UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE) General Studies IV: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude Flashcards

24 sample cards from the General Studies IV: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude deck

Sampled from the end of the deck, so these are different cards from the ones shown on the syllabus page.

1. Define objectivity as a foundational value of public service.

   Objectivity is basing advice, decisions and actions on rigorous analysis of evidence, facts and merit - free from personal feelings, prejudices or extraneous considerations. The Nolan Committee defines it as making choices on merit. It ensures fair, fact-based and transparent decision-making.

2. What is meant by 'dedication to public service'?

   Dedication to public service is the wholehearted, selfless commitment of a public servant to serve citizens and the public interest, placing duty above personal gain, working with sincerity and a sense of mission, and remaining responsive and accessible especially to the poor and vulnerable.

3. Distinguish between empathy, sympathy and compassion.

   Sympathy = feeling sorry for someone's suffering (from a distance). Empathy = the ability to understand and share another's feelings by putting oneself in their shoes. Compassion = empathy plus the active desire and effort to relieve the other's suffering. Compassion is empathy translated into action.

4. Who are the 'weaker sections' a civil servant must show empathy toward, and why does it matter?

   Weaker sections include SCs, STs, OBCs, minorities, women, children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, the poor and migrants. Empathy, tolerance and compassion toward them matter because they are most affected by administrative decisions and least able to assert rights, so a sensitive administration ensures inclusive, just governance and social justice.

5. What is tolerance as an administrative value?

   Tolerance is the willingness to accept and respect differences of opinion, belief, religion, caste, culture and behaviour without prejudice or hostility. For a civil servant it ensures secular, pluralistic and inclusive governance and the ability to work fairly with diverse groups.

6. State the core ethical philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi.

   Gandhi's ethics centred on Satya (truth) and Ahimsa (non-violence) as supreme values, with means being as important as ends. Key ideas: Satyagraha (truth-force/non-violent resistance), Trusteeship (the wealthy hold wealth in trust for society), Sarvodaya (upliftment of all), and the 'Talisman' - judge any action by its effect on the poorest person.

7. What was Gandhi's 'Seven Social Sins'?

   Gandhi listed: (1) Wealth without work; (2) Pleasure without conscience; (3) Knowledge without character; (4) Commerce without morality; (5) Science without humanity; (6) Religion without sacrifice; (7) Politics without principle.

8. Summarize Aristotle's virtue ethics and the 'Golden Mean'.

   Aristotle held that morality is about cultivating virtues (excellences of character) through habit, aiming at Eudaimonia (flourishing/the good life). Virtue lies in the Golden Mean - the desirable middle between two extremes of excess and deficiency (e.g. courage is the mean between recklessness and cowardice).

9. What is Kant's deontological ethics and the Categorical Imperative?

   Immanuel Kant's deontology judges actions by duty and adherence to moral rules, not consequences. The Categorical Imperative: (1) Act only on a maxim you can will to become a universal law; (2) Treat humanity always as an end, never merely as a means. Good will and duty are central.

10. What is utilitarianism, and who are its main proponents?

    Utilitarianism is a consequentialist theory holding that the morally right action is the one that produces the greatest happiness/good for the greatest number. Founded by Jeremy Bentham (quantitative 'hedonic calculus') and refined by John Stuart Mill, who introduced qualitative distinctions between higher and lower pleasures.

11. Summarize the ethical teachings of Confucius.

    Confucius emphasized Ren (benevolence/humaneness), Li (propriety, ritual, etiquette), filial piety, and the cultivation of the 'Junzi' (the morally superior gentleman). He taught the silver rule: 'Do not do to others what you would not want done to yourself,' and stressed virtuous leadership by moral example.

12. What is Kautilya's (Chanakya's) contribution to administrative ethics?

    In the Arthashastra, Kautilya laid out the duties of a king and officials, emphasizing that 'in the happiness of his subjects lies the king's happiness.' He stressed welfare (Yogakshema), accountability of officials, detection of corruption (he listed 40 ways of embezzlement), and ethical statecraft balanced with practical governance.

