PYQs - Attitude, Social Influence and Persuasion

Section A

 

·         It is often said that ‘politics’ and ‘ethics’ do not go together. What is your opinion in this regard? Justify your answer with illustrations. 2013

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

·         All human beings aspire for happiness. Do you agree? What does happiness mean to you? Explain with answers. 2014

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

·         In the context of defence services, ‘patriotism’ demands readiness to even lay down one’s life in protecting the nation. According to you, what does patriotism imply in everyday civil life? Explain with illustrations and justify your answer. 2014

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

·         ‘Hatred is destructive of a person‘s wisdom and conscience that can poison a nation’s spirit. Do you agree with this view? Justify your answer. 2020

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

·         A positive attitude is considered to be an essential characteristic of a civil servant who is often required to function under extreme stress. What contributes a positive attitude in person? 2020

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

·         Attitude is an important component that goes as input in the development of human being. How to build a suitable attitude needed for a public servant? 2021

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

·         What factors affect the formation of a person’s attitude towards social problems? In our society, contrasting attitudes are prevalent about many social problems. What contrasting attitudes do you notice about the caste system in our society? How do you explain the existence of these contrasting attitudes? 2014

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two different kinds of attitudes exhibited by public servants towards their work have been identified as bureaucratic attitude and the democratic attitude.  2015

a)      Distinguish between these two terms and write their merits and demerits.

b)      Is it possible to balance the two too create a better administration for the faster development of our country?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Our attitudes towards life, work, other people and society are generally shaped unconsciously by the family and the social surroundings in which we grow up. Some of these unconsciously acquired attitudes and values are often undesirable in the citizens of a modern democratic and egalitarian society.

(a)    Discuss such undesirable values prevalent in today’s educated Indians

(b)   How can such undesirable attitudes be changed and socioethical values considered necessary in public services be cultivated in the aspiring and serving civil servants? 2016

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

·         How could social influence and persuasion contribute to the success of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan? 2016

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

·         Young people with ethical conduct are not willing to come forward to join active politics. Suggest steps to motivate them to come forward. 2017

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

·         Discuss how public officials can use social influence and persuasion to promote responsible waste disposal and recycling. Provide examples of successful waste management initiatives driven by behavioural change. KPSC 2025

 

Section B

2015 – Dalit Cook in Government School

You are the Sarpanch of a Panchayat. There is a primary school run by the government in your area. Midday meals are provided to children attending the school. The headmaster has now appointed a new cook in the school to prepare the meals. However, when it is found that cook is from Dalit community, almost half of the children belonging to higher castes are not allowed to take meals by their parents. Consequently the attendance in the schools falls sharply. This could result in the possibility of discontinuation of midday meal scheme, thereafter of teaching staff and subsequent closing down the school.

(a)    Discuss some feasible strategies to overcome the conflict and to create right ambiance.

(b)   What should be the responsibilities of different social segments and agencies to create positive social ambiance for accepting such changes?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2015 – Sending Girls to School

You are recently posted as district development officer of a district. Shortly thereafter you found that there is considerable tension in the rural areas of your district on the issue of sending girls to schools.

The elders of the village feel that many problems have come up because girls are being educated and they are stepping out of the safe environment of the household. They are the view that the girls should be quickly married off with minimum education. The girls are also competing for jobs after education, which have traditionally remained in boys’ exclusive domain, adding to unemployment amongst male population.

The younger generation feels that in the present era, girls should have equal opportunities for education and employment, and other means of livelihood. The entire locality is divided between sexes in both generations. You come to know that in Panchayat or in other local bodies or even in busy crosswords, the issue is being acrimoniously debated.

One day you are informed that an unpleasant incident has taken place. Some girls were molested, when they were en route to schools. The incident led to clashes between several groups and a law and order problem has arisen. The elder after heated discussion have taken a joint decision not to allow girls to go to school and to socially boycott all such families, which do not follow their dictate.

(a)    What steps would you take to ensure girls’ safety without disrupting their education?

(b)   How would you manage and mould patriarchic attitude of the village elders to ensure harmony in the inter-generational relations?

Notes and PYQs - Law and Ethics

Law and Ethics 

 “A public servant should follow the law but also act ethically.”

