Ethics Section A Questions Year-Wise

This document organises Ethics Section-A questions from the sources by year, identifies the relevant UPSC syllabus point, and highlights key terms essential for examination focus.

2023

• Corporate Governance & Integrity: Understanding moral integrity and professional efficiency in the Indian corporate context.
• International Relations: Contemporary ethics regarding international aid for resource-challenged nations.
• Social Values & Corruption: Measures to uplift core values in society to combat corruption.
• Work Environment: Differentiating between coercion and undue influence.
• Quotations & Philosophy: Insights on Mahatma Gandhi’s view on kindness, Jawaharlal Nehru’s view on the awakening of women, and Swami Vivekananda’s teaching on hatred and love,.
• Emotional Intelligence: The role of EQ over IQ in achieving success and lifelong happiness.
• Ethical Decision-Making: Differentiating moral intuition from moral reasoning, and evaluating conscience against laws and regulations.
• Governance: The importance of probity for socio-economic development and the role of social capital in good governance,.
• Relevance of Teachings: Contemporary relevance of the major teachings of Guru Nanak.

2022

• Administrative Ethics: Preoccupation of officers with peripheral issues versus core service delivery.
• Rules & Regulations: The impact of positive versus negative mindsets in interpreting civil service rules.
• Functioning of Systems: How ethics promotes smooth functioning and conflict resolution in daily life.
• Quotations: Reflections on Potter Stewart (right vs. right to do), Abdul Kalam (role of parents and teachers in a corruption-free nation), and the Dalai Lama (judging success by sacrifice).
• Technology & Governance: The efficacy of e-Governance initiatives and ethical issues in using online methods for vulnerable sections.
• International Ethics: Ethical considerations regarding the launch and continuation of the Russia-Ukraine war.
• Key Terms: Short notes on constitutional morality, conflict of interest, probity, digitisation challenges, and devotion to duty.
• Whistleblowing: Policy measures for safeguarding whistleblowers against victimization.
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Evaluating if CSR is sufficient for fulfilling environmental and social roles.

2021

• Civil Service Traits: Identifying ethical traits for plotting performance and essential values for effective public service,.
• Digital Ethics: Evaluating digital technology as a reliable input for rational decision-making.
• Professional Dilemmas: The need for innovativeness and creativity in resolving ethical dilemmas.
• Quotations: Meanings of quotes by Swami Vivekananda (perseverance), the Dalai Lama (inner peace), and Erik Erikson (interdependence).
• Attitude & Public Service: Building suitable attitudes for public servants.
• Emotional Intelligence: Using EI to overcome crises of conscience without compromising morals.
• Human Rights: Ethical dimensions of turning back refugees in democratic societies.
• Accountability: The indispensability of impartiality, non-partisanship, and social audit mechanisms.
• Integrity: Integrity as a value that empowers human beings.

2020

• National Power: Role of ethics in enhancing human capital, soft power, and social harmony.
• Education Policy: Examining the New Education Policy (2020) as a tool for social transformation.
• Philosophy: Impact of hatred on national spirit and the relevance of Buddha’s teachings today.
• Emotional Intelligence: Learning the main components of EI.
• International Relations: Guiding the "will to power" through rationality and moral duty.
• Legal vs. Ethical: Distinguishing between laws and rules and the role of ethics in their formulation.
• Social Issues: Factors for gender inequality and Savitribai Phule’s contributions.
• Internet Values: Conflict between internet-driven cultural values and traditional values.
• Quotations: Insights from Swami Vivekanand (blessing others), Mahatma Gandhi (service of others), and Socrates (emotional morality),.

2019

• Public Life: Basic principles and the expected role of a public servant.
• Public Finance: Implications of under-utilization and mis-utilization of public funds.
• Corruption: Non-performance of duty as a form of corruption.
• Morality & Conscience: Upholding constitutional morality and manifestations of the crisis of conscience.
• Citizens & Information: Importance of the citizens' charter and the clash between the Official Secrets Act and RTI,.
• Governance: Measures for ensuring probity in government.
• Emotional Intelligence: Ability to make emotions work for the individual.
• Quotations: Reflections on Socrates (unexamined life), M.K. Gandhi (product of thoughts), and A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (righteousness in the heart).

