General Studies 2026 GS Paper IV 20 marks 250 words Discuss

GS Paper IV — Q9

Seema is a senior bureaucrat with a reputation of honesty and professional efficiency. She has recently been posted as the…

Seema is a senior bureaucrat with a reputation of honesty and professional efficiency. She has recently been posted as the District Collector (DC) to Surinder Nagar, where a large industrial area is being established.

The new industrial area had caused many farmers to submit applications for change of land use (CLU) to convert their farmland into residential areas. There is such a glut of these applications that disposal of most of them is delayed. Seema noticed that some of these applications had been approved while disregarding the chronological order. In this case's file, Seema found a few complaints alleging that hefty bribes had been taken from some applicants in exchange for approval.

On further fact-finding, Seema realized that a small group of touts was controlling this illegal activity through some subordinate officials in the Collectorate. This had created a fear in the other employees who were reluctant to process any application. The resultant backlog has been piling up thereby hindering local economic progress and causing public dissatisfaction.

Seema was faced with a major moral and administrative challenge of dismantling this corruption network without hampering daily administrative operations. An aggressive internal investigation would result in institutional resistance and, possibly, a backlash from labour unions. Conversely, ignoring this situation would encourage the wrongdoers and unnecessarily continue this avoidable harassment to the populace.

(a)

What are the ethical issues involved in this case?

(b)

Discuss the options open to Seema. Identify the recommended option and justify it. (Answer in 250 words) 20 marks

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

सीमा एक वरिष्ठ नौकरशाह हैं जिनकी ईमानदारी और पेशेवर दक्षता की अच्छी प्रतिष्ठा है। उन्हें हाल ही में सुरिंदर नगर का जिला कलेक्टर (डीसी) नियुक्त किया गया है, जहां एक बड़ा औद्योगिक क्षेत्र स्थापित किया जा रहा है।

नए औद्योगिक क्षेत्र के निर्माण के कारण कई किसानों ने अपनी कृषि भूमि को आवासीय क्षेत्रों में परिवर्तित करने के लिए भूमि उपयोग परिवर्तन (सीएलयू) हेतु आवेदन जमा किए थे। इन आवेदनों की इतनी भरमार है कि उनमें से अधिकांश का निपटान विलंबित हो रहा है। सीमा ने पाया कि कुछ आवेदनों को कालानुक्रमिक क्रम की अनदेखी करते हुए स्वीकृत किया गया था। केस फाइलों से पता चला कि कुछ स्वीकृतियों के लिए आवेदकों से बड़ी रिश्वत लेने की शिकायतें भी दर्ज की गई थीं।

आगे की छानबीन में सीमा को पता चला कि दलालों का एक छोटा समूह कलेक्ट्रेट के कुछ अधीनस्थ अधिकारियों के माध्यम से इस अवैध गतिविधि को नियंत्रित कर रहा था। इससे अन्य कर्मचारियों में डर का माहौल बन गया था और वे किसी भी आवेदन पर कार्रवाई करने से कतरा रहे थे। परिणामस्वरूप आवेदनों का ढेर बढ़ता जा रहा था, जिससे स्थानीय आर्थिक प्रगति बाधित हो रही थी और जनता में असंतोष फैल रहा था।

सीमा के सामने दैनिक प्रशासनिक कार्यों में बाधा डाले बिना इस भ्रष्टाचार नेटवर्क को खत्म करने की एक बड़ी नैतिक और प्रशासनिक चुनौती थी। आक्रामक आंतरिक जांच से संस्थागत प्रतिरोध और संभवतः श्रमिक संघों की ओर से विरोध का सामना करना पड़ता। इसके विपरीत, इस स्थिति को नजरअंदाज करने से अपराधियों को प्रोत्साहन मिलता और जनता को अनावश्यक रूप से परेशान किया जाता।

(a)

इस मामले में कौन–कौन से नैतिक मुद्दे शामिल हैं?

(b)

सीमा के सामने मौजूद विकल्पों पर चर्चा कीजिए। अनुशंसित विकल्प की पहचान कीजिए और उसका औचित्य सिद्ध कीजिए। (उत्तर 250 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 250-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.

Ethical Issues Involved

Corruption and procedural injustice: Bribery and queue-jumping violate fairness, equality before law and integrity, eroding public trust.

Institutional capture: The nexus of touts and subordinate officials intimidates honest staff; the resulting backlog hurts farmers and the local economy.

Administrative dilemma: Seema must enforce accountability while keeping morale, avoiding union backlash and sustaining service delivery.

Options Available to Seema

Option 1: Sudden crackdown and mass suspensions. Signals zero tolerance, but risks union agitation, disruption and errors from unverified evidence.

Option 2: Clear the backlog through digitisation and ignore past misconduct. Keeps continuity and cuts future discretion, but lets the corrupt escape and creates moral hazard.

Option 3: Discreet, evidence-based action with systemic reform. A confidential audit identifies corrupt officials and touts; evidence goes to the state Anti-Corruption Bureau under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988; tainted staff are moved off the CLU desk; irregular approvals are re-examined; a first-in-first-out online queue and a time-bound special camp with a grievance cell clear the backlog.

Recommended Option and Justification

Seema should adopt Option 3. It follows the Second ARC's report on Ethics in Governance (2007), which stresses reducing discretion and preventive vigilance. Briefing unions that the drive targets wrongdoers, not staff, and protecting honest employees defuses resistance. It punishes the guilty, removes the touts' leverage and restores trust without paralysing the Collectorate.

How this answer will be evaluated

Framework: GS4 Case Study Analysis (Ethical Issues & Course of Action)

What earns full marks: Identifies nuanced ethical conflicts and proposes a realistic, multi-step administrative solution that balances justice with operational efficiency.

Evaluation rubric

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

(a) Identify the ethical issues involved in the case.

highlight— name the salient points → one line of substance each → close
Must cover
- Conflict between duty to public and fear of institutional resistance
- Corruption (bribery) vs. administrative efficiency
- Silence/complicity vs. duty to report wrongdoing
- Impact on public trust and economic progress
Loses marks
- Listing generic values (honesty, integrity) without context
- Ignoring the specific 'touts' and 'subordinate officials' dynamic
Earns more
- Mention of 'moral hazard' or 'ethical dilemma'
- Reference to 'public interest' vs 'personal safety'
Extra mark
- Reference to the civil servants' Conduct Rules or the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (2018 amendment making bribe-giving an offence)
(b) Discuss the options open to Seema with merits and demerits, identify the recommended option and justify it. · 250 words

discuss— intro → 3-4 dimensions → example → balanced close
Must cover
- Option: aggressive investigation/mass action (merits and demerits)
- Option: ignoring or only clearing the backlog without accountability (merits and demerits)
- Recommended option: discreet evidence-based action plus systemic fix (transparent queue, reduced discretion)
- Justification: balancing justice with administrative continuity, protecting honest staff and the public
Loses marks
- Choosing 'ignore' as the recommended option
- Vague recommendations without specific steps (immediate/short-term)
Earns more
- Mention of whistleblower protection or state vigilance / Anti-Corruption Bureau
- Suggestion of digitisation to reduce human interface
- Strategy for managing labour-union resistance (communication, targeting individuals not staff)
Extra mark
- Reference to a state Right to Services Act for time-bound delivery, or RTI for transparency

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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Evaluation rubric

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