QUESTION 5(b)
GS4
10 marks
Explain the process of resolving ethical dilemmas in Public Administration.
WRITE IN
7 min
150 words
What the examiner wants
Explain the step-by-step process a public administrator uses to resolve an ethical dilemma.
ExplainMake clear how and why it happens: causes, process, and an example for each point.
Demand-wise check
- 1Identify the dilemma: which values clash (e.g. law vs compassion, loyalty vs public interest)≈30 words
- 2Gather facts, stakeholders and legal position; check rules, codes and precedents≈30 words
- 3List options, test them (consequences, duty, fairness, publicity test, Gandhi's talisman)≈30 words
- 4Decide, act with reasons recorded, consult seniors if needed, review outcome; institutional aids (ethics committees, training)≈30 words
Open in about 20 words and close in about 20.
Answer plan
What an ethical dilemma isSteps in orderShort exampleInstitutional supportConclusion
Where marks usually go
- Defining dilemmas without a process
- No example to show the process
Draw this
- Flowchart of the decision steps
Value addition
- ThinkerGandhi's talisman: recall the face of the poorest person and ask if the step will help them.Gandhi, 1947
- ThinkerKant's universalisability test: act only on a rule you could will to be a universal law.Groundwork, 1785
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 27 ↗Reviewed PYQ reference
- Vidushi Singh · AIR 13 · Page 13 ↗Reviewed PYQ reference
- Aakash Garg · AIR 5 · Page 25 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 5 ↗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.