economies may
produce unacceptably high levels of inequality of income, government programmes can
promote equity through taxation and spending to redistribute income towards particular
groups.
The society has various forms of discrimination and deprivations, which should be reduced and,
therefore, the resources should be so allocated that there is justice and equity in the outcome of all
public services.
2. (b) Even though the state actors who make rules and implement them have an important role
to play in the fight against corruption, the battle is not likely to succeed without the active
efforts of various segments of society. Discuss. (Answer in 150 words) 10
Approach:
Briefly explain corruption and its impact.
Highlight the role of state actors in curbing corruption.
Discuss the role that society needs to play in curbing the menace of corruption.
Answer:
Corruption is defined as ‘use of position of authority for private gains.’ It may lead to
mismanagement and wastage of public funds, rise of underground economies, concentration of
wealth in the hands of a few, failure of public policies and an overall social decay.
Corruption is considered as a serious threat to the rule of law, the stability and security of societies.
Thus, various state actors have been playing a crucial role in the fight against corruption as
follows:
The Parliament helps curb corruption by holding the government accountable and has created
the legal framework (The Prevention of Corruption Act 1988) needed to prevent and curb
corruption. They also play a key role in the budgetary cycle and ensure financial integrity, which
is central to anti-corruption efforts.

The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) is the nodal statutory body that supervises
investigation of corruption in central government departments, government companies and
local government bodies, and among public servants.
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) is vigilant and has audited and
investigated some of the worst and most controversial corruption scandals in Indian history.
Establishment of Lokpal and Lokayukta to look into corruption charges is another step taken
by the State in this direction.
Despite the efforts of state actors, India still ranked 86th out of 180 countries in the world in the
Corruption Perception Index 2020. It highlights the fact that the battle against corruption cannot
be won by the state actors alone and a leading role has to be played by the different segments of the
society as well, such as:
Individuals: Many times people themselves encourage public officials to contravene rules and
regulations and support corrupt practices for their own benefit. Individuals can curb corrupt
activities by not being part of it and by actively reporting any such instances to the concerned
authorities. People need to be aware that bribe giving is an offence in India as well.
o Role of Social media: Individuals are also empowered because of social media. It mobilizes
public opinion in a way that increases citizen engagement with particular issues, which may
even lead to social uprisings against corrupt governments. However, there is prevalence of
fake news and paid news on social media platforms, which also discredits these platforms.
Media: It plays the crucial role of investigating, exposing and creating awareness about
corruption. However, it is observed that politicians, business leaders or corrupt elites are
increasingly being able to influence the media houses to do biased reporting and to manipulate
citizens.
NGOs and other Civil Society Organisations: They mobilise people and their opinion and act
as a pressure group against government policies and actions. For instance, Mazdoor Kisan
Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) played a key role in introduction of RTI in India. However, their
credibility is declining as several NGOs are found to be involved in money laundering activities
and misappropriation of funds. Instances of NGOs committing fraud and those involved in
destabilising the economy have also been observed.
When decision-making processes are brought closer to the people, it not only acts as a check on
bureaucrats but also increases the accountability of politicians to their constituents. But, a lack of
committed civil society that does not get actively engaged in uprooting corruption, makes the
process ineffective.
3. (a) What do you understand by Social Intelligence? Discuss its various components and explain
how it is different from Emotional Intelligence. (Answer in 150 words) 10
Approach:
Introduce by explaining the meaning of Social intelligence.
Discuss its components in brief.
Explain how it is different from Emotional Intelligence.
Answer:
Social Intelligence (SI) can be defined as the human ability of decoding the happenings of the world
and responding to it likewise. This ability is gained by day-to-day life experiences, understanding
different personalities and learning from success and failures in social settings. It is more commonly
referred to as "tact", "common sense", or "street smartness".
It helps people to survive, and find the best way for them to get along, and come out of a situation
with a favourable outcome. For instance, even if a person has the desired qualification, lack of social
intelligence could lead to strained or ruined work relationships, as well as lost opportunities.
Following are the components of Social Intelligence:
Social awareness: Socially intelligent individuals are well versed in the informal rules, or
“norms,” that govern social interaction. They know the skill of social interaction and as a result,
they come off as socially sophisticated and wise.
Verbal Fluency and Conversational Skills: Such a person can carry on conversations with a
wide variety of people, and is tactful and appropriate. It represents what are called “social
expressiveness skills.”
Effective Listening Skills: Socially intelligent persons are great listeners. Other people interact
with a socially intelligent person feeling as if they had a good “connection” with them.
Social self-efficacy: The socially intelligent person knows how to play different social roles –
allowing him or her to feel comfortable with all types of people. Therefore, they feel socially self-
confident and effective.
Impression Management Skills: Persons with SI are concerned with the impression they are
making on others. They maintain a delicate balance between managing and controlling the
image they portray to others and being reasonably “authentic” and letting others see the true
self. This is perhaps the most complex component of social intelligence.
Social intelligence (SI) and emotional intelligence (EI) are two different dimensions of
intelligence. The key difference between SI and EI is that EI is the ability to recognize one’s own
feelings and other’s feelings whereas SI is the ability to understand and interact with people. EI can
help to make decisions for current scenarios while SI can help to make decisions for future
perspective. Another difference between SI and EI is that SI is an interpersonal skill whereas EI
is an intrapersonal skill. In certain cases, SI is an extension or superset of EI and it is a wider
concept than EI.
We need both social and emotional intelligence to understand ourselves and the way we interact
with others. Combined, they form ESI, or Emotional and Social Intelligence, which is linked to
self-awareness, self-management and relationship management, which enables people to
understand and manage their own and others’ emotions in social interactions.
3. (b) Ethical behaviour is the best not merely in the context of morality, but it is also the best in
the context of one’s own career prospects. Discuss in the context of civil services in India.
(Answer in 150 words) 10
Approach:
Briefly explain about the ethical behaviour in the introduction.
Establish the relationship between ethical behaviour and morality for a civil servant.
Mention the significance of ethical behaviour for career prospects in civil services in India.
Answer:
Ethics relates primarily to the nature of ultimate values and standards by which human actions can
be judged. The purpose of ethics is to define acceptable human behaviour through knowing the
types of actions, its consequences and their acceptability. Ethical behaviour entails certain socially
acceptable conduct, which may not have been codified formally into a law or a rule.
Ethical behaviour by a civil servant reinforces morality in the following manner:
Ethical behaviour can guide a civil servant towards the virtues of objectivity and impartiality
bringing one’s ethical principles in sync with morality.
Ethical behaviour helps civil servants practice moral principles like honesty, compassion and
empathy towards the public at large thus serving the objectives of good governance.
A civil servant is expected to interpret the laws in the interest of the poor and marginalized
section of the society so that the growth is inclusive and holistic.
Unethical behaviour such as practice of corruption not only degrades the morality of an
individual but also that of organization as a whole. This affects the bureaucratic work culture
and the morale of the honest civil servants.
