September2024

1.(a) The application of Artificial Intelligence as a dependable source of input for administrative rational decision-making is a debatable issue.
Critically examine the statement from the ethical point of view.
(Answer in 150 words)

1.(b) “Ethics encompasses several key dimensions that are crucial in guiding individuals and organizations towards morally responsible behaviour.”
Explain the key dimensions of ethics that influence human actions.
Discuss how these dimensions shape ethical decision-making in the professional context.
(Answer in 150 words)

2.(a) “It is not enough to talk about peace, one must believe in it; and it is not enough to believe in it, one must act upon it.” In the present context, the major weapon industries of the developed nations are adversely influencing continuation of number of wars for their own self-interest, all around the world. What are the ethical considerations of the powerful nations in today’s international arena to stop continuation of ongoing conflicts?
(Answer in 150 words)

2.(b) Global warming and climate change are the outcomes of human greed in the name of development, indicating the direction in which extinction of organisms including human beings is heading towards loss of life on Earth. How do you put an end to this to protect life and bring equilibrium between the society and the environment?
(Answer in 150 words)

3. Given below are three quotations of great thinkers. What do each of these quotations convey to you in the present context?

3.(a) “Learn everything that is good from others, but bring it in, and in your own way absorb it, do not become others.” — Swami Vivekananda
(Answer in 150 words)

3.(b) “Faith is of no avail in the absence of strength. Faith and strength, both are essential to accomplish any great work.” — Sardar Patel
(Answer in 150 words)

3.(c) “In law, a man is guilty when he violates the rights of others. In ethics, he is guilty if he only thinks of doing so.” — Immanuel Kant
(Answer in 150 words)

4.(a) “The concept of Just and Unjust is contextual. What was just a year back, may turn out to be unjust in today’s context. Changing context should be constantly under scrutiny to prevent miscarriage of justice.” Examine the above statement with suitable examples.
(Answer in 150 words)

4.(b) “Mindless addiction to Form, ignoring the Substance of the matter, results in rendering of injustice. A perceptive civil servant is one who ignores such literalness and carries out true intent.” Examine the above statement with suitable illustrations.
(Answer in 150 words)

5.(a) ‘The ‘Code of Conduct’ and ‘Code of Ethics’ are the sources of guidance in public administration. There is code of conduct already in operation, whereas code of ethics is not yet put in place. Suggest a suitable model for code of ethics to maintain integrity, probity and transparency in governance.
(Answer in 150 words)

5.(b) The soul of the new law, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) is Justice, Equality and Impartiality based on Indian culture and ethos. Discuss this in the light of major shift from a doctrine of punishment to justice in the present judicial system.
(Answer in 150 words)

6.(a) “In Indian culture and value system, an equal opportunity has been provided irrespective of gender identity. The number of women in public service has been steadily increasing over the years.” Examine the gender-specific challenges faced by female public servants and suggest suitable measures to increase their efficiency in discharging their duties and maintaining high standards of probity.
(Answer in 150 words)

6.(b) Mission Karmayogi is aiming for maintaining a very high standard of conduct and behaviour to ensure efficiency for serving citizens and in turn developing oneself. How will this scheme empower the civil servants in enhancing productive efficiency and delivering the services at the grassroots level ?
(Answer in 150 words)

1. Social media and encrypting messaging services pose a serious security challenge. What measures have been adopted at various levels to address the security implications of social media? Also suggest any other remedies to address the problem. (Answer in 250 words)

2. Examine the (pattern) and trend of public expenditure on social services in the post-reforms period in India. To what extent this has been in consonance with achieving the objective of inclusive growth? (Answer in 150 words)

3. What are the causes of persistent high food inflation in India? Comment on the effectiveness of the monetary policy of the RBI to control this type of inflation. (Answer in 150 words)

4. What were the factors responsible for the successful implementation of land reforms in some parts of the country? Elaborate. (Answer in 150 words)

5. Explain the role of millets for ensuring health and nutritional security in India. (Answer in 150 words)

6. What is the present world scenario of intellectual property rights with respect to life materials? Although, India is second in the world to file patents, still only a few have been commercialized. Explain the reasons behind this less commercialization. (Answer in 150 words)

7. What is the technology being employed for electronic toll collection on highways? What are its advantages and limitations? What are the proposed changes that will make this process seamless? Would this transition carry any potential hazards? (Answer in 150 words)

8. Industrial pollution of river water is a significant environmental issue in India. Discuss the various mitigation measures to deal with this problem and also the government’s initiatives in this regard.

