VISION IAS

www.visionias.in
Approach Answer: General Studies Mains Mock
Test 764 (2016)
Answer all the questions in NOT MORE THAN 200 WORDS each. Content of the
answers is more important than
12.5 X 20
its length. All questions carry equal marks.
= 250
SECTION A
Answer the following questions in not more than 150 words each:
1.
(a) Cultural diversity has made emotional intelligence crucial for Indian
administration. Comment. 10
Approach:
Briefly explain emotional intelligence.
Explain how cultural diversity in India demands emotional intelligence on the
part Indian administrators.
Answer:
Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify and manage ones own emotions and
the emotions of others. Emotional intelligence is playing an increasingly important
role at work place. Its importance cannot be neglected in Indian administration
scenario where the challenge of varied culture demands sensitivity, empathy and
compassion towards each other.
Indias cultural diversity (caste, tribes, religion, languages, food habits and arts)
poses various challenges during policy making and implementation. The
laws and regulations need to protect the fundamental rights (like right to religion)
and safeguard the unique culture of all sections of the society. Emotional intelligence
plays an important role here. For example the granting of mining license to
Vedanta Alumina in Niyamgiri Hills while ignoring the tribal rights and cultural
sensitivities of Dongarias is an appropriate example of weak application of
emotional intelligence in decision making.
At personal level, each administrator being part of the society himself is
prone to have cultural conditioning, preconceived notions based on past
experience and stereotypes. These are likely to affect his/her thought process,
decision making abilities and leadership qualities adversely. Emotional intelligence
helps an administrator to avoid emotional decisions, stereotype people, or
compromise his/her values. Thus, a person high on emotional intelligence (EI) is
more likely to uphold the interests of the marginalized section in our society who
had been exploited and suppressed for many centuries. Benevolence and activism
of some District Collectors in tribal states and honest officials living a frugal lifestyle
are well-documented.
A civil servant may have to work in diverse socio-cultural environments which
may be quite different from the environment where he/she may have been brought
up. Emotional intelligence helps him in getting adapted and adjusted to the new
environment more confidently.

Similarly a civil servant may have to mitigate and offer solution to an unwieldy
situation arising out of social conflicts (such as use of public space, carrying
procession during festivals) or changing long held attitudes/norms etc. In such
cases yielding EI qualities like social awareness, relationship management is

1
IAS

www.visionias.in

Vision

of paramount importance. Example of Nadia district, is a case in point wherein

public servants and politicians have successfully eliminated open defecation through
people engagement schemes like Sabar Souchagar.
Even within the administrative machinery cultural differences may exist and
may require emotional intelligence on the part of the administrator to ensure
optimal output from team members (government machinery) and maintaining
harmony among them. The workforce diversity does not only affect the emotional
stability of the executive but also his leadership behavior and effectiveness.
Hence it is crucial that cultural sensitivity training which may help in developing EI
should be made part of administrative training in public sector so that
administration gains public faith and better serves its mandated goals. This will
certainly improve the work efficiency and decorum of administrative setup as a
whole.

1.

(b) Family and school are important agents of socialization in a childs life.
Comment on the role of
family and school as a source of values. Give an example of a situation
where these acquired values
guided you in a situation of
dilemma.
10
Approa
ch:
Explain the meaning of the term
socialization.
Elaborate on the role of family as a source of values.
.com)
Similarly, expound on the role of school as a source of
values.
State an example of a situation where you were in a situation of dilemma and
came out of it by
applying acquired values.
Answer
:
Purushottam(purush027@gmail

Socialization is a process by which individuals acquire knowledge, language,

social skills, and values which help them in conforming with the norms and roles
required for integration into a group or community.
Both family and school play important roles in a childs formative years, when
the child is developing his/her personality and is moulded by the amassed
values.
Role of Family

Suvankar
for

A childs family teaches him/her how to love and respect and others thereby,
shaping a childs attitude towards other people in society.
Family members are the immediate role models of a child who models his/her
behaviour around them.
Members of family inculcate moral values such as honesty, truthfulness,
happiness, loyalty and integrity in children, which are synonymous with societal
values.personaliseddocument
Role of
School

This

A school provides a medium whereby an individual learns to communicate with

those who are neither their kin nor friends.
In school, a child learns cooperation, accepts differences and becomes adaptive.
This will lead a child to develop a sense of commitment and integration to a
wider social group.

 Further, a school acts as a bridge between the family and society for a child and
prepares the child for his/her adult role.
Schools also instill values among children, the important ones being equality of
opportunity, value of achievement, values about equality and brotherhood due to
which children are socialized into a commitment to the society as a whole.

2
IAS

www.visionias.in

Vision

Real life situation

When I was in the seventh standard I faced a situation of dilemma. A classmate of
mine destroyed school property out of sheer anger and I witnessed his outburst. He
told me not to tell anyone or else I would face grave consequences. When the
teacher found out and asked who did it, I initially hesitated to speak up. But, later
when I found out that the entire class would face detention, I spoke up as supressing
my voice then would have meant succumbing to the threats of a bully and being
dishonest with myself along with my cohorts and teacher. I encountered similar
situation in my job when a unintentional mistake by one of my colleagues led to loss
of enormous data of our project. Most of the team members decided not to disclose
the mistake to our team leader. But I convinced them that we must observe honesty.
I took the lead and convinced my team leader that it was an honest mistake and
with the help of team members helped in recovering the lost data.

2.

(a) We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you
think. Words are
secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far.
10

Approach:
Explain the impact of thoughts on lives of individuals.
Also discuss the importance of good thoughts in life.
Answer:

.com)

The statement implies that we are the creation of our Purushottam(purush027@gmailownthoughts.Ashasbeen rightly said, Thought is the sculptor who can create
the person you want to be. It is therefore important to choose what we are thinking. Suvankar

The above quotation by Swami Vivekananda bring out the importance of thought
process in ones life. As
Mahatma Gandhi has rightly said. A man is but the product of his thoughts. What
he thinks, he become".
While positive thoughts can create increased energy, self-motivation and happiness
around us, negative thoughts generate hatred, fear and insecurity.
We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you
think

Time spent in generating positive thought can lead to increased self-awareness

and creativity. It will generate a sense of calmness and confidence. for

When we look for good things in other people and make an effort to think well of them, we create a positive
context for our own life.

When we think of our life personalised as an opportunity to help others, we establish a

positive environment for

us.
When we think document about worthwhile goals for our life, we create a positive
reference for the choices
interacting with those around is

that we make each day.

Words are secondary. This

Thoughts live; they travel far.

Words are secondary because they come from our thoughts. Thoughts may appear
temporary and short lived; but in reality they have long lasting impact on our
attitude, beliefs and personality in particular. They influence us in multifaceted
ways:

 Firstly, thoughts are mirror of a persons mind. Emotions and thoughts are closely
interlinked.
Negative emotions like sadness give birth to negative thoughts and vice versa.
Secondly, thoughts have deep impact on what we say and do. Even the physical
and mental capacity of a person is exhausted if he is involved in depressive
thoughts. It will lower his self-esteem, can impact personal and professional
relationships and disrupt the basic activities of daily life.

