GS Strategist Morning Batch (2018-19)

MAIN TEST: ETHICS

Time Allowed : 3 hrs Maximum Marks : 250

SECTION- A
Q1. “A social order may be defined as the consequence of any set of moral norms that regulates the way in which
persons interact & pursue objectives.” Explain the set of moral principles that guides and constitutes the basis
of interaction for a Civil Servant. (150 words, 15 marks)
Q2. There is a very thin line between arrogance and confidence. Bring out the difference between the two and
illustrate ways by which an individual can control/manage his/her tendency to become arrogant.
(150 words, 15 marks)
Q3. Distinguish between the following terms: (20 marks)
1. Business Ethics & Public service Ethics (50 words)
2. Values of Life & Values of Workplace (50 words)
3. Attitude & Behaviour (50 words)
4. Aptitude & Intelligence (50 words)
Q4. Establish the relevance of the following emotional skills to administrative activities. (50 words each) 10 marks
(i) Building Bonds
(ii) intrapersonal intelligence
Q5. (a)”Our tradition teaches tolerance; our philosophy preaches tolerance; our Constitution practises tolerance; let
us not dilute it.” Regrettably, over the years, tolerance has been replaced by the rising menace of intolerance
which strikes at various fields of human endeavour and creativity: writings, music, drama, paintings and movies.
Discuss the growing menace of intolerance and suggest ways by which intolerance can be countered.
(150 words, 10 marks)
(b) One of the primary functions of governance is that of changing lives by changing mindsets. Changing a
mindset is fraught with challenges, explain the challenges faced by Govt. of India while attempting to change
the gender preference mindset. (150 words, 10 marks)
Q6. “Anyone can be angry- that is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time,
for the right purpose, and in the right way- that is not easy” Aristotle. Comment. (150 words, 15 marks)
Q7. Rationality or Emotional Intelligence, which of the two do you think is the essential characteristic to being a
human person. Discuss. (150 words, 10 marks)
Q8. Discuss the difference between patriotism and nationalism and as a citizen and a patriot how can you contribute
to nation building. Elucidate with examples. (150 words, 15 marks)

SECTION-B
CASE STUDY- 1
In the mid-1980s, Sam was Alpha Electronics’ project leader on a new contract to produce manufactured
weaponry devices for companies doing business with NATO government agencies. The devices were advanced
technology land mines with electronic controls that could be triggered with capacitor circuits to go off only at
specified times, rather than years when children might be playing in old minefields. NATO provided all the technical
specifications and Alpha Electronics fulfilled the contract without problems. However, Sam was concerned that one
new end user of this device could negate the safety aspects of the trigger and make land mines more dangerous than
any other on the market. After the NATO contract was completed, Sam was dismayed to learn that Alpha Electronics
had signed another contract with an East European firm that had a reputation of stealing patented devices and also
of doing business with terrorist organisations. Sam halted production of the devices. He then sought advice from
some of his colleagues and contracted US State Department’s office of Munitions controls. The contract that Sam
unilaterally voided by his action was for nearly $2 million over 15 years. Sam took matters into his own hands
without any foreknowledge of how his decision would be viewed by his company’s upper management, board of
directors, or fellow workers, many of whom were also company stock holders. Sam strongly believed his action
was the right thing to do, both for his company and for the public welfare.
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 GS Strategist Morning Batch (2018-19)
MAIN TEST: ETHICS

Q1. Do you think Sam’s action apparently taken in the larger interest of public can be justified? Why/why not?
(150 words, 10 marks)
Q2. Explain the professional values that must have guided Sam’s actions in the above case.(150 words, 10 marks)

CASE STUDY- 2
Geetha and Prashant are two committed, young NGO project assistants working in a backward district which
was infamous for child marriages. Their job was to campaign about the evils of child marriage, which they found
very challenging because of the traditional mindset of the villagers. But what bothered them more than the child
marriages was the poor condition of the child widows and they saw the problem of child marriage and child
widowhood interconnected. They planned to call a meeting of village folks along with the district administrative
authorities and address them in an open manner with an intention to sensitise and trigger a process of change.
Q1. Explain the challenges that confront Geetha and Prashant as they plan the combined effort along with the
district authorities. (150 words, 10 marks)
Q2. If you were in Geetha and Prashant’s position what would be your persuasive strategy and main arguments for
triggering a change? (150 words, 10 marks)

CASE STUDY- 3
Ashok and Sapna are ambitious, energetic urban planners employed by a district planning agency in a growing
metropolitan region. Their work on several city comprehensive plans brings them much praise, including several
positive stories published in the local vernacular newspapers. One day Sapna says to Ashok, “why don’t we try to
make some money as planning consultants? We can advertise ourselves on the World Wide Web with a web site. The
costs would be minimal, and as long as we don’t contract with clients doing business with our agency, there
shouldn’t be any ethical or legal issues to contend with.” Ashok gives Sapna’s suggestion a few days of thought, and
a week later they have a web site in place. On the web page, Ashok and Sapna are presented as A&S Associates,
Urban Planners. Services that their firm can provide include, among other things, market analysis, community
planning, business site selection, and geographic information systems. Although the web page does not identify
Ashok’s and Sapna’s current employer by name, it does note that they have local government experience as planners.
Moreover, the page contains their firm’s e-mail address and telephone number.