Core Understanding

Aspect	Law	Ethics
Nature	External, codified rules	Internal, conscience-based principles
Basis	Enforceable by authority	Guided by moral reasoning
Purpose	Maintain order, prevent wrongdoing	Promote goodness, fairness, humanity
Example	Service rules, RTI Act, Disaster Management Act	Compassion, honesty, empathy, fairness

Powerful Statements / Quotable Lines

·          “Law is the letter, ethics is the spirit.”

·         “A legal action without ethical intent can still be unjust.”

·         “Ethics begins where the law ends.”

·         “A good public servant is not just legally right but morally wise.”

·         “Law provides the boundary, ethics provides the direction.”

·         “Strict legality without ethics can lead to bureaucratic cruelty.”

·         “When law becomes silent, ethics becomes the guiding light.”

·         “Governance is legitimate not only by law but by moral trust of the people.”

·         “Ethical governance ensures compliance with both rules and conscience.”

Concepts / Key Ideas

(a) Spirit vs. Letter of the Law

·         A civil servant must uphold the spirit (intent) of the law, not just the letter (words).

·         Example: Law allows eviction for encroachment, but the spirit of law is public order with human dignity. Therefore, rehabilitation measures must accompany eviction.

(b) Discretion and Moral Judgment

·         Laws cannot cover every situation — discretion guided by ethics ensures humane outcomes.

·         Example: A strict application of traffic law may penalize an ambulance driver — but ethical judgment avoids injustice.

(c) Ethical Legalism

·         Using law as a tool to achieve moral good — not as a weapon for rigid control.

(d) Ethics as Law’s Foundation

·         All laws arise from moral principles — justice, fairness, equality, protection of rights.
→ So, ethics is the soul of law.

(e) Conflict between Law and Ethics

When they clash:

·         Follow the law, but

·         Use ethical reasoning to minimize harm or injustice, and

·         Recommend policy correction where law seems morally deficient.

Example: If a law causes suffering to tribal groups, the officer follows it but also sends a report recommending amendments or relief.

Examples to Use in Answers

Administrative Example

·         A law says, “Remove all street vendors.”

o    Legal compliance: Evict vendors as per rules.

o    Ethical balance: Provide alternate vending zones or time slots.

o    Outcome: Legality + Humanity.

Disaster Management Example

·         Law prioritizes resource allocation as per protocol.

o    Ethical duty: Ensure priority to children, elderly, and pregnant women.

o    Balancing both ensures humane legality.

Medical or Health Example

·         During a pandemic, strict lockdowns were legal.

o    Ethical concern: Migrant workers’ distress.

o    Solution: Legal enforcement + compassionate measures (food, transport).

Classic Example

·         Socrates obeyed the law (drank poison) though he was unjustly punished — showing respect for legal order.

·         Mahatma Gandhi: Broke colonial laws ethically — civil disobedience based on Satyagraha (moral truth against unjust law).

Important Statements

·         “A civil servant must uphold the law with a humane spirit. Legal provisions should be implemented with ethical sensitivity to ensure justice and public trust.”

·         Aristotle: “Law is reason free from passion, but ethics gives it a heart.”

·         Kautilya (Arthashastra): “In the happiness of the people lies the happiness of the king.”

 “A good civil servant respects the law as the foundation of governance, but ethics as the soul of governance. True public service lies in implementing laws in the spirit of compassion, fairness, and justice — ensuring that legality serves humanity.”

 

Section A

 

 “A mere compliance with law is not enough, the public servant also have to have a well developed sensibility to ethical issues for effective discharge of duties” Do you agree?  

 

 Explain with the help of two examples where

 

(a)    An act is ethically right, but not legally and

(b)   An act is legally right, but not ethically. 2015

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Law and ethics are considered to be the two tools for controlling human conduct so as to make it conducive to civilized social existence.

(a)    Discuss how they achieve this objective.