3
IAS

www.visionias.in

Vision

The words are much more relevant in the present context when we have become
focused much more on outwardly and material aspects of life and have entirely
neglected our inner wellbeing viz. the thought process. A fast pace stressful life,
weakening social relations, eroding ethical and moral values and absence of critical
thinking all has contributed to erosion of humanity thread by thread. No wonder
that we have rising incidences of social crimes and self-inflicting issues like
depression. The need of the hour is to retro inspect our thought process and make it
more optimistic so that we can responsibly carry out our critical role in our family,
society and the organization we work in.

2.

(b) A mans conscience and his judgement is the same thing and as the
judgement, so also the
conscience, may be erroneous.
10

Approach:
Briefly explain conscience.
Bring out the relation between the two.
Answer:
Conscience is a person's moral sense of right and wrong which acts as a guide to
one's behaviour. A man may make a judgement based on his conscience and it may
be right or wrong depending on the correctness of ones conscience.
.com)
Since
the
emergence of civilized and rule-based society the conscience of the public as a
whole is better
set of values for their conscience. Judgements are
conscience may be elaborated as below:

Purushottam(purush027@gmailtoodangeroustobeleftto

conscience alone. The erroneous nature of

represented by the law of the land. As conscience is vulnerable to corruption, the

law of the land stands
a good chance to deliver better and more reasoned judgments when there is a
conflict between
conscience based and law based judgement. However, laws too cannot deliver
perfect judgements at all times as the law itself may have certain shortcomings.
Conscience based judgement may be justifiable at times due to the perceived sense
of injustice.
However, the dangers in conscience based judgements are many as different people
may have their own
Although a person must always obey certain
he might be in ignorance

Suvankar

judgments of his conscience,

and make erroneous judgments. There are several sources of these errors in
judgment: ignorance,
for

bad example from others, and enslavement to passions, arrogance and so on.

Conscience does not guarantee r ght moral answers at all times. Conscience develops and matures; sometimes it deteriorates and decays. One must
never take his/her conscience for granted and

presume on its effectiveness. personalised The popular adage "Let your conscience
be your guide," is good advice

only to the person who has is

a good, well-formed conscience.

However it is believ d that by conscience, a person assumes responsibility. Even in evil deeds,

conscience remains document an inner witness to truth that the choice was evil.

The person hasThisa duty to have a true conscience which is formed by reason. Only
the educating of conscience can overcome negative influences and temptations and
lead to well informed judgments.

www.visionias.in

Vision IAS

3.

(a) "The love of one's country is a splendid thing. But

why should love stop
you understand by nationalism? What significance
does it hold in your life?

at the border?"
What do
10

Approach:
Explain your understanding of nationalism.
Bring out the relation between the understanding and the quote.
Discuss significance of nationalism in your life.
Answer:
Nationalism implies loyalty and devotion to the nation. It provides a feeling of love,
brotherhood and fraternity amongst the people living in a nation as they show
primary allegiance to the nation rather than any other identity. Nationalism is an
outcome of formation of a nation as well as the process that leads to formation of a
nation.
However, nationalism is limited to man-made boundaries. Even people with similar
ethnic and racial
similarities divided by borders, are enemies of each other due to diverging national
aspirations. It is often
contradictory to the value of humanism, when a person thinks globally and for the
welfare of every one
while a nationalist may think only of a group of people living within a boundary. For
example, we rage
against illegal immigrants stealing our jobs, but looking at this from a humanistic
standpoint, just because
we were born a couple degrees of latitude north does that mean we should not be
concerned about
them.
.com)

Hence, significance and scope of nationalism should not be narrow and parochial. It
should no doubt
strengthen the nation, but not at the cost of others. Our nationalism should not
make us blind to the
wrong done by our own government or people and consider every act of others as
irrational. Further
nationalism should facilitate inclusiveness and not reflect majoritarionism to leave
out several sections
from national progress.
Nationalism should not be equated with expression of love for country and hate for
others but should be
a way of life reflected in how we behave with poor and deprived, concern for
women, marginalised and
minorities, respect rights of others, fulfil our duties, civic sense, moral standards,
dont commit crimes,
Purushottam(purush027@gmail

corruption and economic offences and think of betterment and development of

whole mankind.
In this way, nationalism paves the way for patriotism which is peace-loving and
humanistic in its outlook
and which is the meaning of nationalism to me. A true patriot works not only for the upliftment of his

Suvankar
for

own country by fighting various injustices like caste discrimination, poverty, crimes against
women, rising

inequality etc. But he/she also works towards promoting international peace, friendly
relations with
other nations and building a cosm politan
world.

is personalised

3.

(b) A Good Samaritan legal protection is vital to encourage people to offer

assistance without the fear
of any criminal or civil documentliability. Discuss the statement in the context of
Indias unacceptably high rate of
road accident fatalities due to the inability of victims to get timely medical treatment.

10

This

Approach:
In the context of high rate of road accidents in India write about the need to offer
legal protection to people offering assistance to accident victims.
Then, write about the developments and the Supreme Court judgement about
the Good Samaritan.
Bring out what more is required to be done and conclude the answer.

5
IAS

www.visionias.in

Vision

Answer:
A Good Samaritan is a person who gratuitously gives help or sympathy to those in
distress. According to official statistics, 1,46,000 people die on the roads every year.
A major impediment to victims obtaining timely help in road accidents is the fear
among bystanders that they could be embroiled in a police investigation or be
subjected to harassment due to the legal procedures involved if they chipped in to
provide first-aid, ferry the injured to hospital or even call for medical or police
assistance. This is why a
Good Samaritan legal protection is vital.
Evolution of laws for protection of Good Samaritans

The Law Commission in 2006 report estimated that 50 per cent of road
accident victims would have survived if they got medical attention within an
hour.
One year back, the Union Health Ministry directed hospitals that they should
not detain those who bring accident victims for admission. They should not be
required to pay for admission or registration, or asked intrusive questions beyond
basic particulars such as names and addresses.
The Union Road Transport Ministry has added a significant clause under
which a Good Samaritans affidavit will have the legal force of a statement. If a
statement is required, it should be recorded in a single examination. This is
applicable only to those who want to be witnesses, for the guidelines say the
police should not compel them to disclose their particulars or to be witnesses.
Recently, the Supreme Court approved the guidelines issued by the Centre for
the protection of Good Samaritans at the hands of the police or any other
authority.
In January 2016, a Standard Operating Procedure to make these guidelines
work com)
was introduced.
.
Though
such
guidelines and simplified procedures are welcome, much more needs to be done to
encourage
people
to
get
involved
in
the
rescue
of
accidentPurushottam(purush027@gmailvictims.
So far, only a few State governments have adopted the Good Samaritan guidelines.
All States must get actively involved in their implementation. For it, the regional
domain for who deal with such situations
the police, doctors, transport officials and magistrates are drawn.

