Mains Support Programme/2025
VAJIRAM & RAVI
[Institute for IAS Examination]
GENERAL STUDIES
Mains Support Programme
Test- 15 (Ethics in Governance)
Time Allowed: 90 minutes Maximum Marks: 130
Hours
INSTRUCTIONS
Candidates should attempt all questions.
The number of marks carried by each question is indicated at
the end of the question.
Important: Attempt questions in the “Answer Booklet” in
the same serial order in which they are printed in the
question paper. If you skip a question, indicate it
accordingly in your “Answer Booklet”.
Pages left blank in the answer book are to be clearly struck
out in ink. Any answers that follow pages left blank may not
be given credit.
9-B, Bada Bazar Marg, Old Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi-
110060
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1. (a) What do you understand by the following terms in
the context of public service?
(10 marks, 150 words)
(i) Probity in governance
(ii) Code of Ethics
(iii) Accountability
(iv) Dedication to public service
(v) Crisis of conscience
(b) Wisdom lies in knowing what to reckon with and
what to overlook. An officer being engrossed with the
periphery, ignoring the core issues before him, is not
rare in the bureaucracy. Do you agree that such
preoccupation of an administrator leads to the travesty of
justice to the cause of effective service delivery and
good governance? Critically evaluate.
(10 marks, 150 words)
2.
(a) Examine how the constant and continuous collision
between bureaucratic values and democratic values
adversely affects governance.
(10 marks, 150 words)
(b) Social media platforms have created new options for
public servants to engage with a form of outreach that
carries both enormous potential and enormous risk.
Analyse in the context of the growing social media
presence of civil servants.
(10 marks, 150 words)
3.
(a) The Right to Information Act is not all about citizens’
empowerment alone, it essentially redefines the
concept of accountability. Discuss.
(10 marks, 150 words)
(b) "One of the penalties for refusing to participate in
politics is that you end up being governed by your
inferiors”. Examine the statement in the context of
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participation of the honest and young individuals in
politics.
(10 marks, 150 words)
4.
(a) “If humanity is to succeed in space, our ethics must
evolve.” Examine the statement with reference to
various ethical dimensions being violated in space
exploration endeavours.
(10 marks, 150 words)
(b) How far do you think that CSR complements the
government's efforts of equitably delivering the
benefits of growth and engaging the corporate sector
in inclusive and sustainable development?
(10 marks, 150 words)
5.
(a) It is generally recognized that monopoly and
discretion increase the propensity to corruption while
competition and transparency reduce corruption.
Discuss.
(10 marks, 150 words)
(b) The real problem when it comes to ethics is that the
choices are not usually simple. Rather than choosing
between black and white, it becomes a matter of
distinguishing between shades of grey. Discuss in
context of the ethical dilemmas faced by a civil
servant.
(10 marks, 150 words)
6. What do you understand by the following quotes in the
present context?
(a) “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want
to test a man’s character, give him power”- Abraham
Lincoln.
(10 marks, 150 words)
(b) "Justice without force is powerless; force without
justice is tyrannical." - Blaise Pascal.
(10 marks, 150 words)
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(c) “Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very
important that you do it.” – Mahatma Gandhi.
(10 marks, 150 words)