Ethical behaviour not only instils morality in an individual civil servant but is also best for
one’s career prospects:
Builds reputation in bureaucracy: The reputation of an officer gets built on the basis of his
ethical conduct, which can stand him in good stead in future.

Recognition by the government: Characteristics like honesty, integrity and probity are
rewarded by the government for important postings and promotions in many cases.
Establishes Leadership: It is ethically incumbent for the civil servant to protect his
subordinates from unwarranted harassment or victimization. He will be perceived as a person
who stands by his colleagues. He will be recognized and revered for his conduct. In doing so he
will reflect a leadership trait as well.
Boosts morale of the team: Appreciating good work is not only ethically warranted but also
creates positive energy amongst the team members. It boosts the morale of the team members.
It also imparts moral authority to the job at hand.
Hence, it is pertinent that a civil servant be ethical in his behaviour. This not only helps in taking
right decisions but also aids the civil servant in climbing the ladder of success in the bureaucratic
structure.
4. (a) The press is an important agent in ensuring the citizen’s right to receive and impart
information as a measure of probity in governance. In this context, do you think that the press
in India discharges its duty honestly? (Answer in 150 words) 10
Approach:
Write a short note on the role of the press.
Highlight how the press ensures probity in governance.
Taking examples of press activities in India, assess their functioning in this regard.
Conclude on the basis of the above points.
Answer:
The modern democratic edifice has been constructed drawing on the liberty of expression of
thought as one of the supreme principles. Journalism is a concrete form of this expression. The
fundamental objective of the press is to serve the people with news, views, comments and
information on matters of public interest in a fair, accurate, and unbiased manner.
The press has been rightly termed as the ‘fourth pillar’ of democracy because of the following
reasons:
It is one of the principal institutions in our society that possesses the resources and the
capacity to confront the government and other centres of established authority.
It performs a useful function as the guardian of the citizens’ right to know and their right to
convey their ideas and views to the government and the public.
The press has been conceived as playing a special role in informing the public about the current
events affecting the nation and in monitoring the performance of government.
Freedom of the press enhances the opportunity to achieve individual fulfilment and advances
knowledge. Aware citizens are more likely to assert their rights and question authority.
The search for understanding is also vital to the process of self-government, and facilitates
social change through peaceful interchange of ideas.
The press in India has time and again proven its utility across a range of its roles especially with
respect to ensuring probity in governance. It has been responsible for breaking several instances of
corruption, bribery, nepotism, misgovernance to the public e.g., Commonwealth scam, the fodder
scam, which resulted in the arrest of the ex-Chief Minister of the state of Bihar, etc.
However, there are several issues plaguing the press that raises questions on both its credibility
and efficacy, such as:
Issues related to ownership: The ownership of several print newspapers and media houses
lies in the hands of businessmen and politicians. Transparency in reporting can therefore be
compromised because of vested interests.
Dependence on the government: A good portion of their revenue comes from government-
sponsored advertisements. Therefore, several sections in the press have effectively become
broadcast stations for the ruling parties.

Due diligence: In the race to ‘break’ news first, factual correctness of the news is not
adequately checked and sometimes unethical means are used to retrieve the information.
Sensationalism: In their quest for providing each and every detail, many times, media-
reporters mishandle an event e.g., the media coverage debacle of 26/11 attack.
Mahatma Gandhi had once remarked that the press is a great power, but just as an unchained
torrent of water submerges the whole countryside and devastates crops, even so an uncontrolled
pen serves but to destroy. Keeping this in mind, journalists in India must remind themselves of the
ethics of self-restraint and courage to preserve and promote the trust of the people.
4. (b) The failure to deliver on its promises by Citizen's Charters in the last two decades has
shown that there are some complex set of factors underlying this seemingly simple task. What
are they? Identify and provide their resolution. (Answer in 150 words) 10
Approach:
Briefly discuss the concept of Citizen's Charter and highlight their performance.
Identify the complex factors essential for the success of citizen’s charters.
Provide their resolution.
Answer:
A Citizen's Charter is a document of commitments made by a government organization to the
citizens/client groups. In 1997, the Government of India announced that all Central and state
ministries and departments would prepare Citizens’ Charters in order to inform the public about
their rights in terms of public services, the standards of services and the remedies available to them
in case of failure.
However, the official survey by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances
and an independent survey by the Public Affairs Centre have identified various issues in the
implementation of Citizen’s Charters, which lead to inefficient delivery of government services. The
complex set of factors which result in the ineffective functioning of Citizen’s Charters include:
There is no central, comprehensive listing of all Charters at one place. Therefore, there is a
challenge in getting access to the Charter itself.
Critical information that end users need to hold agencies accountable are missing and most
Charters are templates of each other. Further, prior consultation with users of service is not
done and states are not provided with enough funds to adequately discuss and publicise the
Charters.
A government department or agency that is motivated to adopt a Citizens’ Charter may lack the
capability and resources to see it through. Lack of timely support by the government may
stand in the effective adoption of the Charter by departments/agencies.
A Citizen’s Charter calls for the institutionalisation of new practices and increased
transparency in the agency that adopts it. It requires the agency leaders and their staff to
work together towards this goal. Public officers who are not committed to this cause are
unlikely to pursue the Charter with seriousness.
This reform has been piloted by the Central government which does not have direct control
over the matter. Also, a one-size-fits-all strategy is not feasible in all the sectors and in a
diverse country like India.
For Citizen’s Charters to succeed, the government agencies must ascertain the following:
Setting realistic standards: Citizen’s Charters must be precise and make firm commitments of
service delivery standards to the citizens in quantifiable terms, wherever possible. For this, the
design and context of the Charter should be fixed as per the capabilities of the agencies
concerned.
Wide consultation process: Citizen’s Charters need to be formulated after extensive
consultations within the organization followed by a meaningful dialogue with civil society.

One-size-fits-all approach should not be adopted: Formulation of Citizen’s Charter should be
a decentralized activity with the head office providing only broad guidelines. A consensus
should be created between the Centre and the states for it.
Periodic evaluation of the Charter: It should be preferably done through an external agency.
A Citizen’s Charter is not an end in itself, rather, it is a means to ensure that the citizens are always
at the heart of any service delivery mechanism.
5. (a) Medical ethics is particularly relevant in decisions regarding involuntary treatment and
involuntary commitment. In view of this, highlighting the importance of medical ethics, discuss
the issues in its implementation. (Answer in 150 words) 10
Approach:
Briefly explain what you understand by medical ethics, involuntary treatment and involuntary
commitment.
Highlight the importance of medical ethics with regard to involuntary treatment and
involuntary commitment.
Discuss the issues in its implementation.
