N O V E M B E R - 2 0 1 6

G S – I V Secure Synopsis | NOVEMBER-2016

©www.InsightsIAS.com 1 ©www.InsightsonIndia.com

Table of Contents

Topic: Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world ___________________________ 2 Q) “A truth that’s told with bad intent, beats all the lies you can invent.” Comment. (150 Words)_____________________ 2 Q) “A truth that’s told with bad intent, beats all the lies you can invent.” Comment. (150 Words)_____________________ 2 Q) “Until he extends the circle of his compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace.” Discuss the relevance

of this statement in today’s world. (200 Words) _____________________________________________________________ 3 Q) What do you understand by legal philosophy? Why is its study important today? Examine. (150 Words) ____________ 3

Topic: Attitude: content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and behaviour; moral and

political attitudes; social influence and persuasion. _________________________________________________ 4 Q) In your opinion, which factors have contributed to the rise of Donald Trump? Critically analyse. (150 Words) ________ 4 Q) Against severe opposition by almost all sections of media and the opposition party, Donald Trump has won the US

Presidential election. Do you think media and the opposition party should cooperate with the new President-elect or

continue to oppose him? Justify. (150 Words) ______________________________________________________________ 5 Q) It is often said in Indian philosophy that work is worship. However, in modern societies, people -be it from private sector

or public sector – want to escape from work and relax during weekends. Do you think such attitude towards work is

justified? Personally, what does work mean for you? Comment. (200 Words) _____________________________________ 5 Q) It is observed that in the absence of reasoned argument and evidence, people fall back upon their political preferences

in order to form their opinions about any issue. Why does this happen? Is it good for the country? Critically examine. (150

Words) ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 6

Topic: Role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating values. __________________________ 6 Q) Children from the RTE quota are often left feeling small as equality seems to be lost in monetary disparity. How to

address such inequalities? Suggest solutions. (200 Words) ____________________________________________________ 6

Topic: Ethics in human actions __________________________________________________________________ 7 Q) Bystanders often appear reluctant to help the injured or simply indifferent — sometimes they stand around the scene of

the accident but only out of curiosity. Does this suggest a fundamental flaw in our social relationships and attitudes, or is

there something else that prevents us from helping others and perhaps saving lives? Also discuss how this mindset can be

changed. (200 Words)__________________________________________________________________________________ 7 Q) Differentiate between climate justice and climate ethics. Discuss their significance. (150 Words) __________________ 8 Q) Discuss the ethical issues involved in using autonomous vehicles. (150 Words) _________________________________ 8 Q) Do you think banning of Jallikattu is ethically and legally a sound decision? Justify. (150 Words) ___________________ 9

Topic: Ethics in public administration ____________________________________________________________ 10 Q) Is the habit of raising doubts, questioning the authorities and the police, a bad culture? Critically comment. (150 Words)

___________________________________________________________________________________________________ 10 Q) Analyse ethical implications of recent demonetisation move by the government. (150 Words) ___________________ 10 Q) Is it ethical for a political leader to use his political power, office and influence to help his business make profits? Justify.

(150 Words) ________________________________________________________________________________________ 11 Q) Critically examine ethical issues involved in extrajudicial killings by the state. (150 Words) _______________________ 12

Topic: Ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions __________________________ 13 Q) Some argue that recent demonetisation is an ethical step. What justifications can be given to support this argument? Do

you agree with these justifications? Critically comment. (150 Words) __________________________________________ 13 Q) In the light of recent fake news issue and post-truth developments, what are the professional and ethical responsibilities

of sites such as Facebook? Critically examine. (150 Words) ___________________________________________________ 13

Topic: Accountability _________________________________________________________________________ 14 Q) Should citizens have unfettered right to question government’s every decisions and actions? Do you think encouraging

such a culture of questioning among the public would endanger public administration? Critically comment. (150 Words) 14

Topic: Corporate governance. _________________________________________________________________ 14 Q) Discuss the relationship between ethics and corporate governance. (150 Words) ______________________________ 14 Q) It is said that the Tata-Mistry spat highlights the failings of regulators, stock exchanges and independent directors.