9. What role do Environmental NGOs and activists play in influencing Environmental Impact Assessment (DIA)outcomes for major projects in India? Cite Tour examples with all important details.

10. Explain how narco-terrorism has emerged as a serious threat across the country. Suggest suitable measures to counter narco-terrorism. (Answer in 150 words)

11. Describe the context and salient features of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.

12. Discuss the merits and demerits of the four ‘Labour Codes’ in the context of labour market reforms in India. What has been the progress so far in this regard? (Answer in 250 words)

13. What is the need for expanding the regional air connectivity in India? In this context, discuss the government’s UDAN Scheme and its achievements.

14. What are the major challenges faced by the Indian irrigation system in recent times? State the measures taken by the government for efficient irrigation management. (Answer in 250 words)

15. Elucidate the importance of buffer stocks for stabilizing agricultural prices in India. What are the challenges associated with the storage of buffer stock? Discuss. (Answer in 250 words)

16. The world is facing an acute shortage of clean and safe freshwater. What are the alternative technologies which can solve this crisis? Briefly discuss any three such technologies citing their key merits and demerits. (Answer in 250 words)

17. What are asteroids? How real is the threat of them causing extinction of life? What strategies have been developed to prevent such a catastrophe? (Answer in 250 words)

18. What is disaster resilience? How is it determined? Describe various elements of a resilience framework. Also mention the global targets of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030). (Answer in 250 words)

19. Flooding in urban areas is an emerging climate-induced disaster. Discuss the causes of this disaster. Mention the features of two such major floods in the last two decades in India. Describe the policies and frameworks in India that aim at tackling such floods. (Answer in 250 words)

20. India has a long and troubled border with China and Pakistan fraught with contentious issues. Examine the conflicting issues and security challenges along the border. Also give out the development being undertaken in these areas under the Border Area Development Programme (BADP) and Border Infrastructure and Management (BIM) Scheme. Answer in 250 words)

1. Examine the need for electoral reforms as suggested by various committees with particular reference to “one nation – one election” principle. (Answer in 150 words)

2. Explain and distinguish between Lok Adalats And Arbitration Tribunals. Whether they entertain civil as well as criminal cases? (Answer in 150 words)

3. “The growth of cabinet system has practically resulted in the marginalisation of the parliamentary supremacy:” Elucidate. (Answer in 150 words)

4. “The duty of the Comptroller and Auditor General is not merely to ensure the legality of expenditure but also its propriety.” Comment. (Answer in 150 words)

5. Analyse the role of local bodies in providing good governance at local level and bring out the pros and cons merging the rural local bodies with the urban local bodies. (Answer in 150 words)

6. Public charitable trusts have the potential to make India’s development more inclusive as they relate to certain vital public issues. Comment. (Answer in 150 words)

7. Poverty and malnutrition create a vicious cycle, adversely affecting human capital formation.
What steps can be taken to break the cycle? (Answer in 150 words)

8. The Doctrine of Democratic Governance makes it necessary that the public perception of the integrity and commitment of civil servants becomes absolutely positive. Discuss.

9. ‘The West is fostering India as an alternative to reduce dependence on China’s supply chain and as a strategically to counter China’s political and economic dominance.” Explain this statement with examples. (Answer in 150 words)

10. Critically analyse India’s evolving diplomatic, economic and strategic relations with the Central Asian Republics (CARs) highlighting their increasing significance in regional and global geopolitics. (Answer in 150 words)

11. What are the aims and objects of recently passed and enforced, The Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024? Whether University/State Education Board examinations, too, are covered under the Act ? (Answer in 250 words).