13. What is John Rawls's theory of justice and the 'veil of ignorance'?

    Rawls's 'Justice as Fairness' argues principles of justice should be chosen behind a 'veil of ignorance' where no one knows their own social position. Two principles result: (1) equal basic liberties for all; (2) the Difference Principle - social/economic inequalities are just only if they benefit the least advantaged.

14. What did Swami Vivekananda and Buddha contribute to ethical thought?

    Vivekananda emphasized service to humanity as service to God ('Jiva is Shiva'), strength, fearlessness and self-realization. Buddha taught the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, with core values of Ahimsa, compassion (Karuna), the Middle Path, and right conduct, livelihood and intention.

15. What are the core public service values listed in UPSC GS-IV?

    Integrity, impartiality, non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance, compassion, accountability, transparency, honesty, courage of conviction, and commitment to the Constitution and rule of law. These guide ethical conduct in public administration.

16. What is the Second ARC's view on the foundational values for civil services?

    The Second Administrative Reforms Commission (2nd ARC) recommended that the core values of civil services should be: integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, and empathy toward weaker sections. It also recommended a code of ethics and a Public Service Bill.

17. What are the 'Seven Principles of Public Life' (Nolan Committee)?

    Selflessness, Integrity, Objectivity, Accountability, Openness, Honesty, and Leadership. Laid down by the UK's Nolan Committee (1995), they are widely cited as standards for holders of public office.

18. Distinguish between a 'code of conduct' and a 'code of ethics'.

    A code of conduct is a detailed, specific set of dos and don'ts/rules prescribing behaviour, with disciplinary consequences (negative/prescriptive, e.g. CCS Conduct Rules). A code of ethics is a broad statement of values and guiding principles that inspire integrity (positive/aspirational). Ethics guides; conduct enforces.

19. Define accountability and distinguish it from responsibility.

    Responsibility is the obligation/duty to perform an assigned task. Accountability is the obligation to answer for one's actions, decisions and their outcomes, and to bear consequences (rewards/sanctions) for them. Responsibility can be shared; accountability is ultimately individual and cannot be fully delegated.

20. What are the main types/mechanisms of accountability in governance?

    (1) Political accountability (to legislature/ministers, elections); (2) Administrative/hierarchical accountability (to superiors, rules); (3) Legal/judicial accountability (courts, tribunals); (4) Financial accountability (CAG, audit, PAC); (5) Social/public accountability (RTI, social audit, citizen charters, media).

21. What is ethical governance, and what are its key pillars?

    Ethical governance is the exercise of public authority guided by moral principles and the public interest. Its key pillars are: transparency, accountability, rule of law, integrity, responsiveness, participation, equity/inclusiveness, and efficiency - ensuring decisions are fair, honest and serve citizens.

22. Name key instruments that promote transparency and accountability in Indian administration.

    Right to Information Act (2005), Citizen's Charters, Social Audits (e.g. under MGNREGA), e-Governance, Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act (2013), Whistle Blowers Protection Act (2014), Prevention of Corruption Act (1988), CVC, CAG audits, and the Public Accounts Committee.

23. What is a conflict of interest, and how should a public servant handle it?

    A conflict of interest is a situation where a public servant's personal interest (financial, family, or other) could improperly influence the performance of official duties. It should be handled by disclosure of the interest, recusal from the decision, and avoiding situations where private gain conflicts with public duty - upholding objectivity and integrity.

24. Distinguish between 'ethics of conviction' and 'ethics of responsibility' (Max Weber).

    Max Weber distinguished the ethics of conviction (acting purely on one's moral principles regardless of consequences) from the ethics of responsibility (taking account of the foreseeable consequences of one's actions and being answerable for them). He argued a mature political/administrative actor must balance both.

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