Discuss why. (150 Words) ______________________________________________________________________________ 15

G S – I V Secure Synopsis | NOVEMBER-2016

©www.InsightsIAS.com 2 ©www.InsightsonIndia.com

Topic: Challenges of corruption ________________________________________________________________ 16 Q) Will demonetization of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes curb corruption? Critically examine. (200 Words) _______________ 16

General Studies Paper IV: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude Topic: Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world

Q) “A truth that’s told with bad intent, beats all the lies you can invent.” Comment.

(150 Words)

General

Every action has consequences. A truth told with bad intention will result in a bad consequence. One can lie many times yet mean no harm. People lie to escape from punishment, or from guilt (a thief lying to court after stealing money). Virtuous people tell the truth, no matter what the consequences are, to punish the guilty.

However, a person who lacks virtues might tell the truth to bring harm to someone. If his/her intent is to bring harm to an innocent person, this action is unethical. It is unethical because the person who tells truth appears as virtuous person to the outside world, but he/she is filled with malice inside. Telling truth to harm someone is rare and involves premeditation, which shows that the person lacks empathy and integrity. A staff in defence ministry who passes on secret information to enemy country to either get money or to inflict harm on his mother country, is grossly unfair and unjust. At personal level, a person from a political family might want to get his brother jailed by telling truth about his smuggling activities to the police so that he could win ticket to contest elections.

A government can also tell the public a truth with bad intent. For example, a government (dictatorship) might tell the public that it wants to pass a law which would punish (by death) all corrupt people. It involves the truth that it wants to punish the corrupt, but might have an intention to eliminate all opposition leaders so that it could stay in power forever. Though rare, history is replete with such truths told with bad intentions.

If intent behind telling truth is to bring harm to a mass murderer or to a rapist, it can not be termed as unethical. Here more than intention, the truth matters as it aids the law to find culprit and punish them irrespective of who’s telling the truth with whatever intentions. Ultimate consequence of this action would be delivery of justice to victims.

On the other side, telling series of lies might not result in bad consequences as in above cases. As said in the introduction, lies are mostly told to escape from unpleasant situations. Some lies might result harm to others, but a premeditated truth told to harm others is outrightly unethical as illustrated above.

Q) “A truth that’s told with bad intent, beats all the lies you can invent.” Comment.

(150 Words)

Truth is a good virtue and is considered as one of the best practice, as it was practiced by Mahatma Gandhi. Humans deceive each other in many different ways- intentionally withholding information, providing false information, and, sometimes, telling the truth in an attempt to mislead others. However, a truth that is told with a bad intent beholds a negative emotion to hurt the other person through performance of their action.

Consider there are some people holding knives and running behind a person. In case these people ask someone about the direction in which that person ran away, then telling the correct direction with the bad intention to get that person killed would be lethal. This action of speaking truth will beat all the lies about the direction. That person with a simple lie can save one's life.

So, what matters is the intention behind speaking truth and not simply adhering to our values, principles without give second though to consequences of telling truth. A person must adhere to truthfulness but the priority should always be humanity and compassion towards all living beings. If a person faces ethical dilemma between telling the truth which can cause harm or telling lie which can save lives, he/she should choose the latter.

G S – I V Secure Synopsis | NOVEMBER-2016

©www.InsightsIAS.com 3 ©www.InsightsonIndia.com

The intent of a person should always be noble, and he/she should strive for the greater benefit of all living beings. Besides, the ways and means to fulfill those intentions should also remain ethical and noble.

Q) “Until he extends the circle of his compassion to all living things, man will not

himself find peace.” Discuss the relevance of this statement in today’s world. (200

Words)

General

This statement highlights the virtue of compassion, which is one of the cardinal virtues, a man should practise as a social being. Compassion helps us in understanding problems of others and thus showing empathy. Humans have been able to extend their compassion not only to other humans but, also to animals and plants. This is very much reflected when we domesticate animals like cats, dogs, cows and so on. It has helped human beings in becoming more sensitive, caring and loving by nature.

But, this is not always true, as this virtue is not practised by most of the human beings. We can even generalise this for whole humanity when we discuss that how in the wake of growth and development, we are encroaching in the habitat of animals and destroying the critical biodiversity needed for our own survival. We are not being compassionate for the animal rights or conservation of the earth.