A good deal of sensitisation is needed, and it may help if State governments draw
up their own set of rules so that they become committed stakeholders in the cause.
For instance

To begin the system of reward and ranking for police and doctors.
To initiate action against those who violate it or the private clinics who refuse to
treat.
To give legal backing to Standard operating procedure. Suvankar

The Karnataka governments decision to forrame a Good Samaritan law as part of an

effort to encourage people to offer assistance without the fear of any criminal or civil
liability is a step in the right direction.
The notification said the SOPs as laid down by the court under Article 32 (right to
constitutional
remedies), read with Article 142, is binding on the Union Territories and the States.
is personalised

The recent example of the mindset change that began in the aftermath of the December rape case in
Delhi demonstrates that if enough social pressure is sustained, systemic changes do begin to occur.
document

4.

(a) There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but
there must never be a time
when we fail to protest. Discuss the significance of this statement
in present day India.
10

Approach:
Explain the importance of justice in our society.
Discuss the importance of protest in holding justice in society and use examples to
elaborate your line of thought.
Conclude the answer by elaborating upon the need for civil servants to ensure
justice and protest against injustice.

6
IAS

www.visionias.in

Vision

Answer:
Justice is one of the values enshrined in our constitution along with equality, liberty
and fraternity. Securing social, economic and political justice is one of the aims of
our preamble.
It is not only the responsibility of Legislature, Executive and Judiciary to ensure
justice but it also the duty of the citizens to uphold values enshrined in the
constitution and stand up against injustice.
Though it is sad but sometimes we are powerless to prevent injustice from
occurring, because we are not always in position where we are able to do
something. It doesnt mean that we lose all hope and accept the injustice. Though
we cant overpower powerful person, but silence could be considered as a sign of
weakness. In future, it may encourage powerful person to frequently resort to unfair
means. Hence we must not fail to protest against injustices like atrocities on
minorities, dalits, women etc and cimes like coruption
As corruption promotes inequality in society and it is widely prevalent in India. It
affects everyone in the society. But no one dare to prevent it as everyone perceives
that they do not have effective means to do anything substantial. Nevertheless,
people organized under a movement and showed their resistance to social menace.
Though it was not easy, but finally it resulted into enactment of the Jan Lokpal Law.
It signifies the importance of protest.
Similarly, the gender discrimination is accepted as a norm in India. It is
psychologically accepted by both
males and females and assumed that they cannot change it. Despite religious
freedom available to
women, for years they denied entry into the Sabrimala temple and Haji Ali dargah.
Their silence shows
. com)

acceptance to ban on temple entry. But now they protested and filed a petition to seek
their equal right.
However, it may not immediately result into entry of women in temple and dargah.
But it is a step in right
direction to seek
justice.
Time and again, the strength of protest is proved by the various leaders. The life of
Mahatma Gandhi,
Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi and Anna Hazare shows the
strength of protest to
fight against injustice.
This is particularly true for civil servants as they must ensure honest and efficient
administration which
Purushottam(purush027@gmail

works for the welfare of the masses. They must always protest and prevent injustice from taking place

even at great personal cost. Civil servants dedicated to such ideal will usher in a just and equitable

society.
for Suvankar

4.

(b) Around the world, more than 125 million people need humanitarian aid.
With special reference to
financial assistance, discuss the various ethical issues involved in
addressing the needs of those in dire
personalised

circumstances. What measures can be undertaken to ensure that donations and aids for such purposes

is

are thoroughly channelled to meet their

targets.

Approach:

This document

10

Introduce your answer with humanitarian aid and the types of assistance or aids
available.
Write the ethical issue involved with the humanitarian aid and assistance to the

areas of disturbance and calamities.

Write measures to be taken for better channelization of donations and aids.
Answer:
Humanitarian aids are the actions designed to save lives, alleviate suffering and
maintain and protect human dignity during and in the aftermath of emergency
situations. Humanitarian principles are rooted in international humanitarian law of
humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence.

7
IAS

www.visionias.in

Vision

In the areas of disasters or natural calamities the primary aim is preventing human
casualties and ensuring access to the basics for survival: water, sanitation, food,
shelter, and health care. Whereas, in the areas of conflict/war torn regions, the
priority is to assist people who have been displaced, prevent the spread of conflict,
support relief work, financial assistance and prepare for rehabilitation.

Measures to be
taken

Ethical issues related with humanitarian assistance

Assistance with certain conditionality- World organisations like World Bank,

IMF or some humanitarian organisations provide assistance to the war torn
countries on the basis of fulfilment of certain conditions like peace
conditionality. This can indeed force adherence to the peace process or impose
reconciliation. But, we have witnessed that the cooperation from local authorities
was often pure lip service in order to get rewards from reconstruction funds.
Ill targeted and Misuse- It is not necessary that the assistance shall be used in
the relief work only. Ethical dilemma persists for whether one should assist the
conflict region even after knowing that the finances may not be used in the predecided work.
Funding to terrorism- Humanitarian organisations have to collaborate with the
rebel groups to intervene for assistance which can be used for their terror
activities in the region.
Fuel to war- Humanitarian aid has been accused of fuelling war economies and
prolonging conflict by providing assistance, directly or indirectly, to combatants
and their military operations. The conflicts in Somalia, Liberia and Angola are
usually mentioned as prime examples.
Implicit recognition to rebel groups- The negotiation with the groups in
charge of a certain area means giving recognition to their authority and
legitimacy.
Benefits from assistance- The groups might derive considerable financial
benefits com)
from
humanitarian
operations by imposing charges on transports, levying taxes on imports and .
employees
salaries, and

 collecting rent for warehouses, offices and residences Purushottam(purush027@gmail

Dilemma between neutrality and political activism

The greatest challenges for humanitarian aid and development in the form of
financial assistance are efficiency, effectiveness and the extremely complex
political, economic, and social side effects associated with them. We can channelize
funds by following ways:

By determining accurate assessment of need.

By doing away with disparities in assistance within particular contexts, owing to
political or security constraints imposed on humanitarian organizations. Such
disparities in the level of assistance can be the reason for large population
movements.
There should be coherence between humanitarian law of humanity, neutrality,
impartiality and independence.
Coordination of activities among humanitarian organisations, the military and
political intervention forces.
Involvement of local administration and civil society in the humanitarian work.
Conditions should include requests for active participation in specific aspects of the peace process.

Suvankardocument

Sustainable longThis-term development obviously depends essentially on the political

and economic framework and on the institutional and physical infrastructure a State
is able to provide.

8
IAS

www.visionias.in

Vision

5.

(a) While discretion is necessary for effective discharge of duties, it is also

a major factor responsible

Judicial
Control

for corruption in administration at all levels. Comment. In this context,

suggest some ways in which
smooth execution of responsibilities can be ascertained while
minimising corruption.