(b)   Giving examples show how the two differ in their approaches. 2016

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

·         Distinguish between laws and rules. Discuss the role of ethics in formulating them. 2020

  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

·         Apart from intellectual competency and moral qualities, empathy and compassion are some of the other vital attributes that facilitate the civil servants to be more competent in tackling the crucial issues or taking critical decisions. Explain with suitable illustrations. 2022

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 ·         The soul of the new law, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) is Justice, Equality and Impartiality based on Indian culture and ethos. Discuss this in the light of major shift from a doctrine of punishment to justice in the present judicial system. 2024

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

·         Public servants need to be both fair and compassionate, but these can clash. Discuss this issue with examples. How can a balance be maintained for fair and ethical governance? KPSC 2025

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

·         “Examine this statement with two examples — one where an act is legal but ethically questionable, and another where an act is ethical but illegal.” KPSC 2025

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

·         “A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.” –Nelson Mandela.

How does this quote emphasize the role of empathy and tolerance in public administration? Discuss its significance with examples of welfare policies aimed at weaker sections. KPSC 2025

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Excessive empathy can sometimes conflict with objectivity in decision-making.” Examine this dilemma with suitable examples. How can a public servant balance empathy with fairness and impartiality?  KPSC 2025

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Section B

2016 – Old woman - No Required Documents

Suppose you are an officer in-charge of implementing a social service scheme to provide support to old and destitute women. An old and illiterate woman comes to you to avail the benefits of the scheme. However, she has no documents to show that she fulfills the eligibility criteria. But after meeting her and listening to her you feel that she certainly needs support. Your enquirers also show that she is really destitute and living in a pitiable condition. You are in a dilemma as to what to do. Putting her under the scheme without necessary documents would clearly be violation of rules. But denying her the support would be cruel and inhuman.

a)      Can you think of a rational way to resolve this dilemma?

b)      Give your reasons for it.                                  

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2018 – Old man, not belong to the Reserved Community

Rakesh is a responsible district level officer, who enjoys the trust of his higher officials. Knowing his honesty, the government entrusted him with the responsibility of identifying the beneficiaries under a health care scheme meant for senior citizens.

The criteria to be a beneficiary are the following:

a)      60 years of age or above.

b)      Belonging to a reserved community.

c)      Family income of less than 1 Lakh rupees per annum.

d)     Post-treatment prognosis is likely to be high to make a positive difference to the quality of life of the beneficiary.

One day, an old couple visited Rakesh’s office with their application. They have been the residents of a village in his district since their birth. The old man is diagnosed with a rare condition that causes obstruction in the large intestine. As a consequence, he has severe abdominal pain frequently that prevents him from doing any physical labour. The couple has no children to support them. The expert surgeon whom they contacted is willing to do the surgery without charging any fee. However, the couple will have to bear the cost of incidental charges, such as medicines, hospitalization, etc., to the tune of rupees one lakh. The couple fulfils all the criteria except criterion ‘b’. However, any financial aid would certainly make a significant difference in their quality of life.

How should Rakesh respond to the situation?                       

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2016 – (Likely) Victim of Domestic Violence

You are a young, aspiring and sincere employee in a Government office working as an assistant to the director of your department. Since you have joined recently, you need to lean and progress. Luckily your superior is very kind and ready to train you for your job. He is a very intelligent and well-informed person having knowledge of various departments. In short, you respect your boss and are looking forward to lean a lot from him. Since you have good tuning with the boss, he started depending on you. One day due to ill health he invited you at his place for finishing some urgent work. You reached his house and before you could ring the bell you heard shouting noises.

You waited for a while. After entering the house the boss greeted you and explained the work. But you were constantly disturbed by the crying of a woman. At last, you inquired with the boss but his answer did not satisfy you. Next day, you were compelled to inquire further in the office and found out that his behavior is very bad at home with his wife. He also beats up bit wife. His wife is not well educated and is a simple woman in comparison to her husband. You see that though your boss is a nice person in the office, he is engaged in domestic violence at home.

In such a situation, you are left with the following options.  Analyse each option with its consequences.

(a)    Just ignore thinking about it because it is their personal matter.

(b)   Report the case to the appropriate authority.

(c)    Your own innovative approach towards the situation.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

KAS 2025 – Homeless Individuals – Severe Winter

You are the Municipal Commissioner of a metropolitan city. As winter approaches, there has been a sharp increase in homeless deaths due to cold waves. Many homeless individuals, including migrant labourers, elderly and abandoned women, sleep on pavements. While the city has government-run night shelters, reports indicate they are underutilized due to poor awareness, social stigma, and unsafe conditions. Additionally, a few commercial groups are lobbying to clear footpaths to prevent ‘encroachments’ that affect their businesses. The media has begun questioning the administration’s accountability.