This has been the cause of problems like- growing incidence of man-animal conflict, increasing extreme weather events- making threat of climate change, a reality. So, it is very important to extend the feeling of compassion not only to fellow human beings, but also to plants and animals. In India, such show of compassion was at display when Bishnoi community or Chipko movement came forward for conservation of biodiversity.

Compassion will help human beings to maintain the balance with nature and in turn peace and harmony would be maintained. Otherwise, in future problems of environmental refugees, killing of humans by predatory animals, etc will further worsen the situation and may lead to tension and wars among nations.

In today's world, we need to reflect emotional intelligence (EQ) along with IQ, so that ethical issues involved in clinical trials on the animals, sending animals to space, etc can be evaluated.

There have been instances, when people accumulate wealth through illegal means, by exploiting poor people, human trafficking etc- all of these reflect lack of compassion. Such people also don’t live in peace, they always live in fear of uncertainty. However, on the other side a honest person who performs his duty with integrity and compassion, enjoys his life and lives at peace.

Compassion is needed today to reduce inequality among humanity, to reduce the development disparity among nations, so that we all can grow together as a family. We need to end prejudices against fellow human beings on the lines of caste, creed, religion and nationality that has led to the humanitarian crisis - Civil war in West Asia to Syrian Refugee crisis.

So, this statement is relevant in today's world in every sphere of our lives and as human beings, we have the ability to analyse our behaviour, thus it becomes important to display required emotions and virtues which are needed for peace and harmony.

Q) What do you understand by legal philosophy? Why is its study important today?

Examine. (150 Words)

The Hindu

Legal philosophy provides clarity, understanding about various concepts of law, judicial verdicts and legal philosophies. These understanding and analysis of law is based on the interlinking of theories and perception about ethical aspects of law which consists of justice, morality, humanity, impartiality, equality, etc.

In a society that seeks to rest its foundations in justice, a legal philosopher performs three essential functions. First, he expounds the relationship between law, justice and other concepts so fundamental to explain the nature of human existence in society. Second, he critically examines existing legal philosophies. Third, he examines decisions of courts and legislations from the point of philosophic principles.

G S – I V Secure Synopsis | NOVEMBER-2016

©www.InsightsIAS.com 4 ©www.InsightsonIndia.com

In today's world its study is important for the ongoing climate negotiations guided by the principles of climate justice. Consequently bilateral and regional engagements are taking dominant place, which needs critical analysis about their impact on the countries. Therefore, role of legal philosopher in providing broader perspective and future expectations will be useful in shaping the new policies.

The path-breaking work of several legal philosophers had their impact in the promulgation of certain important international documents and treaties like the Charter of the United Nations, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, European Convention on Human Rights and the 1959 Declaration of Delhi on the rule of law, etc.

Such studies are also crucial for countries like India to deepen the democracy and question the rationality of legalisation and practises. For example - when SC banned Jallikattu, it guided itself with the help of legal philosophy, questioning the rationality of such practise, which violates animal rights, going against the law of the land (Prevention of cruelty act, 1960) and reflecting lack of empathy and compassion among humans.

Hence, legal philosophy is a must because, it helps to strike a balance between legal jurisprudence and the virtues that needs to be balanced in the overall betterment of the society.

Topic: Attitude: content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and behaviour;

moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasion.

Q) In your opinion, which factors have contributed to the rise of Donald Trump?

Critically analyse. (150 Words)

The Hindu

The presidential election held in USA was gripped under various controversies surrounding the two candidates. The factors that contributed to the rise of Donald Trump, a seasoned businessman to 45th President of USA, representing the republicans are :

Dissatisfaction among Americans: – The Americans were dissatisfied with the current politicians in both the major parties. Their foreign policy bled America of its resources by waging wars across the globe like in Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, etc.

Personality of Trump and call for nationalistic development- Donald Trump was able to attract Americans and could mesmerize the voters with his demagoguery on the promise of leading the nation towards greater heights. The call for reinvigorating the ‘American dream’ and creation of new jobs, gave push to his campaign.

Charges against Hillary Clinton – The use of private server by Hilary Clinton when she was the Secretary of State reflected lack of probity in her actions. The re-opening of FBI investigation against her reduced her acceptance among voters. She was also charged of supporting big corporates and implicitly supporting crony capitalism.