10

Approach:

First explain the meaning of discretion in administration.

Then explain why discretion is required for effective discharge of duties.
Explain how discretion could led to corruption.
Finally explain measures to minimise corruption while ensuring smooth execution
of responsibility.

Answer:
Discretion means the power to decide or act according to ones judgment. Indian
law grants some discretionary powers to administrative authorities. Such exercise is
not to be arbitrary, vague and fanciful, but legal and regular.
Discretionary powers bestowed on the administrative authorities are of a vast range.
Their power serve the purpose of simple ministerial tasks like maintenance of birth and
death register as well as those which seriously affect the rights of an individual, e.g.
acquisition of property, regulation of trade, industry or business, inquiry, seizer,
confiscation and destruction of property, detention of a person on subjective satisfaction
of an executive authority and many more. The list of their functions is exhaustive in
nature.
The problem of administrative discretion is complex. There has been a
constantcom)conflict between the . claims of the administration to an absolute discretion

and the claims of subjects to a reasonable exercise

Purushottam(purush027@gmail

Judiciary must concentrate on two points. Firstly, it

should direct the

legislative that they do not confer

wide and unlimited discretion to executive. And other is that every discretionary act
must come under
of it. Now a question is raised that how it can be control.
It can be control with two types, first judicial and other one is non- judicial. There are
so many ways to control it.

the power of judicial review. Judiciary can thus

abuse of discretionary powers.

Suvankar

play a good role to control

Supreme Court of India in its various judgements has held that:

for

The administrative discretion should be used according to rules of reason and

justice and not
according to private opinion, according to law and not humor.
It is not to be arbitrary, vague and fanciful but legal and regular.
personalised

It must be exercised wisthin limit to which an honest man competent to the

discharge of his office
ought to confine himself.

Non-judicial control
This document
We must incorporate such rules which will be mandatory for the authority who will exercise discretion to

adhere to. If legislative is fails to maintain such norms in that statute to control
discretion, those norms must be incorporated by administration with the help of
delegated legislation. Mechanisms like code of conduct and code of ethics ensure
that self-discipline is observed while exercising discretion. Various institutions like
CVC, CBI, Lokpal etc. ensure that abuse of discretion is caught and punished which
acts as deterrent in the future.
Hence, through the above mechanism, abuse of discretion can be curbed while at
the same time flexibility is maintained while taking administrative decisions.

9
IAS

www.visionias.in

Vision

5.

(b) What do you understand by corporate ethics? Giving examples, highlight

the ethical issues faced by CEOs in the current competitive environment, with
special reference to government owned enterprises.
10
Approach:

Explain what you understand by corporate ethics.

Mention the ethical issues faced by CEOs in a highly competitive environment.
Expand on the ethical issues faced by CEOs of state owned enterprises.
Give examples to substantiate your answer, if any.

Answer:
Corporate ethics includes proper business policies and practices in corporate
governance regarding
issues such as insider trading, bribery, interests of
corporate social
stakeholders,
responsibilities and
fiduciary responsibilities.
Ethical
faced by CEOs in a highly competitive environment include
to
issues
adaptation
new
technology and innovation while ensuring that manpower is retained,
transparency, compliance with
government rules, ensuring gender equality and equality of opportunity in the
workplace, among
others.
CEOs of state-owned enterprises have to fulfill the twin objectives of commercial
efficiency, resulting
in profits for stakeholders and fulfilling of social responsibility, as one of the arms
of the welfare
state.
They also have to ensure that there is no undue interference of the state in the
functioning of the
enterprise as excess interference can leave the enterprise vulnerable to
being.com)used to achieve shortterm political goals to the detriment of its efficiency.
Additionally, they have to set a level playing field with the private sector as they
often receive
preferential treatment through access to subsidies, bank credit and
procurement contracts.
should
with transparency, adhere to compliance
updat
Further, they function
procedures,
e
accounting and auditing practices and disclose the financial statements of the
enterprises on time.
They also have to meet the demands of the workers, who look out for their
personal interests in an
environment characterized by increased contractual work and increased
instances of downsizing by
the enterprises.
CEOs of state owned enterprises have had to
managePurushottam(purush027@gmailinstances of protests by workers against their
decisions when the industrial policies were rapidly changing post
liberalization.
A nation wide scale occurred
against the government's announced plan to close
in 1991
unprofitable
state-owned industries to move the country from socialism toward freemarket capitalism.

Suvankar

for

Similarly, in September 2016, majority of the trade unions carried out an all India strike
to protest

against labour reforms, disinvestment in profit-making public sector

undertakings and
contractualization of

workforce.
In such situations, globally accepted codes like the OECD Code (2005) and
guidelines issued by the
Department of Public
Enterpriseis

personalised

(DPE) could be taken as benchmarks for the CEOs to

follow.

document

6.

Government employees are often considered by many as being unresponsive, insensitive

and corrupt.
This

What, according to you, are the factors that cultivate such a negative
attitude towards civil servants?
As a young civil servant, what would be your approach to change
this attitude?

10

Approach:
Introduce by describing the general attitude of citizens towards civil servants.
Discuss the factors that lead to formation of this attitude with due attention to
factors related to citizens as well as civil servants.
Discuss the broad contours of a strategy to change this attitude.

10
IAS

www.visionias.in

Vision

 Conclude by discussing the importance of a healthy relationship based on trust

between citizens and civil servants.
Answer:
For the common man, bureaucracy denotes routine and repetitive procedures, paper
work , delays and is perceived as passive and unresponsive to citizens needs. This
is despite the fact that the Government and bureaucracy exist to facilitate the
citizens
Factors cultivating the negative
attitude
A) Psychological factors
The government servants are themselves partly responsible for helping in
building continuing the
negative attitude.
Attitudes towards government servants can also be learned. The family,
reference groups,
personal experiences and the media may play a role. The long history of
colonial rule has also
ingrained negative attitudes.
Sometimes, citizens themselves want out of turn favours or dont meet the
necessary conditions
for accessing some services. For e.g. a person who is ineligible may want to
access the benefits
under the PDS and thus is refused the benefits. Part of this problem lies in
complex procedures
and conditions and ignorance of the citizens. But a part of blame also lies with
the citizens belief
that government has unlimited
resources.
Sometimes people may continue to hold negative attitudes because they think
that there must
be some truth in what everyone says. Even a few examples are sufficient to
support the negative
.com)
idea.
B) Systemic factors
Rigidities of the system over centralization of powers, highly hierarchical and
top down method
of functioning.
Divorce of authority from accountability and the tendency towards
micromanagement.
Procedures are valued over
outcomes
Ineffective implementation of laws and rules
Low levels of awareness of the rights and duties of the citizens
Strategy for attitude change

Purushottam(purush027@gmail

A young civil servant must utilize his reserves Suvankarof energy, creativity,
intelligence including emotional
intelligence to devise a strategy to change forthe negative attitudes about
bureaucracy. Such a strategy can
follow following broad contours:

personalised

A young officer must lead by example and should a role model for his
subordinates and colleagues when it comes to dealing with citizens.
Changing the attitudes of government employees by providing a new service
oriented value framework, soft skills training and a healthy, clutter free work
environment.