Q1. What do you understand by conflict of interest? Do you think above case reflects a situation of conflict of
interest? Explain. (150 words, 10 marks)
Q2. Do you think Ashok and Sapna’s actions are a violation of Duty or Work Ethics, or it is both Duty and Work
ethics. Explain. (150 words, 15 marks)

CASE STUDY- 4
Peter has been working with the Bigness Oil Company’s local affiliate for several years, and he has established
a strong, trusting relationship with Jesse, manager of the local facility. The facility, on Peter’s recommendations,
has followed all of the environmental regulations to the latter, and it has a solid reputation with the state regulatory
agency. The local facility receives various petro-chemical products via pipelines and tank trucks, and it blends them
for resale to the private sector. Jesse has been so pleased with Peter’s work that he has recommended that Peter be
retained as the corporate consulting engineer. This would be a significant advancement for Peter and his consulting
firm. One day, over coffee, Jesse tells Peter a story about a mysterious loss in one of the raw petrochemicals he
receives by pipeline. Sometime during the 1950s, when operations were more lax, a loss of one of the process
chemicals was discovered when the books were audited. There were apparently 10,000 gallons of the chemical
missing. After running pressure tests on the pipelines, the plant manager found that one of the pies had corroded and
had been leaking the chemical into the ground. After stopping the leak, the company no ground water pollution and
the wells were capped, and the story never appeared in the press. Peter is taken aback by this apparently innocent
revelation. He recognizes that state law requires him to report all spills that occurred years ago, where the effects of
the spill seem to have dissipated? He frowns and says to Jesse, “We have to report this spill to the state, you know.”
Jesse is incredulous. “But there is no spill. If the state made us look for it, we probably could not find it; and even

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 GS Strategist Morning Batch (2018-19)
MAIN TEST: ETHICS

if we did, it makes no sense whatever to pump it out or contain it in any way.” ‘But the law says that we have to
report…” replies Peter. Hey, look. I told you this in confidence.
Q1 Confidentiality and transparency are dilemmas that not only comes in professional work space it also shows up
in personal relations as we see in the case of Jesse & Peter. Do you think Peter is justified in reporting the whole
episode to law violating the confidence displayed by Jesse? Why/Why not? (150 words, 10 marks)
Q2. In the situations of Confidentiality & Transparency dilemmas, what are the public service values that must be
your guiding values? (150 words, 15 marks)

CASE STUDY- 5
In 1970 Carl Houston was working for Stone and Webster, the contractor for a nuclear power facility being
constructed in Surry, Virginia. Houston was assigned as a welding supervisor at the facility an immediately saw that
improper welding procedures were being used. Wrong materials were being used and the welders had not been
properly trained. The situation was especially dangerous since some of the defective welds were appearing on the
water pipes carrying coolant to the reactor core. Rupture of the pipes could cause disaster if safety backups failed
simultaneously. Houston reported his observations to Stone and Webster’s local manager, who disregarded them.
When Houston threatened to write to Stone and Webster’s HQ, he was told he would be fired. He sought to alert the
reactor suppliers to the danger, and shortly thereafter he was fired on the trumped-up grounds that he was not
qualified for welding. Afterwards he wrote letters to the governor of Virginia and to the Atomic Energy Commission,
which were never answered.
Q1. Despite the good intentions, Houston was fired and in retrospect, do you think Houston’s risk of taking up the
employer was worth it? If you were in Houston’s position, what would have been your course of action?
(150 words, 10 marks)
Q2. Do you think being morally courageous is fraught with risks? What are the challenges involved in being moral
courageous? (150 words, 10 marks)

CASE STUDY- 6
Mr. Pandey, personally would never try to bribe a public official for anything. But Mr. Pandey is responsible for
constructing a new manufacturing facility, under a strict and extreme tight deadline. If he fails to meet the deadline,
there would be serious repercussions. As the job nears completion, it becomes quite evident that, despite his initial
warnings to follow letter of law meticulously, the contractor has been making under-the-table payments to certain
members of the municipal corporation to ensure that inspections and permits are completed on schedule. What’s
more, Mr. Pandey notices that there are about 25 percent more electricians on the job than are necessary. Does Mr.
Pandey investigate the contractor’s methods or not? Should he call a halt to bribing officials if that is in fact what is
occurring? Should he discuss the matter with his superiors? He chooses to leave matters alone. The short term
disadvantages of rocking the boat loom large in his mind: certain delays in inspections, possible sabotage of the
electrical system, and an angry boss who is under pressure from above to get the facility completed. Mr. Pandey
explained his reasons for doing nothing: “Look, I know it’s terrible, but my department expects me to get the job
done.”
Q1. Do you think Mr. Pandey’s methods of getting the job done is justified? Why/Why not.
(150 words, 10 marks)
Q2. What according to you must be Mr. Pandey’s course of action? Justify. (150 words. 10 marks)