2018

• Civil Service Values: Universal basic values and the difference between Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct.
• Public Interest: Procedures to be followed by civil servants in the interest of the public.
• Accountability: RTI as a tool for redefining accountability.
• Conflict of Interest: Differences between actual and potential conflicts.
• Quotations: Warren Buffett’s view on integrity, and principles regarding permitted actions for public servants.
• Moral Philosophy: Debate between means and ends.
• Policy Ethics: Dealing with ethnic communities and environmental contingencies in dam construction.
• Dilemmas: Processes for resolving ethical dilemmas in Public Administration.
• Quotations: Analysis of Lincoln (good vs. evil in policy), Gandhi (anger and intolerance), and Thirukkural (falsehood for the common good),.

2017

• Public Sector Conflicts: Resolving conflicts between official duties, public interest, and personal interests.
• Civil Service Relevance: Transparency, accountability, fairness, courage of conviction, and spirit of service.
• Politics: Motivating ethical young people to join active politics.
• Integrity & CSR: Tests of integrity and the profitability of Corporate Social Responsibility,.
• Quotations: Napoleon Bonaparte (great ambition) and A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (role of parents/teachers).
• Practice: Applying EI in administrative practices.
• International Relations: Pillars of strength, peace, and security.
• Socio-Economics: Crisis of values in modern times and inequitable distribution of national wealth.
• Discipline: When discipline becomes counter-productive in organisations.

2016

• Well-being: Contribution of ethics to social and human well-being.
• Foundational Values: Impartiality and non-partisanship in the socio-political context.
• Governance Definitions: Differentiating governance, good governance, and ethical governance.
• Thinkers: Gandhi’s seven sins, John Rawls’s social justice, Kautilya’s views on corruption, and Max Weber’s bureaucratic morality,,.
• Applied Ethics: Social influence in Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and the difference between law and ethics.
• Attitude & Behavior: Managing unconsciously acquired undesirable attitudes and controlling anger,.

2015

• Environment: Importance and study of environmental ethics.
• Differentiations: Comparisons between Law vs. Ethics, Personal vs. Professional Ethics, and Discrimination vs. Preferential treatment.
• Quotations: Meanings of quotes regarding forgiveness and being afraid of the "light",.
• Legal vs. Ethical: Ethical sensibility beyond mere compliance with law.
• Inclusive Growth: Social values versus economic values.
• Transparency: Minimising negative impacts of RTI and media activism on decision-making.
• Administrative Attitudes: Bureaucratic versus democratic attitudes.
• Global Relations: Ethical considerations in bilateral relations and national interest.

2014

• Happiness: Definitions and aspirations for happiness.
• Administration: Importance of ethics and patriotism in everyday civil life.
• Probity & Knowledge: Difficulties in practicing probity and the danger of knowledge without integrity.
• Human Rights: Treating human beings as "ends" rather than "means".
• Self-Development: Personal inspiration from eminent personalities and improving ethical competence.
• Societal Issues: Addressing trust-deficits, causes of corruption, and sexual violence against women,.
• Social Psychology: Formation of attitudes towards social problems like the caste system.
• Accountability: Meaning and measures for public service accountability.

2013

• Basic Concepts: Understanding values, ethics, and professional competence.
• Public Service Terms: Integrity, perseverance, spirit of service, commitment, and courage of conviction.
• Universal Values: Perception of universal versus situational values.
• Intelligence & Conscience: Developing EI and heeding the "voice of conscience",.
• Quotations: Gandhi (greed vs. need), Lincoln (test of character via power), and Aristotle (overcoming desires),.
• Collective Good: Implementing the principle that the individual good is contained in the good of all.
• Ethics in Politics: Debating the compatibility of politics and ethics.