Bringing practical end to violence: Trump’s promise of withdrawal of forces in Syria, avoiding the proxy war between USA and Russia, appealed the Americans. Also, his strategy towards terrorism (checking the growth of ISIS) and no support to state sponsored terrorism like Pakistan has attracted praise from Native Americans.

Failure of previous government – Failure of Obamato fulfill his promises on peace, employment, economic growth and losing ground in international arena triggered the fear that same would continue if Hillary Clinton wins. Long drawn Obama’s regime and the economic crises compelled the citizens to go for change of ideology for governance inclining them towards Donald Trump.

Though, these factors have contributed to his rise, but this trend among Americans shows acceptance of Chauvinist and right wing attitude of Trump – that is putting their country first and foremost. He was able to gain support of the masses by publicly belittling religious minorities, immigrants and also provoking white supremacy in making America greater. Misogyny has also played great role in making Trump a favourite candidate for male white supremacists. Such things have pushed the democratic ethos practiced by the world’s oldest democracy to the back seat. It is being seen as compromise with the values and ideas of the founding fathers of America in true spirit.

G S – I V Secure Synopsis | NOVEMBER-2016

©www.InsightsIAS.com 5 ©www.InsightsonIndia.com

Q) Against severe opposition by almost all sections of media and the opposition party,

Donald Trump has won the US Presidential election. Do you think media and the

opposition party should cooperate with the new President-elect or continue to oppose

him? Justify. (150 Words)

The Hindu

The recently held presidential election was in the favour of Donald trump, who was gripped under many

controversies. At present, few sections of Americans are opposing through "Not my president" campaign

against Trump. Here, media and oppositions should cooperate with him rather than opposing due to

following reasons:-

People's choice- Donald Trump has been democratically elected, directly by the people. This is the

hallmark of the democracy and it should be respected.

Wastage of time - Since, nothing went wrong in the election like booth capturing, voter’s bribery,

etc. as found in many developing countries, thus giving legitimacy to election. Thus opposing or

campaigning against Trump would be wastage of time. Rather, media and opposition parties should

analyse decisions and the future plans of new president.

Finding middle path - dialogue and co-operation are always the best way to resolve differences.

Same way, the Democrats and media should engage with the new president through dialogues, so that

some middle path could be found over ideologies, governance, priorities of administration, etc.

The ego, political prejudice involved in opposition should be set aside and political parties should co-

operate with new president for his future policies. Cooperation will weed out the distrust involved and will

pave way for setting agenda for future development of America. Also, opposition (Democrats) should be

calm and closely observe the moves of Trump involving partisanship and favouritism, which could be used

for his impeachment, if things don’t work out in favour of Trump.

So, the right to protest peacefully against any policy decisions taken by the president that goes against the

ethos of the constitution of USA should be given priority by media and oppositions parties rather than out

rightly opposing the President himself.

Q) It is often said in Indian philosophy that work is worship. However, in modern

societies, people -be it from private sector or public sector – want to escape from work

and relax during weekends. Do you think such attitude towards work is justified?

Personally, what does work mean for you? Comment. (200 Words)

Livemint

Taking rest or relaxing helps in rejuvenating and helps in working with more vigour and energy. But, giving priority to relaxation, compromising the work shows the lacklustre and procrastinating attitude. An emotionally intelligent person is expected to balance his personal and professional life. Thus there should be balance in life between work and enjoyment too.

Work, which gives us economic stability, identity in society and for which now a day’s cutthroat competition is increasing, should obviously be given its due time. Any procrastination or not enjoying the work will, burden us, it will lower our efficiency and in turn our future growth in the job. In fact, such attitude infects the work culture and our colleagues, affecting the whole production and efficiency of the organisation. For example, Indian government offices are very well known for their lacklustre approach, poor efficiency, delay in decision making, etc. These things they have earned due to their employees, giving a bad name to the whole country in terms of corruption, red-tapism, bureaucratic inertia, etc.

Nowadays, most of the youngsters, who are looking for job, they want a job where, there is no work to do or less work pressure, so that they can enjoy their personal life, family life and they can do business in parallel,

G S – I V Secure Synopsis | NOVEMBER-2016

©www.InsightsIAS.com 6 ©www.InsightsonIndia.com

etc. Such attitude is not justified and it develops only when an individual does not align his own goals with the goals of the organisation. He sees job as an income source, showing hardly any respect for job.

