GS Paper IV — Q4
(a) "For any kind of social re-engineering by successfully implementing welfare schemes, a civil servant must use reason and…
"For any kind of social re-engineering by successfully implementing welfare schemes, a civil servant must use reason and critical thinking in an ethical framework." Justify this statement with suitable examples. (Answer in 150 words) 10 marks
What are the major teachings of Mahavir? Explain their relevance in the contemporary world. (Answer in 150 words) 10 marks
हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें
किसी भी प्रकार की सामाजिक पुनर्चना के लिए कल्याणकारी योजनाओं को सफलतापूर्वक क्रियान्वित करने हेतु एक सिविल सेवक को नैतिक ढांचे में तर्क और आलोचनात्मक सोच का उपयोग करना चाहिए। उपयुक्त उदाहरणों के साथ इस कथन की पुष्टि कीजिए। (उत्तर 150 शब्दों में दीजिए) 10 अंक
महावीर की प्रमुख शिक्षाएं क्या हैं ? समकालीन विश्व में उनकी प्रासंगिकता स्पष्ट 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) Reason and critical thinking within an ethical framework
Social re-engineering through welfare schemes — changing who gets land, food, schooling or dignity — needs reason to see what actually works and ethics to decide whom it must serve. Reason without ethics turns into cold efficiency that excludes; ethics without reason turns into good intentions that fail.
Examples:
- Targeting: critical scrutiny of data showed that linking rations to biometric authentication left out genuine beneficiaries. An ethical officer allows offline exceptions rather than celebrate "savings".
- Evidence over assumptions: analysis of Swachh Bharat data showed that toilets built were not toilets used.
- Root causes: Kerala's Kudumbashree treated poverty as a problem of women's agency, not just income, and built SHG networks.
- Fairness in trade-offs: in land acquisition, consultation and fair compensation under the 2013 Act, not speed alone.
Critical thinking asks "is it working, for whom, and at what cost?"; ethics ensures the answer protects the weakest.
(b) The major teachings of Mahavira and their relevance today
Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism, taught:
- Five vows: ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truth), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (self-restraint) and aparigraha (non-possession).
- Triratna: right faith, right knowledge and right conduct as the path to liberation.
- Anekantavada: reality has many aspects, and each view captures only part of the truth.
- Equality of all souls, rejecting caste privilege and admitting women to the monastic order.
- Self-effort, not ritual or a creator god, as the route to liberation.
Relevance:
- Ahimsa for peaceful conflict resolution, animal welfare and ecological care.
- Aparigraha against consumerism and for sustainable lifestyles, as in Mission LiFE.
- Anekantavada for tolerance and dialogue in polarised, social-media-driven societies.
- Satya and asteya for probity and anti-corruption in public life.
- Self-restraint for mental well-being in an age of excess.
How this answer will be evaluated
Framework: GS4 Ethical Framework: Reason, Critical Thinking, and Ethical Dilemmas
What earns full marks: Clear, concise, and well-structured with specific examples and strong ethical reasoning.
Evaluation rubric
Each sub-part is marked on its own, against the marks and word limit printed on the paper.
- (a) Justify why a civil servant needs reason and critical thinking within an ethical framework to implement welfare schemes, with examples. 10 marks · 150 words
justify— claim → 3-4 reasons → evidence → conclusion
Must cover
- Explain the ethical framework (justice, equity, dignity, constitutional values)
- Explain the role of reason and critical thinking (evidence, questioning assumptions, anticipating exclusion)
- A suitable welfare-scheme example
- Link the example to the framework (e.g., preventing exclusion errors, leakages)
Loses marks
- Preaching instead of reasoning
- No concrete example
- Ignoring the ethical framework
Earns more
- Ethical principles applied (Rawlsian justice, Antyodaya)
- Implementation dilemmas (targeting vs universality, technology vs access)
- Role of an individual civil servant (innovation, grievance redress)
- Impact on public trust
Extra mark
- Supreme Court judgment on welfare rights (e.g., PUCL right to food case)
- Data or report (e.g., NFHS, CAG audit of a scheme)
- (b) Explain the major teachings of Mahavira and their relevance in the contemporary world. 10 marks · 150 words
explain— definition/context → points in order → small example → short close
Must cover
- Major teachings: five vows (ahimsa, satya, asteya, brahmacharya, aparigraha), anekantavada/syadvada, triratna
- Explain the meaning of each teaching
- Connect them to contemporary issues
- A specific example of relevance
Loses marks
- Listing teachings without relevance
- Vague examples
- Ignoring the contemporary context
Earns more
- Anekantavada for tolerance and dialogue
- Link to environmental sustainability and consumption
- Link to integrity in public life
- Non-violence in conflict resolution
Extra mark
- 'Parasparopagraho Jivanam' (Tattvartha Sutra) or Mahavira adding brahmacharya to Parshvanatha's four vows
- A contemporary leader or movement embodying these teachings
What "Justify" is asking you to do
Defend a position with reasons that carry evidence, and show why the contrary view does not hold. Where the stem runs as a question and asks you to justify your answer, the position is yours to choose and the marks lie wholly in the defence.
Structure that answers it
Position stated plainly → reason 1 with evidence → reason 2 with evidence → strongest objection, met → position restated as qualified
Where marks are lost
Reasons stated and none of them evidenced. The other standard loss is fence-sitting — an answer that finds merit on both sides and commits to neither has justified nothing.
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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