PSIR Optional : Justice as Fairness by Shubhra Ranjan
PSIR Optional : Justice as Fairness by Shubhra Ranjan Download Telegram: https://t.me/SimplifiedIAS
Read moreCategory Archives: Ethics
What do you understand by the term “Good Governance”? Discuss the major characteristics of Good Governance.
What do you understand by the term “Good Governance”? Discuss the major characteristics of Good Governance. Approach: Introduce by discussing the concept of Good Governance. Point out major characteristics of Good Governance. Conclude appropriately. Model Answer : The term Good Governance was used for the first time by the World bank in 1989. It deals with improving both qualitative and
Read moreEmotional Intelligence is the unique intersection of the heart and head, which is very important in the current working environment of civil servants. Explain. (10 marks)
Q2. Emotional Intelligence is the unique intersection of the heart and head, which is very important in the current working environment of civil servants. Explain. (10 marks) Approach: Introduce EI as the unique intersection of the heart and head Discuss the factors due to which EI is very important in the current working environment of civil servants Conclude appropriately Model
Read moreDiscuss the role of family in inculcating values in a person. (10 marks)
Q1. Discuss the role of family in inculcating values in a person. (10 marks) Approach: Introduce by explaining values Discuss the role of the family in inculcating values, giving examples of both good and bad Conclude appropriately Model Answer : Values are an individual/group’s own principles or qualities guiding their judgment and behaviour. They can be intrinsic like truth, courage,
Read moreQ.What are bio ethics? Why has its importance increased recently? Discuss one bio ethical issue of eminence in recent times.
Bioethics is a field of applied ethics which involves ethical issues related to living beings and concerns three broad areas namely medical ethics (health care, health science, and health policy), animal ethics, and environmental ethics. It involves not just doctors, but patients,scientists, activists and policy makers and public at large. The increase of the importance of bioethics can be attributed
Read moreWhat is the relevance of probity in governance? What steps can be taken to promote it.
For any country to survive and prosper there should be a continuous growth, optimal utilization of resources using state of the art technology and reduction of economic disparities so that all sections and regions of the country contribute to its growth. It is even more a necessity for a country like India where a sizable population lives under poverty line,there
Read moreEthics case study
You are the Secretary of a State IAS Officers Association(SIOA). Recently, a senior IAS Officer posted as Chairman of the State Staff Selection Commission was arrested in connection with a question paper leak scam. Following his arrest, many IAS officers have approached you to organize a collective action to seek justice for him. They are proposing that an emergency meeting
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The leader of a prominent social group has been facing trial in a criminal case. The court is expected to deliver the verdict in two days. Ahead of the verdict, a large number of members of this group from various parts of State have flocked en masse to the city where the court is located. They threaten to go on
Read moreEthics Case Study-1
A close friend of your joins a reputed construction firm. He is assigned to a project under which the company is building a flyover in a metropolitan city. In his very first week on the job, as he inspects the construction designs, he realizes that there is a potentially dangerous flaw in the design, which so far has gone unnoticed.
Read moreGiven a choice between the two, an organization should focus more on its culture than its regulations. Do you agree? (150 words – 10 marks)
Yes, I agree. The structure of an organization comprises the rules and procedures on the basis of which it is created and functions. A good structure is necessary for better performance, but is not sufficient. Rules and procedures can be effective only when interpreted and implemented in letter and spirit. This cannot be mandated by the structure but is influenced
Read moreAccountability without responsibility is like a bird without wings. Comment. (150 words – 10 marks)
Accountability is necessary for better governance but not sufficient. It has some fundamental limitations which can be overcome only by performing our duties with a sense of responsibility. Such limitations include: i) Difficulties in constantly monitoring the various activities of subordinates. ii) Accountability can consider quantity but not quality. In situations where discretion is involved, accountability is of limited value.
Read moreAny attempt by an institution to withhold information from its stakeholders should invite strict censure. Do you agree?
No, I do not completely agree. There may be situations where information would need to be withheld for larger public interest. Such circumstances can arise when the matter concerns: i. Preserving national security e.g. it would be wrong for the media to relay live coverage of a terror attack while the operation is still in progress, as happened in Mumbai in 2008.