Simplifying the process and procedures.

Generating awareness about rights and duties of the citizens.
Ensuring transparency and accountability.
Building effective grievance redressal mechanisms.
Minimizing the opportunities to learn the negative attitude by the citizens and
changing such attitudes by using various media for regular communication and
image makeover etc.

There is an urgent need to restore trust in governance systems. A healthy

relationship between the citizens and their servants will propel the country on a
path of faster and inclusive development.

11
IAS

www.visionias.in

Vision

7.

Many of the present social conflicts

discrimination. Illustrate. What can be

arise

due

to

prejudices

and

Curbing discrimination and handling

prejudices

done to curb discrimination and handle prejudices?

10

Approach:
Briefly explain the concept of prejudices and discrimination and taking examples
of some prevalent social conflicts, explain how these are the root causes.
Outline a strategy to handle discrimination and prejudices. This should focus
mainly on prevention of formation of prejudices and attitude change.
Answer:
Prejudices are examples of negative attitudes towards a particular group and in
many cases, may be based on stereotypes (the cognitive component) about the
specific group. The cognitive component of prejudice is frequently accompanied by
dislike or hatred, the affective component.
Prejudice may also get translated into discrimination, the behavioural component,
whereby people behave in a less positive way towards a particular target group
compared to another group which they favour.
History contains numerous examples of discrimination based on race and social
class or caste. The genocide committed by the Nazis in Germany against Jewish
people is an extreme example of prejudice and discrimination.
Our own society has witnessed many instances of discrimination and prejudice, com)
based on gender, religion, community, caste, physical handicap, and illnesses such
as AIDS. The conflict. between Dalits and other castes or communal tensions can be
explained by presence of strong prejudices against specific communities. Poor are
considered by some people as dependent and unable to make progress on their
own. Thus they are considered responsible for their own plight and which may result
in their exploitation.

In many cases discriminatory behaviour can be curbed by law. For e.g. the
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of atrocities) Act and the HIV bill
aim to curb discrimination against these
sections.
Purushottam(purush027@gmail

But, the cognitive and emotional components of prejudice are more difficult to
change. Therefore
handling prejudices require specific strategies.
Suvankar

Knowing about the causes or

be the first step in handling prejudice. Thus, the
sources wouldfor
strategies
for handling prejudice would be effective if they aim at :
a) minimising opportunities for learning prejudices ,
changing such
b) attitudes,
personalised
de-emphasising a
c) narrowis
social identity based on the ingroup,
discouraging the tendency towards negative behaviour among the victims of
d) prejudice which
reinforces
prejudices.
document

These goals can be accomplished through:

This

Education and information dissemination, for correcting stereotypes related to

specific target groups, and tackling the problem of a strong ingroup bias.
Increasing intergroup contact allows for direct communication, removal of
mistrust between the groups, and even discovery of positive qualities in the
outgroup.
Highlighting individual identity rather than group identity, thus weakening the
importance of group (both ingroup and outgroup) as a basis of evaluating the
other person.

12
IAS

www.visionias.in

Vision

8.

Adhering to high standards of transparency is often in conflict with the

duty towards maintaining confidentiality. With examples, elaborate on the
problems faced by public servants in effective
discharge of duties during such situations. Also, discuss the ethical
framework that should guide the
decisions in these circumstances.
10

Approach:
Introduce by explaining that the duty of a public servant is to uphold public
interest and work for greater good of the society.
Discuss the importance of transparency.
Discuss the need for confidentiality along with the issue of privacy and the
provisions for nondisclosure in RTI Act.
Illustrate your answer with some situations from day to day functioning of a
public servant which require transparency and some which require
confidentiality.
Conclude by explaining that a civil servant should always uphold the value of
transparency unless very strong reasons mandate maintaining confidentiality.
Answer:
Public servants are accountable to the people and should discharge their duties with
utmost responsibility, integrity and justice. In discharge of their duty, they must
always uphold public interest and greater good of the society which requires
maintaining a fine balance between contrasting values of transparency and
confidentiality.
.com)
Transparency
enables citizens to have a say about issues that matter to them and a chance to
influence
But
public
servants
should
strive
to
ensure
that
the
valuePurushottam(purush027@gmailoftransparencyingovernment is upheld while respecting their duties of
confidentiality under the law. Total openness and transparency is not possible.

decision-making and hold those making decisions to account. A public servant has to
maintain
transparency in procedures of his orgnaisation so that common public is knows how
to approach the
organization. He also has to maintain utmost transparency in financial dealings of
his organization so that accountability is ensured to the public.
Confidentiality

Governments need confidentiality for consultations during negotiations on treaties

and agreements, and
also for national security
reasons.
for Suvankar

Confidentiality as a value is generally thought to inhibit transparency but it may be

interpreted in a
positive manner also as it builds trust. Suppose a Minister discloses to his Secretary
that the Government is planning to demonetize large denomination currency to fight
corruption and black money. Here, the
secretary is obliged by law and public interest to maintain confidentiality. If he leaks
the information he
will lose the trust of his
Ministeris

Issue of
privacy

personalised

which is not conducive for a healthy working relationship.

document

Public servantsThisave access to private information of the citizens and this has to be
dealt with utmost care. For example, a tax official cannot make public the information
about annual incomes of the citizens.

Even the RTI Act, which ushered in a new era of transparency, recognizes the
importance of confidentiality and privacy in Section 8.

Ethical framework
The public servant should find out about the relevant laws, rules and regulations
and follow them in letter and spirit.
He should also consider what his conscience says about the problem at hand.

13
IAS

www.visionias.in

Vision

 In doing so, he should always test his decision on the touchstone of public
interest and the greater good of the society.
Generally, he should take the side of transparency while respecting privacy
unless and until very strong reasons exist for maintaining confidentiality.
The public servants duties today remain many, complex and often seemingly
contradictory, but successful public servants recognise their multiple roles and
prepare for them. They know that transparency is the norm unless public interest
and law obliges confidentiality.
SECTION B
In the following questions, carefully study the cases presented and then answer
the questions that follow (in around 250 words):
9.

