GS Paper IV — Q6
(a) Whistle-blower, who reports corruption and illegal activities, wrongdoing and misconduct to the concerned authorities, runs…
Whistle-blower, who reports corruption and illegal activities, wrongdoing and misconduct to the concerned authorities, runs the risk of being exposed to grave danger, physical harm and victimization by the vested interests, accused persons and his team. What policy measures would you suggest to strengthen protection mechanism to safeguard the whistle-blower? (Answer in 150 words) 10 marks
In contemporary world, corporate sector's contribution in generating wealth and employment is increasing. In doing so, they are bringing in unprecedented onslaught on the climate, environmental sustainability and living conditions of human beings. In this background, do you find that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is efficient and sufficient enough to fulfill the social roles and responsibilities needed in the corporate world for which the CSR is mandated? Critically examine. (Answer in 150 words) 10 marks
हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें
भ्रष्टाचार-सूचक (विसल-ब्लोअर) संबंधित अधिकारियों को भ्रष्टाचार और अवैध गतिविधियों, गलत काम और दुराचार की रिपोर्ट करता है। वह निहित स्वार्थों, आरोपी व्यक्तियों तथा उनकी टीम द्वारा गंभीर खतरे, शारीरिक नुकसान और उत्पीड़न के चपेट में आने का जोखिम उठाता है। आप भ्रष्टाचार-सूचक (विसल-ब्लोअर) की सुरक्षा के लिए मजबूत सुरक्षा व्यवस्था हेतु किन नीतिगत उपायों का सुझाव देंगे? (उत्तर 150 शब्दों में दीजिए) 10 अंक
समकालीन दुनिया में धन और रोजगार उत्पन्न करने में कॉर्पोरेट क्षेत्र का योगदान बढ़ रहा है। ऐसा करने में वे जलवायु, पर्यावरणीय संधारणीयता और मानव की जीवन-स्थितियों पर अप्रत्याशित हमले कर रहे हैं। इस पृष्ठभूमि में, क्या आप पाते हैं कि कॉर्पोरेट सामाजिक जिम्मेदारी (सी० एस० आर०) कॉर्पोरेट जगत में आवश्यक सामाजिक भूमिकाओं और जिम्मेदारियों को पूरा करने में सक्षम और पर्याप्त है जिसके लिए सी० एस० आर० अनिवार्य है? विश्लेषणात्मक परीक्षण 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) Policy measures to protect whistle-blowers
The Whistle Blowers Protection Act, 2014 is on the statute book but has not been operationalised, and the murders of Satyendra Dubey (2003) and several RTI activists show the cost of the gap.
Measures:
- Operationalise the 2014 Act with rules, and extend it to the private sector, where the Companies Act's vigil mechanism is weak.
- Identity protection: confidential, encrypted reporting channels; penalties for disclosing a whistle-blower's identity.
- Physical protection: link complaints to the Witness Protection Scheme, 2018, with police protection on risk assessment.
- Protection from victimisation: reverse the burden of proof in transfer, suspension or dismissal after a disclosure; time-bound hearings.
- Independent authority: an empowered CVC or Lokpal wing to receive complaints, with deadlines to investigate.
- Incentives: a share of recovered amounts, as in the US False Claims Act.
- Culture: leaders who treat dissent as loyalty to the institution.
(b) Is CSR efficient and sufficient?
Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013 requires qualifying companies to spend 2% of average net profit on Schedule VII activities; since the 2019 amendment, unspent amounts must go to designated funds. It has mobilised over ₹1.5 lakh crore for health, education and rural development.
Efficient? Partly. Spending clusters in industrialised states (Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat), is often routed through company foundations, and impact assessment is required only for large projects. Some spending is reputation management.
Sufficient? No. CSR is a 2% charity rule; it does not touch the other 98% of business — emissions, effluents, labour conditions, land acquisition. A company can fund tree planting while polluting a river.
Corporate responsibility must therefore be built into the core business: BRSR reporting by SEBI, enforcement of environmental law and the polluter-pays principle, ESG-linked finance and stakeholder consultation. CSR complements, but cannot replace, responsible business.
How this answer will be evaluated
Framework: GS4 Ethical Dilemma & Policy Analysis
What earns full marks: Precise policy/legal references; balanced critical analysis; clear structure.
Evaluation rubric
Each sub-part is marked on its own, against the marks and word limit printed on the paper.
- (a) Implementable policy measures to strengthen the protection mechanism for whistle-blowers. 10 marks · 150 words
suggest— the problem in one line → implementable measures → who acts → conclusion
Must cover
- Mention Whistle Blowers Protection Act, 2014
- Suggest independent investigation mechanism (e.g., CVC)
- Propose anonymity and identity protection protocols
- Include post-reporting safeguards (job security, relocation)
Loses marks
- Preaching values without policy action
- Ignoring the legal framework (WBPA 2014)
- Vague suggestions like 'raise awareness'
Earns more
- Reference to Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act
- Mention of digital security for evidence
- Suggestion of financial compensation for loss
- Reference to international best practices (e.g., US)
Extra mark
- Cite a specific whistle-blower case (e.g., Satyendra Dubey, S. Manjunath)
- Mentioning the role of the Central Vigilance Commission
- (b) Critical examination of whether CSR is efficient and sufficient to fulfill corporate social roles. 10 marks · 150 words
critically evaluate— positives → negatives/limits → conditions/safeguards → conclusion
Must cover
- Define CSR and its mandate (Companies Act 2013)
- Identify limitations (spending-only mandate, compliance mindset, weak monitoring, concentration in a few states)
- Contrast CSR with mandatory regulation (e.g., environmental laws)
- Conclude on sufficiency (likely 'insufficient' or 'complementary')
Loses marks
- One-sided praise of CSR without critique
- Ignoring the 'mandated' aspect of the question
- Confusing CSR with general philanthropy
Earns more
- Mentioning '2% of average net profits' rule
- Reference to 'polluter pays' principle
- Discussion of 'greenwashing' or 'box-ticking' CSR
- Mentioning ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) criteria
Extra mark
- Citing specific CSR failures or successes (e.g., Vedanta, Tata)
- Reference to UN Global Compact
What "Critically examine" is asking you to do
Test the proposition the question puts to you and return a finding on how far it holds. Examine stems carry a claim, or ask whether something has happened, and expect evidence weighed both ways before the extent is stated — often with remedial measures attached. “Critically” is not a section added at the end: name the yardstick you are judging by — the evidence, the stated objective, a constitutional principle, a rival explanation — and let a verdict close each part of the body. Where the question quotes a claim, that verdict must land on the claim itself, accepted, qualified or rejected, and not on the theme in general.
Structure that answers it
Restate the claim as the question frames it → evidence that supports it → evidence that undercuts it → the conditions under which it holds → verdict on how far it stands
Where marks are lost
Merits in one paragraph, demerits in the next, and a conclusion calling for a balanced and holistic approach. That is a survey with the judgement left out and it holds the answer in the middle band. The opposite error is reading “critically” as permission to attack — and with the odd pairings, critically describe or critically explain, the exposition still carries most of the marks, the judgement being a layer on it rather than a substitute for it.
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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