Answer:
Medical ethics is an applied branch of ethics which analyzes the practice of clinical medicine and
related scientific research. Medical ethics becomes particularly important in decisions regarding
involuntary treatment and involuntary commitment. Involuntary treatment refers to medical
treatment undertaken without the consent of the person being treated. Involuntary commitment
refers to involuntary hospitalization, for example, coercive captivity of mentally-ill patients in an
asylum for treatment.
Medical ethics plays an important role regarding involuntary treatment and involuntary
commitment in the following manner:
Bringing standardization and consensus to ethical dilemmas: A patient may be unable to
relate relevant information to his/her own situation and may not be able to make a balanced
decision for his/her treatment. In such a situation, medical ethics provides adequate tools for
doctors to take calls and administer correct medication, taking into perspective all issues
including clinical, legal and ethical.
Acting as an ethical guide in decision-making: Medical ethics provides a pragmatic approach
to decisions about coercive treatment based on principle-based ethics i.e. respect for
autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence and justice. This also helps reconcile the medical
personnel’s perspective with the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Placing rights of patients at the centre of the medical processes: Ethical principles such as
respect for a person’s right to live and confidentiality are indispensable to any physician-
patient relationship. Ethical frameworks help provide adequate emphasis on these rights.
Aiding creation of a compassionate and just society: Medical ethics helps to ensure that the
physician’s motivations lie in the well-being of his/her patients and society in general. A
mentally disabled person can harm himself/herself and also other people. In such a situation,
medical ethics allows for involuntary commitment on the assumption that the person would
improve with treatment in captivity.
Issues associated with the implementation of medical ethics in this context include:
Medical malpractice: To involuntarily commit a person is to deny him/her the most
fundamental of all human rights, i.e. his/her right to liberty and self-determination. For
instance, coercion or manipulation of patients for treatment even if they are capable of making
autonomous decisions about their care and treatment.
Issues in decision-making: In many emergency situations, disposition decisions regarding
involuntary treatment are made quickly, with incomplete knowledge and information about the
patient. Therefore, it cannot be assumed that involuntary hospitalization decisions are always
taken considering relevant factors.
Issues with parameters: It is very difficult to decide the degree at which a patient is unable to
give his/her consent, especially in cases where there is no clear evidence that patients have an
impaired capacity to consent (such as in the case of psychosis or any other mental illness).
Legal hurdles: In many countries, coercive treatment and involuntary treatment, especially for
long term, has to pass judicial scrutiny and the law of land, thus making it difficult to uphold the
ethos of medical ethics in order to provide the best possible treatment to patients.
All clinical decisions must take into account ethical considerations of patients’ best interests and
clinicians’ motives in examining the ethical acceptability of involuntary treatment. In this context,
the practice of medical ethics should be encouraged, as the patients have a right to expect nothing
less.
5. (b) The fundamental principle in a democracy is that all public functionaries are trustees of the
people and this trusteeship relationship requires that the authority entrusted to the
functionaries be exercised in ‘public interest’. Discuss. (Answer in 150 words) 10
Approach:
In the introduction, discuss the principle of trusteeship in a democracy.
Write about the significance of the trusteeship principle for upholding ‘public interest’.
Conclude with a way forward.
Answer:
A trustee means that the person acting as such is not the owner but one whose interest he/she is
called upon to protect. In a representative democracy, people are sovereign who choose their
representatives to run the government on their behalf. Therefore, those holding public offices are
expected to work in ‘public interest’ rather than their own vested interests.
This trusteeship relationship helps in upholding ‘public interest’, such as:
Accountability and transparency: Trusteeship principle requires the public officials to remain
accountable to the people and promptly inform the public about their functioning.
Selflessness: Public functionaries should work in a principal-agent relationship where people
are the principal. Trustees need to act in the interest of people rather than looking after their
interest.
Impartiality and non-partisanship: Trustees are expected not to take sides and favour any
particular section of society but rather to work for the public as a whole.
Removing inequality: Gandhiji’s doctrine of trusteeship assumes significance in this context as
he believed that rich persons hold excess wealth in trust for the people. Trusteeship
relationships require public functionaries to work to ensure inclusive growth and
redistributive justice.
Social justice: Acting as a trustee will require the public functionaries to work for
empowerment of marginalized sections of society and bring their emancipation through
creation of an enabling environment by way of policies, schemes, legislations etc. Affirmative
actions such as providing reservations to SCs/STs in jobs and local elections, welfare schemes
for girl child etc. are all in sync with the principle of trusteeship.
However, following the trusteeship principle will need strengthening of ethical principles in public
life as suggested by the Nolan Committee. Further, the recommendations of the 2nd ARC should
also be followed, such as:
Codifying ethical norms and practices for public functionaries.
Disclosing personal interests to avoid conflict between public interest and personal gain. For
example, Canada has a ‘Guide for Ministers’ to guide their ethical behaviour.
Creating a mechanism for enforcing the relevant codes. For example, the Code of Good
Governance of Spain.
Laying down norms for qualifying and disqualifying a public functionary from office based on
his/her ethical misconduct.
Thus, the trusteeship principle in democracy can help in ushering in an era of good governance in
the real sense.
6. What do each of the following quotations mean to you?
(a) "If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor." -
Desmond Tutu (Answer in 150 words) 10
Approach:
Briefly describe the statement in your own words.
Give reasoning along with adequate examples to support the statement.
Answer:
Justice is a universal ethical principle, which is considered essential for the progress of any
society. The given quotation means that a person should not remain neutral if he/she comes across
instances of injustice. This quote was given by human rights activist Demond Tutu during his
campaign against apartheid in South Africa.
This quotation is a strong statement against the people who take solace in the misguided
belief that a person has no moral responsibility if they are not taking sides in an act of
oppression. Murder of George Floyd in USA is a case in point where the crime was perpetrated by a
policeman and others, including few policemen, remained mute spectators. One can argue that they
do not believe in racial discrimination. However, if one fails to raise voice against such an act of
injustice, they are supporting such an immoral and criminal act. As the given quotation suggests, a
person does not get absolved of the moral culpability of practicing racism if he chooses to
remain neutral.
Everyone ought to oppose acts of injustices happening anywhere in the society. Thus, the given
quote means that morality warrants active opposition of an unjust act by every individual
rather than blaming only the perpetrators. If they fail to do this, then they also have to share
the blame of that injustice. One can learn from Gandhiji's life as well. He started a movement to
remove untouchability from Indian society and worked against those who discriminated on the
basis of birth.
This quote becomes even more relevant for modern democracies, as the success of modern
representative democracies hinges upon an aware citizenry participating actively in every sphere of
the governance process. For example, the Indian Constitution provides fundamental rights for
protection of citizens against arbitrary state action. However, a large section of the population
is unable to raise its voice against violation of their rights. In such cases, it is contingent upon
other actors like - aware citizens, social activists or NGOs - to raise voice against such
instances of injustice in a lawful manner to uphold the spirit of the constitution. For example,
demanding adequate relief and rehabilitation to persons displaced through a development or
irrigation project.