You get your first posting as a District Collector in a predominantly rural

area. Recently, the office of Registrar General of Births, Deaths and
Marriages registered an inter-caste marriage of a young
couple. On hearing the news, villagers and family members of the married
couple attacked the Registrar's office and are holding their respective
children in captivity. One group also enjoys immense
political power in the state and have warned you against taking
any action.
20
Based on the above information, answer the following questions.
(a) What is/are the ethical dilemma(s) that an administrator faces in such
situations?
.com)

(b) Enumerate your priorities and steps that you will take to handle the
situat on.
(c) What are the social and attitudinal factors at play? What will be your
role in bringing about a
change in these?
Approach:

Purushottam(purush027@gmail

Analyze the case and identify the key ethical dilemma involved.
List the priorities and suggest steps that can be taken by District Collector to
handle the situation effectively.
List out the social and attitudinal factors of villagers and family members and
provide solutions to change these factors. Suvankar
for

Answ
er:

The case study deals with the menace of casteism prevalent in the Indian society
and the injustice which
it perpetuates.
Facts of the
case:

is personalised

1. An inter-caste marriage has been lawfully registered.

2. Family members of thedocument
couple have attacked the registrars office
This

3. Couple have been kept in captivity by their respective families

(a) The Ethical dilemma
Public duty v/s Personal interest
o It is duty of officer to maintain law and order, protect public property and staff
to ensure smooth functioning of the office of Registrar General.

o At the same time, the District Collector is warned by the politically powerful
group. If he takes any action then maybe they can cause harm or can create
trouble for him. Here the District Collector may show courage by taking action
against culprits or he may act cowardly by neglecting the case.

14
IAS

www.visionias.in

Vision

(b) Priorities and steps to handle the situation

Immediately disperse the villagers to restore public order and protect the staff
and property from further harm. If required then use force against them.
Locate and bring the young couple under the safe custody of police. Also provide
counseling and make them aware about their constitutional right.
Try to convince family members to not resort to violence and have respect for
the law. If they are adamant then talk to relatives or Sarpanch.
If still they are sticking to their position then warn them about legal
consequences.
Also arrest those hooligans who had attacked the office which would set an
example that violence against public property would not be tolerated.
(c) Social and attitudinal factors and steps to change these factors
Patriarchy The children, especially females, are not allowed to marry as per
their choice. It is considered as a matter of pride and social prestige by elders.
Caste Rigidity The inter-caste marriage is against caste system, as it leads to
religious impurity. It is also considered against social order.
To change these factors:
Engage the influential leaders, civil society, and media to promote awareness
about changing social
realities.
Involve happily married couples to spread message that inter-caste marriages

com)

can be successful.

Organize the collective inter-caste marriages to break caste hierarchy in the

society.
Offer financial incentives for inter-caste marriages to promote such alliances and
break caste rigidities.
Caste discrimination is unconstitutional and divides the society along narrow
parochial lines.
It is also against the values of liberty and equality and threatens fraternity in the
society. Hence, both
short term and long term measures must be taken to curb casteism in the society.

10.

Suvankar Purushottam(purush027@gmail

A group of educated young men is caught trying to leave the country to

fight for a terrorist organization overseas. It was found that they were
radicalized online through social media by thefor
handlers of that terrorist organization. These boys have not committed
any act of terror till now and
have no criminal background.
20
personalised
(a)

What could be the reasons for radicalization of educated youth?

(b) As a senior intelligence official, what approach would you follow to deal
with such cases? Give arguments in support of your stand.
(c)

Suggest a feasible strategy to prevent further radicalization of youth in the country.

This

Approach:
First explain the probable causes for the radicalization of the educated youth.
Then describe the approach that the senior intelligence officer should follow. As
the case seems to be of misguided youth, the focus should be de-radicalization.
Conclude by suggesting measures that should be taken to address the root
causes and counter radicalization.

15
IAS

www.visionias.in

Vision

Answer:

Desirable approach of Senior Intelligence

Officer

Online radicalization is a serious threat to the security of the country. Many of the
misguided and dis-oriented youth take to increasingly extremist and violent views
thanks to the internet and social media propaganda. The arrested group of boys
seems like the victims of the same phenomenon.
Probable causes of radicalization
A diverse range of factors and motivations can influence a person to become
radicalised, and from there possibly commit extremist violence. Some of these are:

Radical ideology, limited understanding the presence of a strict and literal

understanding of a given ideological belief is a key factor in a person resorting to
violent extremism. Such views can be reinforced and exacerbated through the
internet.
Personal relationships and influence the influence of personal and social
relationships is another key factor in driving radicalisation and extremism. These
relationships can occur face-to-face, or through other media such as the internet.
Identity and social exclusion personal identity issues and wider problems of
marginalisation, racism and social exclusion can act as a catalyst for
radicalisation and, potentially, violent extremism.
Emotional vulnerability it may predispose involvement in terrorism. This
includes feelings of anger, alienation, disenfranchisement, shame, guilt and
vulnerability. These often arise during times of transition where challenges, such
as an identity crisis, enhance susceptibility to extremism
Perceived injustice for a persons community One additional driver of
radicalisation is perceived
frustrations and injustices committed against an individuals community or group.

com)

The senior intelligence officer should follow a soft approach focusing on counseling
and de-radicalisation rather than a hard approach based on arrest, prosecution and
punishment.

He should counsel them to make them realize futility of heir actions. In this, he must
take help of professional psychologists, religious leaders and families of the boys.
There should also be religious reeducation.
Purushottam(purush027@gmail

Once they are deradicalised, they must be released to lead normal lives but
surveillance must be
maintained on them so that they do not lapse into radical activities once again.
Rationale

for

Suvankar

The boys seem to be misguided and disoriented as they are well educated and dont
have any previous
terror cases, are not members of any terrorist organization and were not planning
any terrorist attack in
India. Also, they have not committedis

personalised
any terrorist act till now. If they are imprisoned, their radical views

might further crystallize document due to associations with hardened criminals. They
may also form new networks
and sleeper cell. The case of ISIS chief Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi is a very relevant
example.
Preventing further This

radicalization of youth

A) Short to medium term measures

Presenting a counter narrative online the Government should increase
its online presence and take the help of various religious leaders to present an
alternative narrative to counter terrorist propaganda.
Regular monitoring the Government must constitute special teams to
monitor internet and social media sites for any terrorist propaganda. Such
websites and accounts should be blocked immediately.
Presenting role models for youth role models should be found out form
within the community so that the youth have examples whom to follow.

16
IAS

www.visionias.in

Vision

 Deradicalisation helpline Such a counselling facility will enable parents,

teachers and friends of vulnerable and indoctrinated youth to seek
professional help for their deradicalization.
Taking strict action against those who are found to be involved with any
terrorist orgnaisation or planning any attacks within or outside India.
B) Long term measures
Long term measures must focus on addressing root causes of the feeling of
marginalization and alienation of youth.
It should also focus upon channeling energies of the youth towards creative
pursuits, skill development and job creation.
Radicalization is an emerging threat for the country. A nuanced approach is needed
to tackle this threat effectively.

11.

You are the CEO of a pharmaceutical company that has monopolized the
manufacture of an anti-allergen device, which is used by millions who
suffer from different kinds of allergic reactions: life threatening as well as
non-threatening. Your company that was initially facing significant losses
has increased the price of the device and since then has been witnessing
huge profit margins. While the
stakeholders of the company are pleased with your decision, there is a
public backlash against the
price rise. Politicians too have begun criticizing the
policies of the company.
20
(a) What are the ethical issues
involved?
(b) Enumerate the values that are under question in the .com)
mentioned scenario?
(c) As the CEO of the company, would you retrospectively change your
decision in light of the public
backlash?