12. Right to privacy is intrinsic to life and personal liberty and is inherently protected under Article 21 of the constitution. Explain. In this reference discuss the law relating to D.N.A. testing of child in the womb to establish its paternity. (Answer in 250 words)

13. What changes has the Union Government recently introduced in the domain of Centre-Stare relations? Suggest measures to be adopted to build the trust between the Centre and the States and for strengthening federalism. (Answer in 250 words)

14. Explain the reasons for the growth of public interest litigation in India. As a result of it, has the Indian Supreme Court emerged as the world’s most powerful judiciary ? (Answer in 250 words)

15. Discuss India as a secular state and compare with the secular principles of the US constitution. (Answer in 250 words)

16. The Citizens’ charter has been a landmark initiative in ensuring citizen-centric administration. But it is yet to reach its full potential. Identify the factors hindering the realisation of its promise and suggest measures to overcome them. (Answer in 250 words)

17. In a crucial domain like the public healthcare system the Indian State should play a vital role to contain the adverse impact of marketisation of the system. Suggest some measures through which the State can enhance the reach of public healthcare at the grassroots level. (Answer in 250 words)

18. e-governance is not just about the routine application of digital technology in service delivery process. It is as much about multifarious interactions for ensuring transparency and accountability. In this context evaluate the role of the ‘Interactive Service Model’ of e-governance. (Answer in 250 words)

19. ‘Terrorism has become a significant threat to global peace and security.’ Evaluate the effectiveness of the United Nations Security Council’s Counter Terrorism Committee (CTC and its associated bodies in addressing and mitigating this threat at the international level. (Answer in 250 words)

20. Discuss the geopolitical and geostrategic importance of Maldives for India with a focus on global trade and/energy flows. Further also discuss how this relationship affects India’s maritime security and regional stability amidst international competition? (Answer in 250 words )

1. Underline the changes in the field of society and economy from the Rig Vedic to the later Vedic period.

 2. Estimate the contribution of Pallavas of Kanchi for the development of art and literature of South India.

 3. What were the events that led to the Quit India Movement? Point out its results.

 4. What is sea surface temperature rise? How does it affect the formation of tropical cyclones?

 5. Why do large cities tend to attract more migrants than smaller towns? Discuss in the light of conditions in developing countries.

 6. What is the phenomenon of ‘cloudbursts’? Explain.

 7. What is the concept of a ‘demographic winter’? Is the world moving towards such a situation? Elaborate.

 8. Distinguish between gender equality, gender equality and women’s empowerment . Why is it important to take gender  concerns into account in programme design and implementation?

 9. Intercaste marriages between castes which have socio-economic parity have increased, to some extent, but this is less true of interreligious marriages.Discuss.

 10. In dealing with socio-economic issues of development, what kind of collaboration between government, NGO’s and private sector would be most productive?

 11. ‘Though the great cholas are no more yet their name is still remembered with great pride because of their highest achievements in the domain of art and architecture.” Comment.

 12. How far is it correct to say that the First World War was fought essentially for the preservation of balance of power?

 13. How far was the Industrial Revolution in England responsible for the decline of handicrafts and cotttage industries in India?

 14. The groundwater potential of the gangetic valley is on a serious decline. How may it affect the food security of  India?

 15. What are aurora australis and aurora borealis? How are these triggered?

 16. What is a twister? Why are the majority of twisters observed in areas around the Gulf of Mexico?

 17. What is regional disparity? How does it differ from disparity? How serious is the issue of regional disparity in India?

 18. Despite comprehensive policies for equity and social justice, underprivilaged sections are not yet getting the full benefits of affirmative action, envisaged by the Constitution.Comment.

 19. Globalization have increased urban migration by skilled, young, unmarried women from various classes. How has this trend impacted upon their personal freedom and relationship with family?

 20. Critically analyse the proposition that there is a high correlation between India’s cultural diversities and socio-economic marginalities.

Section A

1. Forests precede civilizations and deserts follow them.

2. The empires of the future will be the empires of the mind.

3. There is no path to happiness; Happiness is the path.

4. The doubter is a true man of science.

Section B

5. Social media is triggering “Fear of Missing Out” amongst the youth, precipitating depression and loneliness.

6. Nearly all men can stand adversity, but to test the character, give him power.

7. All ideas having large consequences are always simple.

8. The cost of being wrong is less than the cost of doing nothing.