GS Paper IV — Q4
(a) What do you understand by the term 'good governance'? How far recent initiatives in terms of e-Governance steps taken by the…
What do you understand by the term 'good governance'? How far recent initiatives in terms of e-Governance steps taken by the State have helped the beneficiaries? Discuss with suitable examples. (Answer in 150 words) 10 marks
Online methodology is being used for day-to-day meetings, institutional approvals in the administration and for teaching and learning in education sector to the extent telemedicine in the health sector is getting popular with the approvals of the competent authority. No doubt, it has advantages and disadvantages for both the beneficiaries and the system at large. Describe and discuss the ethical issues involved in the use of online method particularly to the vulnerable section of the society. (Answer in 150 words) 10 marks
हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें
'सुशासन' से आप क्या समझते हैं? राज्य द्वारा ई-शासन के मामले में उठाई गई हालिया पहलों ने लाभार्थियों को कहां तक सहायता पहुंचाई है? उपयुक्त उदाहरणों के साथ विवेचन कीजिए। (उत्तर 150 शब्दों में दीजिए) 10 अंक
ऑनलाइन पद्धति का उपयोग दिन-प्रतिदिन प्रशासन की बैठकों, संस्थागत अनुमोदन और शिक्षा क्षेत्र में शिक्षण तथा अधिगम से लेकर स्वास्थ्य क्षेत्र में सक्षम अधिकारी के अनुमोदन से टेलीमेडिसिन तक लोकप्रिय हो रहा है। इसमें कोई संदेह नहीं है कि लाभार्थियों और व्यवस्था दोनों के लिए बड़े पैमाने पर इसके लाभ और हानियां हैं। विशेषतः समाज के कमजोर समुदाय के लिए ऑनलाइन पद्धति के उपयोग में शामिल नैतिक मामलों का वर्णन तथा विवेचन कीजिए। (उत्तर 150 शब्दों में दीजिए) 10 अंक
Model answer
Drafted with AI by UPSC Answer Check against this question's marking rubric, to the 150-word length. UPSC does not publish answers for Mains — this is one way to score well, not an official key. How we build rubrics and answers.
(a) Good governance and how far e-governance has helped beneficiaries
Good governance is governance that is participatory, transparent, accountable, responsive, equitable, effective and bound by the rule of law — the eight features the UN lists. Its test is what reaches the citizen.
E-governance has helped substantially:
- Leakages cut: DBT through Jan Dhan–Aadhaar–mobile sends benefits straight to accounts, and removing ineligible names from beneficiary lists has saved large sums.
- Access: Common Service Centres, UMANG and DigiLocker bring certificates and services to the village; e-NAM and PM-KISAN reach farmers directly.
- Transparency: GeM procurement and public dashboards narrow discretion; CPGRAMS tracks grievances.
- Health: CoWIN delivered and certified more than two billion vaccine doses.
The limits are real: biometric failures and connectivity gaps have excluded the poor from rations and wages, and digital literacy is low among the elderly and women. E-governance helps fully only with offline fallbacks and grievance redress.
(b) Ethical issues in online methods for the vulnerable
Online meetings, approvals, classes and telemedicine save time and cost, and reach remote areas. For vulnerable groups, they raise ethical issues:
- Equity and access: the digital divide — devices, data and skills — excludes poor, rural, elderly, disabled and many women, turning a convenience into a barrier.
- Informed consent and autonomy: patients and students may not understand what they agree to on a screen.
- Privacy: health and personal data need protection under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and the Puttaswamy right to privacy.
- Quality and care: remote diagnosis can miss signs; online teaching loses the attention weaker students need.
- Accountability: when a system errs, who answers?
Hybrid delivery, assisted access through CSCs and ASHAs, and clear consent and data rules make online methods just.
How this answer will be evaluated
Framework: GS4 Ethical Governance & Public Administration
What earns full marks: Precise definitions, specific state examples, and deep ethical analysis of digital exclusion.
Evaluation rubric
Each sub-part is marked on its own, against the marks and word limit printed on the paper.
- (a) Define good governance and evaluate state e-Governance initiatives with examples. 10 marks · 150 words
discuss— intro → 3-4 dimensions → example → balanced close
Must cover
- Define 'good governance' (transparency, accountability, efficiency)
- Identify specific state e-Governance initiatives
- Assess impact on beneficiaries (time/cost reduction)
- Provide suitable examples of these initiatives
Loses marks
- Generic definition without state-specific context
- Listing initiatives without assessing beneficiary impact
- Ignoring the 'good governance' definition
Earns more
- Mention specific state portals (e.g., e-District, e-Stamping)
- Link to administrative efficiency and corruption reduction
- Reference 'Digital India' or similar national context
Extra mark
- Cite specific data on time saved by beneficiaries
- Mention a specific state's unique digital initiative
- (b) Discuss ethical issues of online methods for vulnerable sections of society. 10 marks · 150 words
discuss— intro → 3-4 dimensions → example → balanced close
Must cover
- Identify ethical issues in online administration/education/health
- Focus specifically on 'vulnerable sections' (digital divide)
- Discuss privacy and data security concerns
- Address exclusion of those without digital access
Loses marks
- General discussion of online pros/cons without ethical focus
- Ignoring the 'vulnerable section' constraint
- Preaching values without analyzing specific ethical dilemmas
Earns more
- Mention 'digital literacy' gap as a barrier
- Discuss telemedicine consent and data privacy
- Reference 'right to information' vs 'right to privacy'
Extra mark
- Cite specific ethical framework (e.g., utilitarianism vs deontology)
- Mention specific vulnerable group (elderly, rural poor)
What "Discuss" is asking you to do
Lay the issue out from more than one side — how it arose, what is claimed for it, what is held against it, and where it now stands. UPSC attaches discuss to broad topics with several live dimensions, so coverage of the dimensions earns more than the strength of your opinion.
Structure that answers it
Set the issue up → the case as it is made → the case against → the dimension both sides leave out → where the balance now lies
Where marks are lost
Listing facts with no thread between them, or arguing one side throughout and calling it a discussion.
Practice this exact question
Write your answer and it is marked point by point against the model answer above — what you covered, what you missed, what you got wrong.
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