Approach:

Purushottam(purush027@gmail

Mention the ethical issues that arise in the mentioned scenario and the effects of
the issues on the stakeholders involved.
Briefly list the values that are under question.
Giving reasons, state what will you do as a CEO if you had to take the decision
retrospectively.
View the issues from an ethical lens as well as from the expected duty of a CEO
of a company, who is responsible to its stakeholders. for
Answer:
(a) Ethical issues involved
is

personalised

Some of the ethical issues involved in the above scenario are:

o Corporate greed versus general good: While the aim of the company is profit
maximization, it is clashing with the needs of the society. The situation is
more acute for people with severe allergies for whom the device is
indispensable.
o Monopoly v/s Competitive Pricing: Due to monopoly, the company increased
the price of the device and reversed the trend of losses faced by it initially.
However, a single firm acted as a price maker.
o Ineffective regulatory mechanism: The situation reflects ineffectiveness of
regulatory mechanisms, as there is lack of competition in a business and an
instance of surge pricing by a
single company against the interests of millions of
citizens. o It is an example of an act which is legally right
but not ethically right.document

17
IAS

www.visionias.in

Vision

(b)
Values in question under the mentioned scenario are corporate greed, conflict
of interest, ineffective monitoring, lack of empathy and lack of public accountability,
among others.
(c)
As the CEO of the company, I am answerable to the stakeholders and my
primary duty is to carry out their interests and increase profits of the company.

12.

However, I also have a role in the society, wherein I am expected to evaluate the
effects of my decisions on the public as a whole.
A monopoly on a product and several advantages attached with it should not
lead me to ignore the needs of the majority of the population.
The situation tests my moral and humanitarian responsibilities as the device is a
life-saver for people with severe allergies and my decisions will have direct, life
altering consequences for them.
Assessing all the aspects and witnessing the public backlash against my decision,
if I had to take the decision retrospectively, I would discuss the matter with the
stakeholders of the company and would ensure that the price rise is only minimal
to maintain minimum profit.
Additionally, with the boards permission, I would negotiate a deal with the
government, wherein it could procure the device at our set price and then
provide it at a subsidized rate to patients.

You are a Public Information Officer (PIO) in Public Works Department. An

RTI is filed to know about
the allotment of tender to a company for construction of a bridge. While
collecting information about
the allotment process you came to know that the tender was under-priced.
However, you also came to
know that it was unintentional and was due to a calculation error which
could not be detected during
.com)
the scrutiny.
The under-secretary of the department who is an honest official with an
impeccable record and is the
final authority for passing the tender has requested you to iron out the
deficiencies in your response.
His argument is that elections are to be held soon and the company which
has got the tender belongs
to a relative of senior minister. He fears that his reputation and job as well
as of others involved in the
process of allotment is at risk. You sympathise with your colleagues and
understand that such
consequences are possible.
20
Purushottam(purush027@gmail

(a)

What are the options available to you?

(b)

Evaluate each of these options and choose the option you

would adopt, giving reasons. Approach:

Answ
er:

Suvankar

Mention the facts of the case, stakeholders, values at stake and ethical issues
involved.
Mention the options.
Evaluate each option based on its capacity to resolve ethical issue and serve the
interest of various stakeholders.
Based on above analysis suggest best course of action.

This

Key Facts of the case:

document

personalised

 RTI is filed about allotment of tender.

Under-pricing of tender due to calculation error was unintentional.
Honest under-secretary asks for information to be fudged.
Stakeholders:
Myself i.e. PIO

18
IAS

www.visionias.in

Vision

 Under-secretary and other staff

Options
available:

Political party in power

Public
Values at stake:

Transparency
Accountability
Integrity
Courage
Commitment to public interest
Empathy for co-workers

Ethical dilemmas:
Interest of co-workers vs public interest
Accountability/transparency vs sympathy
Other ethical issues: Loss of public money, Prevention of mistakes in future,
Reputation and jobs of honest persons

a) Options available are as

follows:
I.

.com)

Follow the advice of under-secretary and go ahead.

Report the matter as it is, in my
II. response.
Will seek transfer to another
III. position.
Ask under-secretary to give complete account of the process and sources of
IV. error and mention it
in the
response.
b) Evaluation of each
option:
I. Merits:
Will protect the jobs of my collegues as well as the repution of Under-

II.

secretary and no one

will be punished for an honest Purushottam(purush027@gmail
mistake.
It will not lead to embarrassment of government and may improve my
relations in
government and boost career prospects.
Demeri
Suvankar
ts:
for
Compromise of integrity, transparency and commitment to public interest.
Even if it was an honest mistake, it must be disclosed to the public.
Merits:
Will uphold the values of integrity, transparency and accountability.

personalised

is

It will allow public scrutiny which is essential in a democracy

Demerits:
Risk the job and reputation of
colleagues
document

politicisation of
issue,
This

strain relations in my
department
III. Merits:
It will protect me from facing the dilemma,
It will be good for my psychological and physical health,
I will not be guilty of punishing my colleagues,
I will not be involved in wrongdoing
Demerits:
Indecisiveness, avoidance of duty,
Lack of courage to take difficult decisions

19
IAS

www.visionias.in

Vision

IV. Merits:
Complete truth to public, transparency and accountability ensured,
It may lead to procedural reforms so that mistakes are not repeated,
Demerits:
Chances that they may still be punished
It may still lead to politicisation of issue
I will choose the option IV as my final course of action. It tries to balance both truth
and accountability with my concern for colleagues. Although there are still chances
that they may be enquired upon, but during such an enquiry the facts presented by
me will be scrutinised. Committee/government may decide to let them off. This also
allows for the due legal process to follow. Further it will bring the error to fore and
long term remedy can be sought to avoid future errors.

13.

You are a government official supervising the maintenance and upkeep of

juvenile rehabilitation
centres all over country. You are a strong advocate for preventive services
such as counselling and
parenting skill education as an alternative to the placement of neglected
children in rehabilitation
homes. You have convinced your minister about the stand and he has
taken a public position on the
same and declared that he will scrap the scheme of rehabilitation homes
alltogether. Believing that a
reputable study of the cost-effectiveness of preventive services would
bolster your position, your
department enters into a contract with a top university to conduct a series
of evaluation studies. The
first study involves a controlled experimental evaluation of government
sponsored preventive services.
To your dismay, the findings show no evidence that preventive service is a
cost effective alternative to
. com)

placing children in rehabilitation homes. You are worried that the results,
if published, would not only
compromise the position of the minister but also yours. What will you do
in such a situation? Some of
the options are given below. Evaluate the merits and demerits of each of
these options and suggest
what course of action you would like to take, giving reasons.
20
Purushottam(purush027@gmail

(a)
Keep silent on the report and continue advocating your stand with
the minister.
(b)
Cancel the contract with the university and conduct a fresh study
with a new agency.
(c)

Report the results to the minister and follow his orders.