(a)    How will you ensure immediate relief for the homeless while addressing long-term rehabilitation?

(b)   How will you balance the economic concerns of businesses with the rights of vulnerable people?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

KAS 2025 – Illegal Settlements vs Poor Families

Meera, a District Magistrate, is overseeing an anti-encroachment drive to clear illegal settlements. While the action is legally mandated, she finds that many affected families are poor and have no alternative housing. Evicting them would cause immense suffering, but delaying the operation could result in legal consequences and accusations of favouritism.

(a)    Should Meera proceed strictly as per the law or consider a more empathetic approach?

(b)   How can she balance legal duty with compassion?

(c)    What long-term policy solutions can address such dilemmas?

Notes and PYQs - Disaster Management and Ethics

                                     Disaster Management and Ethics

During disasters, civil servants must act swiftly and ethically despite:

·         Scarce resources

·         Pressure from political leaders and media

·         Diverse social expectations

·         Emotional distress and misinformation

·         Urgent need for coordination among many agencies

Thus, ethical reasoning and integrity become the foundation for effective disaster response.

Ethical Principles to Follow

Humanitarianism (Primacy of Human Life)

·         Saving lives and reducing suffering is the foremost duty.

·         Giving priority to evacuation and medical aid before political protocol or property recovery

·         “In disaster situations, the moral compass must always point towards protection of human life and dignity.”

Justice and Fairness

·         Ensure equitable distribution of relief — without bias of caste, religion, or political affiliation.

·         Avoid favouritism or discrimination in resource allocation.

·         “In times of crisis, justice is not only about equality but about fairness to the most vulnerable.”

Accountability and Transparency

·         Maintain records of resource allocation, relief distribution, and expenditure.

·         Keep public informed to prevent rumours and mistrust.

·         “Sunlight is the best disinfectant” (Louis Brandeis).

·         Example: Publishing daily situation reports on official websites or through local media.

Integrity and Courage

·         Resist political pressure to misuse relief funds or manipulate data.

·         Stay truthful even if it means facing criticism.

·         “Integrity is doing the right thing when no one is watching, especially when everyone is watching.”

 

Empathy and Compassion

·         Understand the emotional pain of victims and act with sensitivity.

·         Avoid bureaucratic rigidity; use discretion with humanity.

·         Ethics of care — seeing the affected not as “beneficiaries” but as “fellow human beings in distress”

·         Example: Personally visiting relief camps, listening to grievances, and resolving them immediately.

Professional Competence

·         Ethical intention must be supported by professional preparedness — knowledge of disaster protocols, coordination with agencies, and effective communication.

·         “Efficiency without ethics can be dangerous, but ethics without efficiency can be ineffective.”

Objectivity and Impartiality

·         Decisions should be based on evidence and need, not emotions or affiliations.

·         Prioritising rescue in most affected zones even if politically unpopular.

·         “Impartiality is the backbone of public trust during crisis situations.”

Teamwork and Collaboration

·         Foster inter-agency coordination (police, health, NGOs, NDRF, local communities).

·         Ethical leadership ensures cooperation, not competition.

·         Ethical leadership builds trust and motivates others to act beyond duty.

Respect for Law and Human Rights

·         Even in emergencies, civil servants must not violate constitutional rights.

·         Ensuring dignity in handling of the deceased; protecting privacy of victims

·         “Even in disaster, the rule of law is the rule of life.”

Public Service Motivation (PSM)

·         Acting beyond self-interest, guided by duty and compassion.

·         “A true public servant finds meaning in service, not in comfort.”

Key Ethical Concepts & Theories Applicable

·         Utilitarianism (Bentham, Mill) - Choose actions that maximize overall good — saving maximum lives first.

·         Deontology (Kant) - Follow moral duty regardless of outcomes  - honesty in reporting losses.

·         Virtue Ethics (Aristotle) - Cultivate virtues like courage, compassion, prudence during crisis.

·         Ethics of Responsibility - Balance idealism with practical responsibility.

·         Ethics of Care - Focus on relationships, empathy, and sensitivity to victims’ needs.

