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Practice UPSC New previous year questions on Anantam IAS: 0 Prelims MCQs and 596 Mains Q&A with answer keys, explanations and topic-wise links.
Prelims MCQs 0
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Mains Q&A 596
You are the Secretary of a State Department of Higher Education. The Vice Chancellor of a state university is found to have plagiarised six chapters of his doctoral thesis — confirmed by the UGC’s PDS software and an independent academic committee. He was appointed two years ago by the current Chief Minister; revoking the appointment would politically embarrass the CM weeks before assembly elections. The Chief Secretary tells you ‘wait for the model code of conduct period to pass — six weeks.’ Meanwhile, the VC is presiding over 4,200 PhD viva approvals, 18,000 graduations and ₹230 crore in research grants. Students’ unions have approached the High Court. Faculty are leaving in protest. National media is calling. The University Grants Commission has asked for a status report in 10 days. What course of action would you take? Justify with the values involved, the institutional safeguards you will trigger and the precedent you will set for academic governance.
You are District Magistrate of a hill district where a 60-km road through reserved forest is the only motorable link to 14 tribal villages with 9,200 PVTG residents. A pregnant woman died last month en route to the district hospital because the road was washed out in a cloudburst. The State government has cleared widening of the road from 5.5 m to 10 m to allow ambulances. The Forest Department’s report says the widening will fell 3,700 trees including 280 century-old oaks, and put two springs feeding three villages at risk. Local tribal gram sabhas under FRA 2006 are split — six want the road, eight oppose because the springs are sacred. An environmental NGO has filed an NGT petition. The state Minister is pushing for immediate work to begin before monsoon. What course of action would you take? Justify with the values involved, ethical theories you draw on, and the institutional mechanisms you will use.
You are the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch, in a metropolitan city. A respected social activist has been arrested under provisions invoking the UAPA based on intelligence inputs that you privately believe are thin. Her bail has been denied twice. She is 67, diabetic, and in detention for nine months without trial commencing. The Supreme Court has, in recent judgments, reiterated that ‘bail is the rule, jail the exception’ even under UAPA when trial is unduly delayed. Your political superiors have indicated that any ‘softness’ will end your career; the investigating team has built its identity around the case. An internal whistle from a junior officer hints at fabricated witness statements. International human-rights bodies have flagged the case. The Bar Council has called for her release. What course of action would you take? Justify with the values involved, the ethical theories you draw on, and the procedural reforms you will recommend.
Daniel Goleman lists five components of emotional intelligence. With examples from administration, show why empathy and social skills are indispensable for an officer managing a disaster-affected population.
‘Self-regulation is the keystone of emotional intelligence in public service.’ Examine with reference to provocations a District Magistrate may face during a communal flashpoint.
Compare Gandhian trusteeship with Kautilya’s saptanga theory. What does each prescribe for a contemporary civil servant managing land-acquisition for a Bharatmala highway?
Bring out the relevance of Aristotle’s doctrine of the mean and Kant’s categorical imperative for a public servant deciding on a contentious environmental clearance.
‘Probity in governance is the absence not just of corruption, but also of moral indifference.’ Examine in the context of institutions like CVC, Lokpal and CAG.
Differentiate between accountability and responsibility. Why is ‘objective responsibility’ insufficient without ‘subjective responsibility’ for a Secretary signing an environmental clearance?
What do you understand by ‘determinants of ethics’ in private and public relationships? Examine how family, peer group, educational institutions and the workplace each shape ethical conduct in a civil servant.
‘Attitude is the bridge between values and behaviour.’ Examine the three components of attitude (cognitive, affective, conative) and explain why attitudinal change is harder than informational change for a public servant working on sanitation behaviour change.
Differentiate moral attitude, political attitude and social attitude with one Indian example for each. How should a civil servant insulate professional decisions from personal political attitudes?
What is aptitude, and how does it differ from attitude and intelligence? Explain why aptitude alone cannot guarantee ethical conduct in civil services.
List the Nolan Principles of Public Life. Discuss with examples how ‘openness’ and ‘leadership’ can come into tension during a public-health emergency.
India’s biodiversity governance rests on the Biological Diversity Act 2002 and its 2023 Amendment. Examine how the amendment reshapes access-benefit-sharing and traditional knowledge protection.
Urban heat is emerging as a chronic disaster in Indian cities. Critically analyse the institutional gaps in Heat Action Plans and propose a multi-sectoral response.
The Disaster Management (Amendment) Act 2024 reshapes India’s federal disaster architecture. Examine the changes, the role of UDMA, and the residual gaps in financing and accountability.
Cybersecurity is now a national-security priority as critical infrastructure goes digital. Examine India’s institutional and legal framework and the gaps in protecting CIIs.
Distinguish between ethics, morality, values and law. Illustrate with a single instance where the four diverge for a District Magistrate handling a public protest.