(d)
Conduct further research and be prepared to accept the results and
declare them publicly.
Approach:

Mention the facts of the case, stakeholders, values at stake and ethical issues
involved.
Evaluate each option based on its capacity to resolve ethical issue and serve the
interest of various stakeholders.
Based on above analysis suggest best course of action.

personalised

Answer:

document
This

Facts of the
case:

Minister has publicly declared to scrap rehabilitation homes.

Study points to contrary what I have advocated to the minister.
Dilemma about the future course
Stake holders:
Myself
Minister

20
IAS

www.visionias.in

Vision

 Children
Parents/Public
Values involved:

Truthfulness
Honesty
Transparency
Objectivity
Anonymity
Commitment to public welfare

Ethical dilemmas:
Political embarrassment vs truth
Personal reputation vs welfare of children
Other ethical issues: Cost to government if scheme is closed, loss to public, trust
of people in government, trust of minister in civil servant
Evaluation of options:
A) Keep silent on the report and continue advocating your stand with minister.
Merits:

.com)

Will preserve his trust in me and save him form embarrassment as he has taken
public position,
Demerits:
I will compromise with honesty, truthfulness and
transparency,
Objectivity calls for decisions based on rational facts which will be sacrificed,
Misuse of anonymity as I may get off but minister may
lose reputation,
If policy is accepted then it will lead to loss of public money and affect well being of many children
Purushottam(purush027@gmail

B) Cancel the contract with the university and conduct a fresh study with a new agency.

Merits:

for

Suvankar

A single study is not sufficient to take policy decisions, there may be errors which can
come to light in
new study, personalised

Demeri
ts:

is

It is possible that new study may also point to same fact which means that the
cost incurred was a waste,
If the results point that my stand is clear then it will create further dilemma in me
as to which report to follow document
C) Report the results to minister and follow his orders.
Merits:
In line with principle of anonymity, responsibility doesnt lie with me anymore,
There is a possibility that minister declare the result and backs off from his stand

21
IAS

www.visionias.in

Vision

Demerits:
If minister decides to implement the policy then it will compromise of
transparency and objectivity and I will be complicit in wrong action,
If minister decides to back off, I may have to face his wrath for public
embarrassment.
D) Conduct further research and be prepared to accept the results and declare them
publicly.
Merits:
Uphold transparency and truthfulness while giving minister a reason for policy
selection,
It will prevent wrong policy and save children from negative impact,
Objectivity will be ensured, public participation is also possible
Demerits:
May cost me my reputation and trust of minister if further studies also point to
effectiveness of juvenile homes,
It may incur increased cost and embarrassment to minister
Option D would be the best option to follow. In the short run it may have cost for
minister and myself but
ultimately beneficial for public. Further studies will provide facts for objective
decision making. By
declaring results even if they are contrary to my position, I will be displaying my
courage and
commitment to public welfare. Hence, it is possible that I earn respect from minster
and admiration.com)
and
colleagues. At the same time ensuring public well-being in the long
run.

14.

You are a young IAS officer posted as SDM of a flood prone sub-division.
There is an old dam in your
area which protects about 2 dozen villages from floods. Though the dam is
weak, it is expected to hold
up as repair works are being carried upon by the villagers. One day you
receive a call that the villagers
in the area had abandoned repairs and were running away from the work
site because the dam was
about to collapse as the force of water was building p. You quickly reach
the site and see the fear and
Purushottam(purush027@gmail

panic induced villagers. Systematised evacuation will take 2 days and if

the dam collapses now, there
will be great loss of life and property. You noticed several geo-bags
(synthetic bags which are used to
protect hydraulic structures and river banks from severe erosion) lying at
a construction site near the
Suvankar

dam which could hold the dam for some time. You realized that all you needed now was
manpower to
for

place these bags on the dam in such a way as to prevent water from
entering the village. But the
people are fear stricken and are preparing to flee.

20

Based on above information,personalisedanswer the following

questions:
is

(a)
Elaborate on the qualities of a civil servant that are essential in such
circumstances.

(b)
What options do you have to handle this situation? Evaluate each of
them with their merits and
demerits. This document
Approach:
Discuss various qualities of a good civil servant that comes into play in such
situations.
Evaluate the various options that are available to the SDM.
Conclude by suggesting the course of action that the SDM should take.

22
IAS

www.visionias.in

Vision

Answer:
The situation is a tough test for the SDM. The dam must hold up for some
time so that systematized evacuations can be done. For this, geo-bags can
help. But the villagers are so panicked that they are unwilling to take up the
repair works.
Essential Qualities
Emotional Intelligence high degree of emotional intelligence is very
necessary to successfully handle such situation. The SDM must empathize
will the villagers and correctly gauge the depth of their fear and panic.
This will help them to motivate them.
Courage and commitment there is a real danger to ones life in the
situation but the dam must hold up so that precious lives and property is
saved. This requires an exemplary display of both courage and
commitment to the cause.
Ability to motivate others under tough conditions the SDM must
be able to motivate people under difficult conditions so that geo-bags can
be quickly placed.
Objectivity and Quick decision making ability the SDM must be
able to take rational decisions quickly in a situation where one can be
overwhelmed by fear and panic.
Above all, the situation is a test to leadership qualities of the SDM.
Options available
Try to motivate villagers to place the geo-bags on the
dam.
Take help of contractors enlisted with the Government.
Calling his senior (DM) for help.

.com)

Evaluation
1) Calling the DM
Merits as the SDM is a young officer, he might be inexperienced to handle
such situation.
Therefore, calling the DM might
help.
Demerit but this will consume some very precious time which could cause
widespread destruction.
Taking help of the
2) contractors
Purushottam(purush027@gmail
Merits this may solve the problem of manpower as the contractors may
provide sufficient
labourers to place the geobags.
Demerits this option is also time consuming and the contractors might be
unable to provide
Suvankar

sufficient labourers at such a short notice. Also, the labourers too might get scared and refuse to
for

work.
3) Motivating the villagers
Merits this will provide sufficient manpower to place the geo-bags. As the

villagers are present on

the site, precious time
willpersonalisedbe saved.
is

Demerits the SDM might be unable to motivate the villagers.

The villagers are thedocumentlargest stakeholders in the situation and they can
provide sufficient manpower quickly to place the geo-bags. Therefore, the SDM
should motivate the villagers and place the geo-bags

on the dam withThistheir help. He can appeal to their sense of sacrifice and
responsibility towards their families and community. He can also lead by
example and start to place the geo-bags himself. His courage will have a
tremendous effect on the villagers and motivate them to take up the work. In
the meantime, he should also arrange for evacuation.

Copyright by Vision IAS

All rights are reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of Vision IAS

23

www.visionias.in
Vision IAS