But, with this attitude in youngsters or employed people, how can we target to reach the level of US or China in terms or economic growth or development. To reach that level, we need to work hard, love our job and respect our employer showing commitment towards our duty.

Personally, work for me is a platform, where I can grow and develop my personality, skills in such a way where my goals are met along with the goals of the organisation. I believe in giving priority to the work, which is enjoyable, doesn't causes boredom and gives me opportunity to balance my relations & space for my personal life.

Performing our duty is the moral responsibility, especially when many other people are dependent on us, like the work of a civil servant or an entrepreneur. And performing them with due diligence and integrity brings happiness to the organisation, employees, and their families and to the whole country.

Q) It is observed that in the absence of reasoned argument and evidence, people fall

back upon their political preferences in order to form their opinions about any issue.

Why does this happen? Is it good for the country? Critically examine. (150 Words)

Livemint

It is often seen that in countries like India or in any political system, if argument and rationality don't guide the opinion of the people then it is the political preferences which guide their opinion.

It happens because in such situations we submit ourselves to the charisma of the leader rather than being critical about their decision. Due to our prejudices, we align ourselves to any particular political ideology with a closed mind-set, leaving least scope for rationality.

However, there is nothing wrong and in a democracy people are free to enjoy their freedom of expression in the way they want. But, such attitude restricts the scope of discussion and debate on policy matters. For example- recent referendum held in UK over Brexit, shows that those who opted for "YES", were guided by emotions rather than rationality. Brexit was not supported by the PM of UK and finally he resigned to respect people's decision, which was against the political and economic ideology if his government. The recent presidential election of USA is the perfect example when people got so biased and adapted a dogmatic attitude that their decisions and opinions were no longer rational.

Democracy can become mature, if the people shed their prejudice and adopt a critical attitude with open mindedness with respect to policy matters. With respect to this Nelson Mandela's views are appropriate for guiding people- "Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment”

It is, however, observed that political fanaticism is increasing since issue-centric discussions are taking form of biased unjustified and unreasonable arguments. We should keep in mind that a democracy cannot sustain without criticism and opposition. People's participation is required in government's functioning irrespective of the nature of their opinion.

Topic: Role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating values.

Q) Children from the RTE quota are often left feeling small as equality seems to be lost

in monetary disparity. How to address such inequalities? Suggest solutions. (200

Words)

The Hindu

The cognitive development of the children is affected by the institutions of the society like - family, schools, religion, etc. Keeping this in mind, RTE was legislated to ensure equality in education irrespective of social/economic status. Though its implementation has aided in an increase of our literacy level (74.4%-census-2011), but a glaring gap exists in the actual inclusion of the poorest of the poor in educational institutions.

G S – I V Secure Synopsis | NOVEMBER-2016

©www.InsightsIAS.com 7 ©www.InsightsonIndia.com

Disrespect and lack of empathy towards RTE quota students among teachers is becoming a concern. Some students who belongs to richer class show insensitive attitude towards students who belongs to lower class. This is causing inferiority complex among such children. This discriminatory attitude of children and teachers is creating a gap and feeling of hatred among children in their childhood itself. To address such inequalities following solutions could be taken:-

Sensitisation of teachers so that they understand the circumstances/problems faced by RTE quota students. Teachers should do their best to make them comfortable in the new environment by encouraging them to participate in class discussions, annual function etc.

School management needs to design policies, keeping the economic condition of students in mind. It should display an accommodative attitude and expenses like picnic fee, project fee (not covered by government expenses) should be waived off for the poor students. The school management at times openly announce the names of students in the class who haven't paid any particular fee thereby creating a sense of embarrassment front their class mates, such things should be checked.

Engaging parents- Often, parents of students from weaker section, lead tough lives and may feel unable/embarrassed of attending parent teachers meetings. The teachers need to take note of this and ensure regular and timely feedback is delivered through alternative channels. This will not only boost confidence among parents but also children would feel equal and privileged.

