Home › UPSC CSE Mains › 2021 › Ethics

UPSC CSE Mains 2021 — Ethics Questions with Answers

All 7 Ethics previous-year questions from UPSC CSE Mains 2021, each with the correct answer and a full explanation. Practise them as a free, timed mock test with instant scoring.

1. Q1.Civil Service Values

   (a) Identify five ethical traits on which one can plot the performance of a civil servant. Justify their inclusion in the matrix. (b) Identify ten essential values needed to be an effective public servant. Describe the ways and means to prevent non-ethical behaviour in public servants.

2. Q2.Ethics & Human Interface

   (a) The impact of digital technology as a reliable source of input for rational decision making is a debatable issue. Critically evaluate with a suitable example. (b) Besides domain knowledge, a public official needs innovativeness and creativity of a high order while resolving ethical dilemmas. Discuss with a suitable example.

3. Q3.Ethics & Human Interface

   (a) "Every work has got to pass through hundreds of difficulties before succeeding. Those that persevere will see the light, sooner or later." - Swami Vivekananda. (b) "We can never obtain peace in the outer world until and unless we obtain peace within ourselves." - Dalai Lama. (c) "Life doesn't make any sense without interdependence. We need each other, and the sooner we learn that, the better for us all." - Erik Erikson.

4. Q4.Ethics & Human Interface

   (a) "Refugees should not be turned back to the country where they would face persecution or human rights violation." Examine the statement with reference to the ethical dimension being violated by a nation claiming to be democratic with an open society. (b) Should impartiality and being non-partisan be considered indispensable qualities to make a successful civil servant? Discuss with illustrations.

5. Q5.Probity in Governance

   What do each of the following quotations mean to you? (a) An independent and empowered social audit mechanism is an absolute must in every sphere of public service, including the judiciary, to ensure performance, accountability and ethical conduct. Elaborate. (b) "Integrity is a value that empowers the human being." Justify with suitable illustration.

6. Q6.Probity in Governance

   Sunil is a young civil servant with a reputation for competence, integrity, dedication and relentless pursuit of difficult and onerous jobs. He was picked to handle a very challenging and sensitive assignment, posted in a tribal-dominated district notorious for illegal sand mining. Excavating sand from the river belt, transporting it through trucks and selling it in the black market was rampant, operated by a mafia with the support of local functionaries and tribal musclemen who bribed selected poor tribals and kept them under fear and intimidation. Sunil grasped the ground realities and modus operandi, and on inquiry found some of his own office employees in collusion with the mafia. He initiated stringent action and conducted raids on the illegal truck movement. The rattled mafia turned hostile and launched a counter-offensive; tribal musclemen and the mafia threatened him with dire consequences. His family (wife and old mother) were stalked and under virtual surveillance, causing mental torture, agony and stress. The matter assumed serious proportions when a muscleman came to his office and threatened him to stop the raids, warning that his fate would be no different from some of his predecessors (ten years back one officer was killed by the mafia). (a) Identify the different options available to Sunil in attending to this situation. (b) Critically evaluate each of the options listed by you. (c) Which of the above do you think would be the most appropriate for Sunil to adopt, and why?

7. Q7.Ethics & Human Interface

   A reputed food product company based in India developed a food product for the international market and started exporting after getting necessary approvals. The company announced this achievement and indicated the product would soon be made available for domestic consumers with almost the same quality and health benefits. Accordingly, it got the product approved by the domestic competent authority and launched it in the Indian market, increasing its market share and earning substantial profit domestically and internationally. However, a random sample test by an inspecting team found the product sold domestically at variance with the approval obtained. Further investigation discovered the company was not only selling products not meeting the country's health standards but also selling rejected export products in the domestic market. This adversely affected the reputation and profitability of the company. (a) What action do you visualize should be taken by the competent authority against the food company for violating the laid-down domestic food standard and selling rejected export products in the domestic market? (b) What course of action is available with the food company to resolve the crisis and bring back its lost reputation? Examine the ethical dilemma involved in the case.