Thus, the given quotation gives a clarion call to every person to act against injustice being
perpetrated by anyone irrespective of the fact whether that act is affecting one’s own interest or
not. In this context, it can be safely said that merely by not indulging in acts of oppression one does
not become a moral person but to be moral in the true sense, the person has to stand with the
victims and oppose unjust acts themselves.
6. (b) “Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves.” - Henry David
Thoreau (Answer in 150 words) 10
Approach:
Elaborate and explain the given statement.
Justify by giving recent examples of how one can become free by being disobedient.
Answer:
Liberty means freedom from restraints and the freedom to act as one likes. However, it does not
give license to act in arbitrary ways. Liberty requires substitution of irrational restraints by

rational ones. Hence, liberty is possible only in a civil society and not in a state of nature or a ‘state
of jungle’. In society, law is an essential condition for the enjoyment of Liberty by all the people.
However, the existence of the state itself depends upon the will of the majority. Therefore, there is
a possibility that irrational laws also come into force. To resolve this issue, Thoreau suggests that
there is a need to prioritize one’s conscience over the dictates of laws. Since every person has a
conscience, it is essential that one acts like a ‘human’ first and then a subject. All men have the
right of revolution, that is, the right to refuse allegiance to and to resist the government, when
its tyranny or its inefficiency are unendurable. It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so
much as for the right.
Hence, the given statement means that if one starts being reasonably disobedient then he can set
himself free from authoritative powers. Otherwise, if one blindly follows the unjust rules and laws,
it will lead him to being a slave under authoritative power.
Manifestation of being disobedient and issue of liberty
Fight against racism and slavery: Apartheid was once recognised by law, so was
untouchability, slavery, and other atrocities like Sati system in different parts of the world. The
reformers of that time like Nelson Mandela disobeyed such laws and got imprisoned as
well to bring change.
India’s Freedom struggle: It involved mass movement against unjust laws of the British mainly
through non-violent means like boycott, civil disobedience and non-cooperation. There were
revolutionaries such as Bhagat Singh who defied laws and even sacrificed their lives for the
sake of larger social cause.
Decriminalisation of homosexuality: Parts of Section 377 of IPC, which criminalised
homosexuality was invalidated only in 2018. Despite the religious views of the majority of
people, such changes happened legally because of activism by the LGBTQ community.
Farmers’ agitation of 2020-2021: Recently, the government had to take back the farm laws,
which were considered unjust by the farmers protesting against it despite all odds.
Unjust laws exist but one must not be content to obey them. One should transgress them at once or
at least make continuous endeavours to amend them. A society can only be considered liberal, if it
allows disobedience to exist and brings likewise rational reforms.
6. (c) "That which isn't good for the hive, isn't good for the bee"- Marcus Aurelius (Answer in 150
words) 10
Approach:
Explain the meaning of the given quotation in your own words.
Write about the significance of the quote in the contemporary period along with suitable
examples.
Answer:
The given quotation highlights the proposition that any individual’s interests cannot be divorced
from interests of the society, which he is a part of. All individuals are part of society and as such
what is not good for the society cannot be good for the individual.
The given quotation when applied to various modern problems of the world can provide a way to
solve those problems; for example:
Peace and harmony: Communal tension in society is not good for the society. Individuals who
believe that the interests of their community or group are different from others and that they
can progress at the cost of other communities/groups are mistaken. True and sustained
development is possible only if all sections of society live in peace and harmony.
Environmental degradation: While few developed countries in the world or few capitalists
have amassed significant economic wealth, it has come at the cost of environmental
degradation. By various reports, like IPCC’s Assessment Report 6, it has been confirmed that
unmindful actions of few have affected the global climate as a whole and has put the whole
planet at risk.
o For example, Brazil’s action of degrading Amazon forest for their economy has not only led
to climate change but also requires adopting costly climate resilient technologies in near
future.
Growing inequality: Economic development in various countries like India has led to
concentration of wealth in the hands of few. Benefit of few people at the expense of others has
the potential of causing discontent and conflicts in the society. Its ill-effects can be observed in
the form of various modern problems like- slums, uneven regional growth etc.
Corporate social responsibility: Recognizing the responsibility of companies/industries,
which get benefitted by exploiting natural resources, ethics require them to do something to
benefit society in the form of corporate social responsibility. Need for collective efforts to
address pollution in rivers like Ganga is a case in point.
There are many instances of misfortune resulting from myopic view of individual gain at the cost of
society. For example, Hitler wanted to make Germany a great power. However, in this quest, he
chose hate for people belonging to other races and took actions which led the whole world through
hardships, ultimately leading to his country’s downfall and widespread destruction. In contrast,
Gandhiji’s approach of ‘non-violence’ is worth mentioning as it was his firm belief that violence is
not good for society. His ideals helped in the foundation of world’s largest democracy in India,
which continues to become a role model of successful democracy in the world. Thus, individuals are
part of society and as such an action, which is not good for society, cannot be called good for an
individual in the long run.
SECTION – B
In the following questions, carefully study the cases presented and then answer the questions that
follow (in around 250 words):
7. You are a Superintendent of Police tasked with conducting an internal departmental inquiry
into an alleged case of custodial torture and subsequent disappearance of three tribal persons.
The case of the police force is that these persons were habitual offenders who had committed
theft. The police had nabbed them for interrogation but they escaped from the police custody
and are absconding. Family members of these persons, on the other hand, maintain that they
were falsely framed in the case and were not in a condition to flee due to custodial torture. They
are alleging foul play on the part of the police and suspect that the police is behind their
disappearance. Prima facie, you find many lacunae in the police investigation. The policemen
did not produce these persons before the Magistrate nor did they get them medically examined,
as required by the law. One of your seniors, without referring to the case, informally talks to
you about the adverse working conditions of the police force and insinuates that all police
personnel should help each other. He also says that all serving officers need to be mindful of the
fact that they are part of the police force and should not do anything which may tarnish the
reputation of the police department.
(a) Identify the stakeholders and various issues involved in the case.
(b) How will you conduct a fair and impartial inquiry that ensures that public perception
regarding cover-up in such cases does not gain ground?
(c) Highlight the reasons for the continuing impunity of custodial deaths in India, and
recommend steps that authorities should take to resolve it. (Answer in 250 words) 20
Approach:
Briefly mention facts of the case study.
List various stakeholders and issues associated with the case.
Mention steps that you would take to ensure a fair and impartial inquiry and also manage
negative public perception about the inquiry.
Write about reasons for continued instances of custodial deaths in India.
Suggest measures to stop recurrence of such custodial tortures.

Answer:
The case at hand belongs to alleged custodial torture and subsequent disappearance of three tribal
persons whom police have accused of being habitual offenders. The family members of these
accused, on the other hand, suspect that the police is behind their disappearance and claim that
these persons were innocent.