Developing group dynamics - All students in the class should be encouraged to develop a helpful attitude towards their peers. Teachers should design such activities, which boosts the group spirit among students and will make them sensitive towards each other's need, it will help in checking the inferiority complex and isolation among students from weaker sections of the society. To remove the disparity there must be workshops in school in which student must be given moral education like importance of brotherhood and companionship.

Mental revolution and counselling - More often than not, it's the parents of well off kids who are not willing to allow their kids to sit with kids of the poor. Hence a mental revolution, counselling and political appeal is necessary for all such parents to develop compassion, empathy and sensitive attitude, which will also help their own wards.

It is the responsibility of all the members of the society, to make an enabling environment for our children, so that they can grow and develop without any prejudice and discrimination. Future belongs to the children, so they should be equipped to share a batter future and not to fight over it.

Topic: Ethics in human actions

Q) Bystanders often appear reluctant to help the injured or simply indifferent —

sometimes they stand around the scene of the accident but only out of curiosity. Does

this suggest a fundamental flaw in our social relationships and attitudes, or is there

something else that prevents us from helping others and perhaps saving lives? Also

discuss how this mindset can be changed. (200 Words)

The Hindu

The attitude of a person defines the qualities they practice, that is - whether they want to help the injured people on the site of accident or they just want to observe and do nothing. Attitude in turn is shaped by many factors like - family, society, education, laws, etc. In some case these factors shape the attitude of a person to be a initiator, leader, helping people in all adversities and in other cases they act as deterrent to shape such attitude thus qualities.

However, it cannot be generalized, as it has been seen that in our society most of the people want to help the injured people but they do hesitate to come forward due to legal/police hassles. They complain of saying that - "who will take rounds of police station" or ""why to waste time in going to court" that is avoiding legal consequence and investigations. So, here the law or our criminal justice system is causing people to adopt such attitude.

G S – I V Secure Synopsis | NOVEMBER-2016

©www.InsightsIAS.com 8 ©www.InsightsonIndia.com

But, it is not always true that, only legal hassles has caused this attitudinal development. In some cases people want to help but they don’t know what to do - first aid, information about hospital, etc. Sometimes, not helping the victim is guided by our selfish attitude like - we don’t want to get late for office/ meeting/ school or thinking that someone else will help. Thus, there is lack of helping attitude in people too, which is being shaped by changing socio-economic conditions. Socio-economic conditions are changing the role and nature of families, societies, educations system, which play very important role in shaping such attitude among an individual as discussed above.

To change this mind-set, we need to bring reform in criminal justice system, so that people don’t get harassed and get penalized for helping victims. In this direction, the Supreme courts guidelines to protect Good Samaritans will not only help bystanders avoid legal hassles, but also reward them for their acts. This will help in avoiding public apathy which leads to loss of life of the victim in certain cases. It will help in developing compassionate and helping attitude among the people across all generation.

Also, we need to educate people about - first aid, using medical emergency kits and always keeping details of hospitals, police, not obstructing the air passage around the victim, to make people aware about their legal rights as a Good Samaritan, etc so that many lives can be saved in the "golden hour" after accident. All this will help in changing the mind-set of people and will empower them in helping the victims.

Q) Differentiate between climate justice and climate ethics. Discuss their significance.

(150 Words)

The Hindu

Increased attention and related negotiations regarding climate change and global warming has iterated two terms ‘Climate Justice’ and ‘Climate Ethics’, which differs in the sense of sharing responsibilities.

Climate Justice refers to sharing of the burden of climate change and its impact by all nations in the world. But it, reinstates the principles of equity, fairness and distributive justice. Thus it focuses on Common but Differentiated Responsibility which was reinforced at Paris climate negotiations as CBDR-RC.

Ensuring equity between developed and developing countries with regard to their action towards containing climate change keeping in mind their previous contributions to climate change and the developmental space needed to ensure welfare of the people. It mandates for technology transfer and financial aid from developed to developing world. It obligates conservational efforts by all, besides putting the more onus of mitigation on developed countries.

Climate Ethics address the ethical impact of anthropogenic activities on the environment. It puts responsibility on the citizen to watch their carbon foot print and demands judicious use of natural resources, keeping in mind the future needs and health of the environment i.e sustainability. Under climate ethics, every country and its citizens are morally responsible and accountable for their role in climate change. For example, INDC component of Paris deal points out to such responsibility of every nation.