Read moreThere are unjust laws, just as there are unjust men. Explain with a suitable example. (150 words – 10 marks)
The words of Mahatma Gandhi were from his struggle in South Africa against the unjust racial laws. Laws protect the rights of people and regulate the civil activities. In most of the cases, laws are on the lines of ethical principles. But, there are also several laws which are clearly unethical. For example laws made by Nazi state in Germany
Read moreWhat are the ethical concerns involved in a country’s decision to deny asylum to refugees?
Such ethical concerns can be considered in two time-frames. Short-term concerns: i. Greater strain on scarce national resources, at the expense of ones own citizens. ii. Security risks, since the refugees are more vulnerable to recruitment by terror groups. iii. Provides no clear benefits to the host country, apart from possibly a moral high ground. Long-term concerns: i. Turning down
Read moreCase Study 3 – Ethics
You are Ms. A, an investigator working with an insurance company. Recently, a case was forwarded to you for investigation. This case pertains to an insurance claim of Rs. 2 crores, made with respect to the maturity of a life insurance policy. The company’s suspicion has been aroused because only 6 instalments of this policy were paid before the policy
Read moreCase Study-2 Ethics
You are the CEO of a prominent IT Company, based in Bengaluru. Recently, your company has successfully developed a software which seamlessly translates many regional languages into English. The applications of this software are multi-fold and are expected to generate a lot of revenue for the company. A few days after the software is released, an employee of your firm
Read moreCase Study Ethics
A jawan in the Indian Army is extremely disillusioned with his present working conditions. Stationed at a high-altitude border post, he struggles with the hostile weather, the risk of enemy gunfire and the stress of constantly being in a state of high alertness. Such stress if further compounded by the poor living conditions and a very meagre, often inedible diet.
Read moreWhat are the challenges associated with the institutional and societal framework for fighting corruption? (150 words – 10 marks)
The legal and institutional framework to curb corruption is well developed in the country and there are various bodies in place for implementing anti-corruption policies and raising awareness on corruption issues, but still it faces the following problems: CVC: Needs prior sanction to prosecute. Cannot probe officials below Joint Secretary level until government refers case and Limited staff.
Read moreA committed bureaucracy must be cautious about who it is committed to. Explain.
A committed bureaucracy is conducive to national development only when its commitment is towards public welfare. If this commitment is misunderstood and the bureaucracy unflinchingly starts serving a political leader or party, it can prove disastrous for the nation. E.g. German officers under the Nazi’s who blindly supported Hitler led to the downfall of their own nation. A bureaucrat should serve the
Read moreWhat is dynamic pricing? Examine the ethical issues involved in dynamic pricing by a private firm and by a govt. organization. (150 words – 10 marks)
Dynamic pricing is a pricing strategy wherein the price is not firmly set; instead it changes based on changing circumstances, such as increases in demand at certain times, type of customer being targeted or changing marketing conditions. The fundamental concern w.r.t. dynamic pricing strategies is the availability of viable alternatives. This ensures that any such mechanism provides benefits to the organization but
Read moreWhen the objective is noble, the means do not matter. Do you agree? Justify your stand with a suitable example. (150 words – 10 marks)
No, I do not completely agree with the statement. Even if the objective is noble, the means through which it is to be achieved must not be compromised. For, if they are compromised, the objective itself may lose relevance. A case in point is the program of forced sterilizations that India witnessed in the 1970s. The objective was noble, to
Read moreIt is easier to build a boy than to mend a man. Discuss this statement in the light of selecting an individual for public office. 150 words
The basis of the statement lies in two elements: firstly, that it is possible to change behavior but very difficult to change attitudes; secondly, that as one ages,attitudes become more rigid and difficult to change. Thus, the earlier we introduce interventions to correct or improve behaviours and attitudes, the greater the chances of a meaningful impact. With regard to selecting an individual
Read moreWhat is service quality? How can it be improved? (150 words – 10 marks)
Service quality can be defined as the difference between customer expectations and customer perceptions. If expectations are greater than the customer’s perceptions about service experience and outcome, the perceived quality is not satisfactory. This emphasizes the fact that in assessing service quality, it is the perspective of the customer that should be given precedence. Improving the quality of public services
Read moreWhy India faces huge corruption?
Why India faces huge corruption? • Colonial Legacy of unchallenged authority and abritary use of power • Asymmetry of power. Reduces societal pressure to conform to ethical behavior • Conscious choice of our economic policies which put citizen at the mercy of state – Monopoly – Corruption. • Over Centralization – Power is exercised more remotely – increasing the distance
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