(a) Stakeholders and issues involved in the case are following:
The accused tribal persons and their family members: Right to Life and Liberty of
accused persons under Article 21 of the Constitution of India and their human rights have
been threatened in the case.
Local police personnel who nabbed those accused: If allegations of custodial torture
prove to be true, it will be a serious misconduct on their part. Custodial torture is illegal,
inhumane and against human rights.
Police department as a whole: Since the accused escaped from the police custody, it is the
responsibility of the police to come clean on the allegations of custodial misconduct.
Superintendent of Police as the Investigating Officer: As the SP, it is my responsibility to
ensure that the police abide by legal procedures and erring personnel are brought to book
so that the public image of police remains intact.
General public: Such incidents have direct bearing upon the general public who are directly
affected by the way of functioning of police forces. Such incidents breach the trust of the
public in the police and widen the gap between public and police.
(b) I, as the SP, tasked with conducting the inquiry, will take following measures to counter
public perception of bias in the inquiry:
As I have prima facie found police personnel failing in their duty to conduct medical
examination and producing the accused before a magistrate, I will transfer the police
personnel entrusted with the case with immediate effect to reserve battalion.
I will release a press statement reiterating the facts regarding arrests and
acknowledging the allegations of family members of those accused.
After due approval from the department, I will form a team of officers of the police
department having impeccable service records to conduct the inquiry.
Further, for conducting fair and impartial inquiry I will take following measures:
I will record statements of all persons related to the case and ensure that the whole
proceeding of the investigation is video recorded.
I will involve forensic teams to do a forensic analysis of the police station where those
accused were kept.
I will also closely go through the case diary maintained by the police and compare the case
diary with statements of police personnel and other persons related to the case.
I will conduct searches at all likely places where those accused may be kept like nearby
jails, hospitals etc. I will also go through a list of all unclaimed dead bodies in the nearby
areas and match their description with the accused persons.
I will submit a detailed report listing the lacuna on the part of police personnel not
following proper legal procedures and the manner of conduct of investigation of theft cases
by the police.
(c) Reasons for continuing impunity for custodial deaths in India are following:
Colonial mindset and failure to modernize: Indian police was organized under Indian
Police Act, 1861 with the prime objective of perpetuating British rule and subjugating native
persons. As a result, police are not citizen friendly in their constitution and even after seven
decades of independence, police have failed to modernize itself and adopt scientific methods
of investigation.
Law not being followed: Despite CrPC mandatorily providing an inquiry by judicial/
metropolitan magistrate in matters of custodial death/disappearance/rape, NCRB data
shows that between 2005-2017, judicial inquiries were ordered in only 20% of 827 cases of
death or disappearance from police custody.

Asymmetric power structure and legal illiteracy: Victims of such incidents generally
belong to the vulnerable and marginalised class who lack resources to fight for their legal
rights in courts, not capable of raising the issue to the higher officers and lack political voice.
Lack of political will: The government generally overlooks complaints against security
personnel on the ground that action taken in such cases would demoralise the police forces
and would weaken their resolve to crush organised violence with a heavy hand.
Authorities should take following steps to resolve reoccurrence of such incidents:
Prevention of Torture Bill 2010 should be reintroduced in the Parliament after building
consensus with states and the law should be implemented in letter and spirit.
Establishing an independent mechanism for timely and effective investigation of cases of
custodial torture as investigation by police itself would be biased.
National Human Rights Commission’s guidelines to prevent and respond to custodial deaths
need to be implemented urgently by the state governments.
Within 24 hours of their occurrence, NHRC should be given intimation about such
incidents followed with Post-mortem Reports, Magisterial I Reports/Videography Reports of
the post- mortem etc.
The way to resolve such incidents from occurring is to undertake comprehensive police reforms
leading to modernization of police force where the mindset of police needs to be changed along with
keeping vigil by civil society groups.
8. Industry professionals are increasingly being hired by the government for their private sector
experience and their influence in industries that the government is attempting to regulate or
do business with. Similarly, the industry is also looking to attract people from the public sector
with high-paying employment offers to get access within the government departments, seek
favourable legislations and regulations as well as government contracts. Such inside
knowledge of the system, including any loopholes that might exist give private businesses a
competitive advantage. Both industry professionals and government officials stand to gain
from such associations. In this context, answer the following questions:
(a) What are the ethical issues involved in the direct recruitment of industry professionals in
important government positions?
(b) Do you think a longer mandatory cooling off period for government officials before they join
private firms can help in addressing some of the issues? (Answer in 250 words) 20
Approach:
Start with a short introduction on the facts of the case.
Identify ethical issues involved in the recruitment of industry professionals in important
government positions.
Discuss the need for a cooling off period for government officials.
Conclude appropriately.
Answer:
The case relates to the movement of individuals between the public and private sectors, often
known as ‘the revolving door’ wherein many public officials are hired by private sectors as
lobbyists and consultants thus enhancing their connections and influence within the government
and some private industry leaders are hired by the government in different roles.
The recent government decision of lateral entry in civil services at the post of joint secretary level is
one such example. India has good experience in this regard, including examples of Dr. Manmohan
Singh, C. Rangarajan and others who served this country in their best of capacity and helped India
progress.
(a) However, such recruitment of individuals from industry to important posts in the government
poses some ethical challenges and issues:
Conflict of interest: The individual coming from a particular field can have his or her biases
towards it and if given a chance for policy making can favour the industry or that particular
business. It can lead to a web of nexus and lobbying in public policy formulation, which can
unfairly influence government decisions.
Lack of apathy for social cause: Such industry individuals generally remain alienated to
the public cause in their career and primarily work for their organization’s growth and
individual progress. Thus, it is often argued that they lack the empathy or emotional
intelligence needed for larger public good or welfare, which is the main objective of
governance.
o Any post in government is aimed at delivering public service, which has larger public
interest and requires dynamic leadership quality, which is acquired by government
officers over a period of time while working from field to office. An individual hired from
private sectors might have leadership quality but might lack that dynamism.
Lack of inclusiveness in recruitment: The selection process for bringing such industry
individuals raises several questions on its transparency and propriety. It is very often
perceived by the public that a person's political connections play a role in him/her getting
the post, thereby eroding public trust. Also, it does not take into account the cause of
reservation.
Unequal opportunity: These individuals will have disproportionate access to lawmakers
that is not available to other private individuals and stakeholders like the electorate, thus
creating undue advantage for them. Also, wealthy special interests and business houses can
hire such individuals later, who can become a powerful means to influence government’s
decision-making.
Misuse of public office for private gains and corruption: It can lead to use of public office
for private gains and enhanced accessibility of private sectors into governance and
administration will open the door for bribes and corruptions.
(b) Similarly, the movement of public officials to private firms can create issues related to post-
public employment in following ways:
The knowledge and relationships that one builds up while in public service can last for
a significant period and thus, he/she becomes an insider, which can be utilized by the
private sector for particular gain.
