QUESTION 1
GS4
10 marks
What do you understand by 'values' and 'ethics'? In what way is it important to be ethical along with being professionally competent?
WRITE IN
7 min
150 words
What the examiner wants
Distinguish values from ethics and show why competence without ethics fails in public service.
What do you understand; In what wayAnswer exactly what the question asks.
Demand-wise check
- 1Values: internal beliefs about what is worthwhile (honesty, compassion); ethics: shared standards of right conduct derived from values≈30 words
- 2Competence without ethics: skill used for wrong ends (scams engineered by capable officers, manipulated data)≈30 words
- 3Ethics without competence: good intent, poor delivery; both are needed for public trust≈30 words
- 4Integration: training, codes of conduct, role models≈30 words
Open in about 20 words and close in about 20.
Answer plan
Define both with differenceWhy ethics plus competenceExamples of each failing aloneConclusion
Where marks usually go
- Defining values and ethics as the same thing
- Not giving an example where competence was misused
Draw this
- 2x2 matrix: competence (high/low) vs ethics (high/low) with an example in each box
Value addition
- Report2nd ARC 4th Report 'Ethics in Governance' (2007) treats integrity and competence as joint pillars of good governance.2nd ARC, 2007
- ThinkerWarren Buffett: in hiring look for integrity, intelligence and energy; without the first, the other two will hurt you.Warren Buffett
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 3 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Vidushi Singh · AIR 13 · Page 5 ↗Same syllabus reference
- G Sanjana · AIR 55 · Page 3 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Aakash Garg · AIR 5 · Page 7 ↗Same syllabus reference
Links open original public sources. MainsBuddy does not host these answer sheets.
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 7 minutes, then get it checked.