Practical Examples

·         2018 Kerala Floods – Transparent coordination between administration, Army, and citizens earned high public trust.

·         COVID-19 Crisis – Some officers used digital platforms to connect oxygen donors and hospitals, showing innovation and empathy.

·         Odisha Cyclone 2019 – Prior evacuation saved thousands of lives, an example of proactive ethical governance.

Quotations

·         “Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do.” - Potter Stewart

·         “The true test of a society is how it treats its most vulnerable in times of crisis.”  

·         “Character is not made in crisis; it is only exhibited.” - Robert Freeman

Concluding Lines

 “In disaster management, ethical governance is not an optional virtue but an operational necessity. A civil servant must blend compassion with competence, transparency with timeliness, and integrity with inclusiveness to restore both lives and trust.”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2015 – Rescue Order in a Disaster

There is a disaster prone state having frequent landslides, forest fires, cloudbursts, flash floods and earthquakes, etc. Some of these are seasonal and often unpredictable. The magnitude of the disaster is always unanticipated. During one of the seasons a cloudburst caused a devastating floods and landslides leading to high casualties. There was major damage to infrastructure like roads, bridges and power generating units. This led to more than 100000 pilgrims, tourist and other locals trapped across different routes and locations. The people trapped in your area of responsibility includes senior citizens, patients in hospitals, women and children, hiker, tourist, ruling parties, regional presidents along with his family, additional chief secretary of the neighboring state and prisoners in jail.

As a civil services officer of the state, what would be the order in which you would rescue these people and why? Give Justifications

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2019 – Angry People in a Natural Calamity

You are heading the rescue operations in an area affected by severe natural calamity. Thousands of people are rendered homeless and deprived of food, drinking water and other basic amenities. Rescue work has been disrupted by heavy rainfall and damage to supply routes. The local people are seething with anger against the delayed limited rescue operations. When your team reaches the affected area, the people there heckle and even assault some of the team members . One of your team members is even severely injured. Faced with this crisis, some team members plead with you to call off the operations fearing threats to their life.

In such trying circumstances, what will be your response? Examine the qualities of a public servant which will be required to manage the situation.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2021 - Resource Allocation in Covid 19

The Coronavirus disease (COVID 19) pandemic has quickly spread to various countries. As on May 8th 2020,in India 56342 cases of corona had been reported. India with population of more than 1.35 billion had difficulty in controlling the transmission of Coronavirus among its population. Multiple strategies became necessary to handle this outbreak. The ministry of health and family welfare of India raised awareness about this outbreak and to take all necessary actions to control the spread of Covid 19.

Indian Govt. implemented a 55 day lockdown throughout the country to reduce the transmission of virus. Schools and colleges had shifted to alternative mode of teaching-learning-evaluation and certification. Online mode became popular during these days

India was not prepared for the sudden onslaught of such a crisis due to limited in terms of human resource, money and other facilities needed for taking care of this situation. This disease did not spare anybody irrespective of caste, creed ,religion on the one hand have and have not on the other. Deficiencies in hospital beds, Oxygen cylinders, ambulances, hospital staff and crematorium were the most crucial aspects

You are a hospital administrator in a public hospital at the time when Coronavirus had attacked large number of people and patients were pouring into hospital day in and day out

a)      What are your criteria and justification for putting your clinical and non clinical staff to attend the patients knowing fully well that it is highly infectious disease and resources and infrastructure are limited?

b)      If yours is a private hospital, whether your justification and decision would remain the same as that of a public hospital?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

KPSC 2025 – Flood – Allocation of Limited Resources

You are the District Collector of a flood-prone region. Due to unexpected heavy rains, floods have devastated villages, displacing thousands. The government has allocated limited relief resources, including food, medical aid and rescue boats. However, you are faced with several challenges:

(a) Resource Shortage: The relief supplies are not enough to cover all affected areas equally.

(b) Political Pressure: Local politicians are pressuring you to prioritise aid for their constituencies.

(c) Media Scrutiny: News agencies are covering the relief efforts, questioning transparency in resource distribution.

        i.            How will you allocate limited resources fairly and efficiently? Will you yield to political pressure or ensure equitable distribution of aid?

      ii.            What steps will you take to maintain transparency and public trust in relief operations?