In many cases, governments lack a mechanism to monitor former public officials when
they retire from office. They no longer remain regulated by the code of conduct, thus
restricting the options of disciplinary measures that can be taken against them.
A serving officer can be lured by the prospect of getting a lucrative post-retirement private
job and thus compromising his/her integrity and impartiality.
In this context, a cooling off period can serve as an effective mechanism to protect public
policymaking from undue influence. A cooling-off period refers to the introduction of a
minimum time interval restricting former public officials from accepting employment in the
private sector. It can serve as a form of restriction on the revolving door between government
service and employment in the private sector. It can help in following manner:
It is expected that, after a certain period of time after leaving office, the ability of a former
public official to influence the decision-making is greatly diminished.
It provides the much-needed time interval to conduct a vigilance clearance to determine if
the conduct of the concerned public servants’ merits further scrutiny or sanctions.
It prevents hiring of officials with tainted past or pending cases in areas of employment
where they could misuse their influence.
However, cooling off periods must be designed carefully. The time period and the restrictions to be
imposed must be crafted to achieve a sense of balance between the twin objectives of preventing
undue influence and the public servants’ right to take up an employment of choice after retirement.

9. You are working as the Head of Ethics and Compliance in a big mobile manufacturing company
that is known for its innovation and quality products. Both the customers and the shareholders
are pleased with the performance of the company as they get value for their money and high
returns on their investments respectively.
Tin is a major component in the products manufactured by your company. It was recently
brought to your attention that workers - many of them children - are working in unsafe
conditions, digging tin out by hand in mines prone to landslides that could bury them alive.
About 70% of the tin used in smartphones manufactured by the company comes from these
more dangerous, small-scale mines. The company defends its practices by saying it only has so
much control over monitoring and regulating its component sources. The justification
advanced of its sourcing practices is that it is a complex process, with tens of thousands of
miners selling tin, many of them through middle-men or third-party contractors.
Based on the above case, answer the following questions:
(a) What are the ethical issues in the above case?
(b) Can customers of the company be expected to take into account such practices before
buying any product of the company?
(c) If the management were to seek your opinion on the matter, what course of action will you
suggest? (Answer in 250 words) 20
Approach:
Present an introduction by encapsulating the broad theme of the case study.
Highlight the ethical issues that are involved in the case.
Explore the options available to you as the Head of Ethics and Compliance of the company.
With your reasoning, present the course of action that you would choose.
Conclude appropriately.
Answer:
The given case study highlights one of the notorious aspect of mining industry i.e. using child
labour. As per the ILO, nearly 1 million children aged 5 to 17 are employed in small-scale mines and
quarrying activities globally. However, the big industries which source their raw materials from
these mines, deny their awareness about it. For instance, a legal case was launched against Apple,
Google, Dell, Microsoft and Tesla in 2018 for manufacturing products derived from child labour in
mines in Congo.
(a) Following are the ethical issues involved in the given case:
Rights of the workers being violated: In the above case, workers including children are
forced to work under poor and hazardous working conditions. Thus, multiple rights such as
human rights and labour rights are being violated.
Emphasis on ends over means: Overlooking the fact that most of the tin is being sourced
from dangerous mines, the company is choosing to focus on ends over means.
Access to equal opportunities: Children who are forced to work in dire conditions due to
poverty, lack of access to education, etc. are being denied access to equal opportunities.
Risk to human life: Owing to dangerous working conditions, the lives of miners are being
risked to source an essential raw material.
(b) In an era of increasing consumerism, which has far-reaching effects, it is the responsibility of
the customers to be aware of the hiring practices of the company, the environmental impacts of
the production process, the components used to manufacture the product etc. In a highly
interconnected world, customers should be responsible global citizens.
In this context, it is being observed world over that customers nowadays are looking for
ethical, eco-friendly brands that put people and planet ahead of profits. And technology is a
major contributing factor to this shift in purchasing. With endless information about a
company’s practices, mission and values at their fingertips, customers are attuned to what is
happening in the world around them and want to help address the pressing issues they are
facing while not contributing further to the problems they inherited.
o For e.g.it has been observed that millennials increasingly want companies to make
public commitments to charitable causes; also customers spend more on companies that
align with their social values and refuse to support ones, which are not socially
responsible.
Along with business sustainability, environmental sustainability is playing an equally
important role in spending decisions. A recent survey in the US found that consumers want
to know what businesses are doing to limit their carbon footprint, emissions, water usage
and damage to earth.
Such awareness of customers helps in the following ways:
It acts as a deterrent for the companies with lax labour practices and environmental
regulations if customers refuse to buy their products. In a market determined by the
demand-supply equilibrium, lack of demand will hamper the supply of the company and
ultimately its profits.
It would encourage ethically run businesses and incentivise fair practices by
corporations.
In the given case, if the customers continue buying products of the mobile manufacturing
company, the latter will not be obliged to change its labour practices in offshore units, in
instances where the work is outsourced to other company/companies etc. Moreover, it will
evade any kind of responsibility or accountability if it does not affect its profits or
market share.
(c) Options available to me as the Ethics and Compliance Officer in the above case are:
Completely stop sourcing tin from mines not following ethical practices: As the Ethics
and Compliance officer, I could pursue the management of the company to stop sourcing tin
from the suppliers who are engaging in unethical practices.
Try to bring about a holistic change in the supply chain: I would try to convince the
management to map the supply chain for the identification of key issues especially with
regard to their hiring practices and take comprehensive remedial measures. This would
ensure that meaningful changes are brought about in the lives of the workers working in
these mines.
I would choose the second option and will also purse the management to follow the given
three-pillar strategy:
Mapping and identification of the issues at the workplace: Undertaking a
comprehensive mapping of the supply chain for identification of the issues will help in the
enforcement of safe and humane standards to help establish best practices in workplace
environments.
Steps for community empowerment: Technology could be leveraged to create awareness
among workers and monitor outcomes. Various stakeholders such as NGOs, other
companies, and government agencies could be engaged to ensure compliance with laws.
Further, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds could be deployed for this purpose.
Ensuring transparency: Transparency about the issue and the steps taken by publishing
them in the annual report of the company would strengthen the brand image of the
company. It could also encourage other corporations to do the same.
There is a need to bring about a holistic change in the supply chain in the given case because for the
workers, extracting tin could be the only source of livelihood. The company also has a responsibility
towards the workers to invest in their future, correct and prevent the negative impacts of working
in mines, and to improve their living conditions. Moreover, if this issue is brought to light, it could
be detrimental to the image of the company and could drive away its customers.
Thus, I would ensure that the company works in collaboration with the workers, NGOs,
governments, etc. to ensure that the standard working conditions are improved and the regulation
of the entire sector is enhanced.

10. You are posted as the Sub-Divisional Magistrate in a backward district. Recently, a young
couple belonging to different castes eloped from the village belonging to your sub-division.
