(a) On the request of his Personal Assistant (PA), the District Magistrate (DM) stops the transfer of a schoolteacher who takes private tuition for his daughter diagnosed with learning disability. In this context, discuss the aspects of empathy versus compliance with rules. (Answer in 150 words) 10 (b) Some moral philosophers argue that spending some of your resources — without significantly affecting your financial stability — to help other people who badly suffer is our moral duty and not merely a matter of charity. Justify this claim by explaining the distinction between duty and charity. (Answer in 150 words) 10

General Studies 2026 GS Paper IV 20 marks 150 words Discuss

GS Paper IV — Q6

(a) On the request of his Personal Assistant (PA), the District Magistrate (DM) stops the transfer of a schoolteacher who takes…

(a)

On the request of his Personal Assistant (PA), the District Magistrate (DM) stops the transfer of a schoolteacher who takes private tuition for his daughter diagnosed with learning disability. In this context, discuss the aspects of empathy versus compliance with rules. (Answer in 150 words) 10 marks

(b)

Some moral philosophers argue that spending some of your resources — without significantly affecting your financial stability — to help other people who badly suffer is our moral duty and not merely a matter of charity. Justify this claim by explaining the distinction between duty and charity. (Answer in 150 words) 10 marks

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

(a)

जिला मजिस्ट्रेट (डीएम) अपने निजी सहायक (पीए) के अनुरोध पर एक स्कूल शिक्षक का तबादला रोक देते हैं, जो निजी सहायक की अधिगम अक्षमता से ग्रसित बेटी को निजी ट्यूशन पढ़ाता है। इस संदर्भ में, सहानुभूति और नियमों के अनुपालन के पहलुओं पर चर्चा कीजिए। (उत्तर 150 शब्दों में दीजिए)

(b)

कुछ नैतिक दार्शनिकों का तर्क है कि अपनी आर्थिक स्थिरता को महत्वपूर्ण रूप से प्रभावित किए बिना, अपने संसाधनों का कुछ हिस्सा उन लोगों की मदद में खर्च करना जो बुरी तरह पीड़ित हैं, हमारा नैतिक कर्तव्य है, न कि केवल दान का मामला। कर्तव्य और दान के बीच अंतर स्पष्ट करके इस दावे को सिद्ध कीजिए। (उत्तर 150 शब्दों में दीजिए)

The question as printed in the 2026 General Studies paper

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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) Empathy versus Compliance with Rules

The DM’s intervention highlights the ethical tension between compassionate administration for a special-needs child and rule-based impartiality. Halting a transfer solely on a Personal Assistant’s informal request risks favouritism, bureaucratic nepotism, and a breach of administrative integrity. The PA has a clear conflict of interest, and the teacher's private tuition itself violates Section 28 of the RTE Act, 2009. Pupils at the school where the teacher is needed are silent stakeholders whose right to learn is sacrificed. Empathy must align with procedural fairness rather than proximity to authority. The DM should instead route such appeals through formal, documented transfer-exemption guidelines for medical dependencies, ensuring both compassionate consideration and transparent, rule-governed legitimacy. The child's genuine need can be met through a special educator and inclusive-education support under the RPwD Act, 2016, rather than by bending a transfer.

(b) Duty versus Charity

Charity is traditionally viewed as supererogatory—praiseworthy but optional—whereas duty is a binding moral obligation whose neglect is blameworthy. Peter Singer’s utilitarian principle argues that if one can prevent severe suffering without sacrificing anything of comparable moral significance, doing so is an imperative duty, not discretionary charity. For example, contributing surplus income to famine relief is a basic moral requirement. Although libertarians object that this compromises absolute property rights, the fundamental right to survival outweighs marginal luxuries. Kant too counts beneficence as a duty, albeit an imperfect one, and Gandhi's trusteeship treats surplus wealth as held for society. Hence, aiding the destitute becomes a demand of basic justice.

How this answer will be evaluated

Framework: GS4 Ethical Dilemma & Moral Philosophy

What earns full marks: Clear, balanced, and actionable; names the 'wall' and resolves it; includes a value-wise example.

Evaluation rubric

Each sub-part is marked on its own, against the marks and word limit printed on the paper.

(a) Discuss empathy versus compliance with rules in the DM's stopping the teacher's transfer at the PA's request. 10 marks · 150 words

discuss— intro → 3-4 dimensions → example → balanced close
Must cover
- Identify the conflict: empathy for a child with a learning disability vs. rule-based impartiality
- Identify the PA's conflict of interest and favouritism in acting on an informal request
- Discuss the impact on institutional trust, fairness and students at the teacher's new posting
- Propose a course of action balancing both (formal exemption route, support for the child)
Loses marks
- Preaching instead of reasoning
- Ignoring the 'compliance with rules' aspect
- Failing to address the 'silent stakeholders' (other students)
Earns more
- Rule of law and impartiality as the basis of public trust
- Note that the teacher's private tuition itself breaches rules
- Suggest institutional support for the child (special educator, inclusive education under the RPwD Act, 2016)
- Highlight the PA's role and the risk of proximity-driven favouritism
Extra mark
- Reference service conduct and transfer-policy rules on exemptions
- Reference Section 28 of the RTE Act, 2009 (bar on private tuition by teachers)
(b) Justify the claim that helping those who badly suffer, at no significant cost to oneself, is a moral duty and not mere charity, by explaining the distinction between the two. 10 marks · 150 words

justify— claim → 3-4 reasons → evidence → conclusion
Must cover
- Define the distinction between duty and charity
- Explain the 'moral duty' argument (e.g., utilitarianism)
- Justify the claim with 3-4 reasons
- Conclude with a balanced judgment
Loses marks
- Confusing duty with charity
- Failing to justify the claim
- Preaching instead of reasoning
Earns more
- Reference Peter Singer's 'drowning child' argument
- Mention the 'marginal utility' concept
- Discuss the 'social contract' perspective
- Highlight the 'moral obligation' of the privileged
Extra mark
- Cite Singer's 'Famine, Affluence, and Morality' (1972) or Kant's imperfect duty of beneficence
- Reference a specific ethical framework (e.g., Rawls' 'Veil of Ignorance', Gandhi's trusteeship)

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.

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