InsightsUPSCMainsTestSeries2016

(GeneralStudiesPaper4)

Date:20September2016Test10Duration:1.15Hours
Marks:100

AnswerAllquestionsasperwordlimitspecifiedintheparenthesis.

SectionA

1. Discussthefactorsthatdetermineethicalbehaviourinhumanactions.(150Words)10

2. Philosophersmaintainthat,inethics,foranyactiontobelabelledashumanaction,it
shouldinvolvethreefactors,namelyknowledge,voluntarinessandfreewill.With
suitableexamples,discussimportanceofthesefactorsandinterrelationshipbetween
them.(150Words)10

3. Differentiatebetweenthefollowing:(150Words)10

i)PrudenceandIntuition
ii)EthicaldilemmaandEthicalreasoning
iii)HonestyandProbity
iv)LawandJustice

4. Givenarethreequotationsofmoralthinkers/philosophers.Foreachofthese,bringout
whatitmeanstoyouinthepresentcontext:

a) Justicewillnotbeserveduntilthosewhoareunaffectedareasoutragedasthosewho
are.(150Words)10
b) Freedomisnotworthhavingifitdoesnotincludethefreedomtomakemistakes.(150
Words)10
c) Theunexaminedlifeisnotworthliving.(150Words)10

SectionB

5. Aninfluentialconstructioncompanyhasbuiltahugeshoppingmallinaprimelocation
ofyourcity.Thismallisnowverypopularamongpeople.Adjacenttothemall,the
companyhasalsobuiltlargehousingtowers,affordableonlytotherichpeople.Because
itsalandmark,oneofcitysmetrostationislocatedrightintheheartofthismalland
housingtowers.Youareworkingascitysmayor.Aninvestigativereportinaleading
newspaperrevealsthatthesaidmallhasencroachedgovernmentlandandisbuiltright
ontopofalargestormwaterdrainage(SWD),byillegallyvanishingitaltogether.The

reporthasfoundthatduringrecentrains,ifthestormdrainagewaspresent,therewould
nothavebeenamajorfloodinthevicinityofthemallwhichmainlyaffectedadjacent
slums.Afterthereport,publicisholdingprotestsseekingdemolitionofthemalland
housingcomplex.Youareunderimmensepressuretotakeacall,eventhoughthefinal
decisionshouldbemadebymultipleagenciesandbythestategovernmentitself.You
hearthingsthatthebuilderofthemallisacloserelativeoftheChiefMinisterandhas
requestedgovernmentnottodemolishtheirpropertyaslivelihoodofthousandsof
peoplewouldbeaffected.Thereisapossibilitythatanydecisionyoutakemightberolled
backbythegovernment.Meanwhile,criticismagainstyouisgrowingaccusingyouof
turningblindeyetowardsrichandinfluentialpeople.

(a) Whatarethethreebestoptionsavailabletoyoutomanagethesituation?Examinetheir
meritsanddemerits.
(b) Whatcouldbethelongtermsolutiontotheissuediscussedinthecase?
(c) Ifgovernmentordersdemolitionofthelandmarkmallandsurroundinghousingtowers,
willitservecitysinterests?Criticallyexamine.(250Words)20

6. Recently,thegovernmenttookadecisiontoclosegovernmentrunschoolswhere
enrollmentislessthantenstudentsperclass.Governmentrunschoolinyourvillageis
oneoftheseschoolswhichwouldbeaffected.Childrenstudyinginyourvillages
governmentschoolarefromthepoorestfamilies.Majorityofotherfamiliesaresending
theirchildrentoprivateenglishmediumschools..Youareamemberofvillage
panchayat.InrecentGramSabha,whenyouraisedtheissueofgovernmentsdecisionto
closetheschool,mostpeoplesupportedthedecisionofgovernment.Evenallthe
membersofpanchayat,someofthemwhoownprivateschools,wanttoclosethe
governmentschool.However,thewardwhichyourepresentmainlyconsistsofpoor
people.Theywanttoretaintheschool.Butduetomajoritydecision,GramaSabhaheld
thatvillagehadnoobjectiontoclosingtheschool.

(a) Fromethicsperspective,whatargumentscanbemadeforandagainstretaining
governmentrunschoolinyourvillage?Discusstheirmeritsanddemerits.

(b) Assumingyoudonotwantthegovernmentschoolgetclosedatanycost,howfarareyou
willingtofightandhowwillyoufight?Discuss.(250Words)20