They wanted to marry but the caste conflict prevailing in the village was a big hurdle for them.
So, they planned to get married secretly and then come back to the village. On account of their
elopement, the girl’s family, which belongs to the dominant landlord caste, filed a case of
kidnapping against the boy and have riled up the villagers against him and his family. After
their return to the village, the couple meet you before meeting their family members. On
account of your official position, they request you to convince their family members and other
members of the village to accept them. The village has witnessed many caste conflicts and
honour killings in the past on account of such incidents and the present matter may aggravate
caste-related tensions. Under these circumstances, answer the following questions:
(a) Identify the stakeholders and associated issues in the given case.
(b) What are the options that you have? Highlight your course of action and give suitable
justification for the same. (Answer in 250 words) 20
Approach:
Give a brief overview of the case.
Mention the stakeholders along with associated issues in the given case.
State the options you have in the scenario and discuss your course of action.
Conclude on the basis of the above points.
Answer:
The given case relates to the conflict between the fundamental right to life of two people who
choose to be in an inter-caste marriage and the social customs/norms in a village where caste
conflicts and honour killings have occurred in the past.
(a) The stakeholders and associated issues in the given case include:
The inter-caste couple who had to elope in order to be together: Their basic human right to
have freedom of agency and their fundamental right to choose life partners of their choice
are at stake. The safety of the couple is paramount.
The family members of the couple who are against the marriage: Their belief about
marriage as well as societal pressure on them to adhere to societal norms are at conflict
with the modern values against caste discrimination.
The villagers who are opposed to inter-caste marriages: They have been involved in inter-
caste conflicts in the past and their societal attitude, which goes against the right of adults to
choose their life partners irrespective of caste barriers, need to be shattered.
The Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of the village: As the representative of the
government, the SDM has to ensure the safety of the couple, adherence to law of land and
also maintain public order in the village.
(b) In the given case, I, as the SDM, have the following options:
Provide police security to the couple till things settle down in the village.
Arrange for the couple to live in a safe place in a nearby town till a conducive climate is
made in the village for their return.
Convince the villagers to bring a change in their attitude towards inter-caste marriages, so
that the couple can live peacefully in the village.
However, as the SDM, who is a public authority, I have to ensure that the prevalent customs of
the village and the actions of the villagers are not in contravention of the rule of law. Also, the
right to life of the couple, which is a fundamental right, needs to be upheld. My course of action
in this scenario will include:
The foremost action I will take is to secure the life of the couple and provide them access
to a safe place in the village/nearby town so that they are not attacked verbally or
physically.
I will meet family members of the couple and try to convince them about allowing the
couple to choose their life partners. I will explain to them the legal position on the issue and
also tell them that the state will protect the right of the couple along with taking suitable
legal action against those violating the law and disturbing public order.
I will then meet the village Panchayat members along with some reputed village elders
and discuss the issue with them. I will explain the couple’s point of view and clearly tell
them about the legal aspects of the situation, and persuade them to accept the couple.
The Panchayat members could then decide to convene the village assembly, where
they would discuss the matter with community members of the village.
Due to the possibility of occurrence of caste related tensions, I would ensure deployment of
police force on the date of convening of the assembly to ensure maintenance of peace and
order.
I will ensure that adequate security is provided to the couple till the time there is threat
perception to their life as there is a history of honour killings in the village.
I will also seek the help of local NGO members, local celebrities etc. who are actively
involved in the development of the village and have a good reputation among members of
the village. This would make it easier to convince the village members regarding acceptance
of the couple.
I will also arrange for the assembly to be filmed so that everything is on record.
Lastly, I will clearly tell the villagers that the law of the land is supreme and the
administration will take all legal steps necessary to uphold the rights of the couple.
The Constitution of India guarantees liberty and equality to citizens. Putting restriction on private
decisions in the name of social customs amounts to violation of the rights conferred by the
Constitution. Thus, the couple should not be forced to live according to the dictates of the village
members and should get the freedom to choose their life partner without any threat to their lives.
11. The education sector in India is embedded in a restrictive regulatory environment and is
considered a public good. Although private participation is allowed in the education sector, but
at all levels, these institutions have to function on a not-for-profit basis. The Supreme Court had
ruled that educational institutions are permitted a ‘reasonable surplus to meet the cost of
expansion and augmentation of facilities’ but they are prohibited from charging a capitation
fee or profiteering.
In this context, answer the following questions:
(a) What are the ethical concerns in allowing the operation of educational institutions on a
profit motivation?
(b) Is the most important role of education preparing people for gainful employment or should
education and knowledge be appreciated for their own sake?
(c) Discuss various ways in which value-based education can be instilled. (Answer in 250
words) 20
Approach:
Briefly discuss about education being a public good.
Highlight the ethical concerns in allowing for-profit institutions in the education sector.
Discuss the debate of employability vs intellectual mindset.
Suggest ways to instill value-based education.
Answer:
Education tends to be argued about, in terms of weighing both public and private benefits. At one
end, there is the notion of education as a public good, where the benefits spread across society in
terms of employment, economic prosperity, health and social cohesion and at the other end, there is
the notion of education as a commodity, which fits into a ‘user-pays’ system.
(a) Ethical concerns in allowing for-profit educational institutions include:
Distinguishes on the basis of ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’: Since education is considered a public
good in India, it should be non-exclusionary in nature. Private institutions exclude the poor
students by charging higher fees to gain profit.
Provides unwanted advantages to affluent people: In India, for profit educational
institutions largely exist at primary and secondary level only, while higher education is still
being publicly funded. Since, private schools provide quality education at primary and
secondary levels compared to the quality of the underfunded government schools, the
students who have studied in private schools are at a better position to get seats in the
government-funded colleges and eminent institutes like IITs and IIMs. This further aids in
getting economic opportunities to the affluent class who could afford quality education at the
initial levels.
Deepens inequality and caste divide: The majority of people belonging to the Below Poverty
Line (BPL) category in India are SCs, STs and OBCs. Profit-oriented educational institutions,
therefore, unknowingly exclude these sections and make the society more unequal.
Lack of effective admission criteria: The for-profit institutions, in general, lack objective
admission criteria, which suggests that students are perceived as field replaceable units who
lack value beyond economics. Ability to pay money may trump talent and aptitude in such
cases.
Lesser contribution to research and development (R&D): The for-profit institutions prefer
to benefit from the research and development of other educational institutions without
themselves contributing to it.
In India, imparting of education is a state function. The state, however, suffers from financial
and other constraints due to which it allows profit-oriented private education to establish
educational institutions. However, to minimize the associated ethical concerns, it regulates the
sector as well.
(b) The purpose of education is to create a capable society. Education must enhance the ability to
think and develop progressive attitudes among the youth. Whether education is just a tool for
economic opportunities or it has its own intrinsic value can be discerned from the
following:
Education as a tool for survival: For much of human history, education has served an
important purpose i.e., it has ensured learning of a skill that provides economic
opportunities to people for survival. Without adequate employment and opportunities
for survival, there is a possibility that the character of a human degenerates. For instance, it
is easier to mislead a man who is hungry and make him do a job he might not like. Several
terrorist sleeper cells are running throughout the world because of lack of education and
employment opportunities. Thus, the vocational purpose of education must not be
under-estimated.
Pragmatic purpose: Education serves a pragmatic purpose i.e., as a tool to bring about a
specific outcome. For instance, a society may need more labourers than farmers or it may
need more scientists than engineers. Therefore, depending upon the conditions required,
a simple change in curriculum and interests could bring about a desired result
through education.
Inner development: Self-development and consciousness are important facets of
education. Mere employment cannot provide a resilient society. Financial successes must
also be complimented with the development of a society that focuses on moral
integrity. Education can frame the character of a person, which helps him/her in creating a
society that cherishes the noble ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity. It also nurtures
courage to ask questions and recognise right from wrong.
In addition to creating opportunities for jobs, another purpose of education is to accelerate
people’s mindful progress so that they can function in society, can generate critical thoughts and
can propose ideas or projects based on common welfare.
(c) Instilling value-based education (VBE) in society:
Values-based education is an approach to teaching that instills values among students. It creates
a strong learning environment that enhances academic achievement and develops students'
social and relationship skills that last throughout their lives. It can be developed through
the following ways:
Curriculum: The educational curriculum should be framed in such a way that it cherishes
the universal values such as truth, peace, non-violence, love and righteous conduct and
rejects vices such as dishonesty, nepotism, arrogance, greed, lust, etc.

Value-based pedagogy: During early childhood, instead of focusing only on rote learning ,
the major focus should be on inculcating good habits, values, discipline, and manners
through value-based activities.
Meditation and similar activities: In our traditional culture, the very purpose of schooling
was to awaken “Viveka” or wisdom of choosing right from wrong. This was sought to be
awakened through meditation and learning inspirational scriptural studies. Such a system
can be adopted by the schools.
Teachers as role models: Teachers act as role models for children, therefore, their conduct
should be regulated and they should be trained to be empathetic. They should also be able
to counsel and guide their students in need.
Value-based education is likely to help the nation fight against fanaticism, ill-will, violence,
dishonesty, corruption, exploitation and drug abuse. The educational institutions, therefore, in
addition to imparting skills for economic successes, must also invest in value-based education.
12. Beggars are a common sight at traffic junctions and places of worship across cities in India.
They are labelled as nuisance makers who often harass commuters and devotees by
relentlessly pestering for money. Recently, an appeal was made in the Supreme Court to end
this practice by putting a ban on begging in the national capital. However, human rights
groups have advocated that banning begging is not the ideal way to end it, as the underlying
socio-economic issues that lead to begging remain unresolved. In this context:
(a) Bring out the moral and ethical concerns pertaining to begging in India.
(b) Discuss the factors that pushes an individual to opt for begging.
(c) If you pass by a beggar, what will you do - give your money to a beggar or ignore the beggar
and give your spare money instead to charities that assist the most needy? Give logical reasons
in support of your answer. (Answer in 250 words) 20
Approach:
Briefly mention some statistics related to begging in India.
Highlight the moral and ethical concerns related to begging.
Discuss the factors that pushes a person to begging.
Mention what you would do when you come across a beggar.
Answer:
In India, even though there are laws prohibiting begging, beggars can be found on almost every
street of any city. It has transformed into a big racket with begging cartels in the metropolitans.
According to the Census 2011, India has over three lakh child beggars, many of whom are forced
into begging as a profession with violent threats and beatings. Such practices are also considered to
be modern day slavery.
(a) Moral and ethical concerns pertaining to begging in India:
Deprivation of basic human rights: In a society, if a person is forced to beg for survival, it
raises serious concerns on ethical and moral principles of the society as a whole as it
indicates the deprivation of basic human rights.
Child exploitation: Involvement of children in begging is a crime against humanity as it
deprives them from growing as an individual and creates more have-nots in the society in
future.
Moral dilemma: Begging presents a moral dilemma for the onlookers. Any well-meaning
and moral person would like to help a needy individual but since begging has become a
racket, almsgiving would help perpetuate the crime.
Professional begging: It is genuinely difficult to know to whom to give money and whom to
ignore. A beggar might have chosen begging as a profession in the want of easy money
instead of doing hard work.
False sense of morality: As an individual, alms giving gives a person a false sense of moral
act and superiority and does not allow him/her to reflect on the underlying social-economic
factors responsible for this social evil.
Begging at the religious places: Places of worship in India are flocked by beggars. People
under the influence of their respective religion feel an obligation and responsibility to give
alms to the beggars.
(b) Begging is a multidimensional problem and following are the various factors that pushes
an individual to opt for begging:
Poverty: This is probably the main reason for the begging commotion on the streets.
Extremely poor people can hardly afford to get any basic needs of food, clothing, shelter and
medication fulfilled. It forces them to beg.
Disability: Though disability does not mean the lack of ability to work, people sometimes
choose the path of beggary to survive. Some people think that because they are disabled,
they will win sympathy from strangers hence they hit the streets.
Rural-urban migration: People abandon their home in the rural areas and head to big
cities in search for greener pastures. Unfortunately, when they migrate to urban areas, they
fail to get jobs and as a result, some of them find it hard to survive without any source of
income.
Poor state support: In India there is no adequate provision for treatment and social
rehabilitation of handicapped. In the absence of any reasonable alternative, these people are
forced to beg.
Religious factors: There are certain sections of the society that take to begging due to
religious sanctions. They dedicate their life to their religious denominations and survive by
begging.
(c) If I pass by a beggar, I will deal with the situation in the following ways:
I will refrain from providing any monetary support to the beggar. Since there are cartels
that run this industry, money given to the individual beggars may end up in the coffers of
the mafias. This money is used to perpetuate criminal and illegal activities, which are
deemed illegal according to several state laws in India.
If I feel that the beggar is genuinely in need of some support, I will provide the beggar with
requisite non-monetary help in the form of food/clothing/ any medical attention that
satiates his immediate needs.
To deal with such issues that impact a large section of society, it is better to work in/with a
collective approach that assists the needy people. A collective approach can be in the form
of NGO, civil society, government agencies or voluntary groups. If any monetary donation
needs to be given then it should be donated to the charitable organisations/NGOs etc., which
can optimally utilize the available resources for betterment of the lives of these people. For
example, some NGOs and government institutions are helping beggars gain vocational
training so that they can become self-dependent.
Begging is a social issue that can’t be dealt with by an individual’s effort due to the enormity of the
problem. It is estimated that half a million people in India are beggars. It is the constitutional and
moral duty of the state to ensure the bare essentials of the right to life of all its citizens are met.
India is also part of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) that has
provision to uphold the right to live with dignity.
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