Overall, the two terms give importance to the equity in climate talks - no matter what the size of economy or weight of the country is. It has also helped in strengthening the environmental governance of the countries. Here, the saying of Mahatma Gandhi rightly guides us towards these goals- “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed”. Both the terms climate justice and climate ethics signifies the better liveable environment for present and future generation.

Q) Discuss the ethical issues involved in using autonomous vehicles. (150 Words)

Scientific American

TED

Artificial Intelligence refers to machines having intelligence of humans, which can take decisions based on algorithms. Use of AI in autonomous vehicles is increasingly based on sensors and algorithms which can run without a driver. But, simultaneously it raises following ethical concerns too.

In the time of crisis, it is hard to put robots or AI guided vehicles accountable. In such cases who will be held responsible for the errors of machine is a big debate. Machines cannot replace the human value system and

G S – I V Secure Synopsis | NOVEMBER-2016

©www.InsightsIAS.com 9 ©www.InsightsonIndia.com

they cannot take a rational decision as per the demand of the situation. For example - We have seen, the cases when driverless cars have failed to generate picture of traffic or due to failure of some sensors, it has led to loss life and causalities.

There is also an ethical issue of security of such autonomous vehicles, which can be hacked and operated by persons with malicious intent. In that case how the security of passenger and people on road could be guaranteed?

The lack of emotional intelligence in autonomous vehicles is also one of the ethical issue. For example, imagine if a passenger develops some health complexity during the ride and falls unconscious, then how the car would judge whether he has fallen asleep or unconscious and what should be done? It will take the person to some predefined destination instead of a hospital.

However, many studies have also highlighted that autonomous vehicles could potentially reduce traffic, cut pollution and save thousands of lives each year—human error contributes to approx. 90 % of all traffic accidents. Autonomous vehicles make decisions based on speed, weather, road conditions, distance and other data gathered by a variety of sensors, including cameras, LiDARS and radars, which is very complex process for humans to do, thus reducing accidents.

AI has its own benefits of making life comfortable, working in those fields where human involvement is risky (bomb disposal) and with better precision, keeping alive a dead person’s ideas (as was done by an AI team in US), cutting the cost of economies, etc. But, their use should be a calculative move since machines lack consciousness. They cannot be an alternative to the intellect and emotions of human beings (human agencies). It may become possible in future, but in current scenario these ethical issues need to be considered before giving legality to driver-less cars.

Q) Do you think banning of Jallikattu is ethically and legally a sound decision? Justify.

(150 Words)

The Hindu

Cultural practises involve emotions of people since they have been practising it since ages. But it doesn't mean that all such practises qualify on the scale of rationality. For example, Sati system was one of the age old cultural practise in India and lot of opposition was made when it was banned under the act of 1826, as it was against the dignity and rights of the women.

In the same way Jallilkattu's ban by the Supremes court is ethical and legally sound when we consider the animal ethics and the atrocities performed on the animals, on the name of cultural practise. This ban is an empathetic and compassionate move, which reflects the understanding and support for animal rights.

Legally also, this ban is on the lines with Prevention of cruelty to Animals act, 1960, which restricts any kind of cruelty of animals be it cultural, scientific or general purpose. On the name of game, distress and pain to the animals has been caused, which even led to injuries and occasional fatalities to animals. Treating bulls with chili powder, poking them with sharp objects, making them drink alcohol just to amplify their aggression have contaminated the tradition and reflects the erosion of sympathy and compassion among humans.

It is also legal to ban because the agitated bulls often cause serious injuries to the bull tamers and the spectators, which violates the government's mandate of ensuring public health and safety. And, since it is not an essential practice associated with religion, the ban is in harmony with the right to freedom of religion under Article 25.

Human beings, are the superior animals and just because they can express and think better, they don’t have any right to exploit the animals who cannot express themselves. When economically and technologically advanced humans exploit the less developed humans on the name of colonialism and racial supremacy - as propagated by Nazis, it is called it insane and inhumane. So, justifying our supremacy on animals in the name of culture is also not justified and tradition can't be an excuse for allowing inhuman practices to flourish. Thus court's orders will help usher in much needed reforms.

G S – I V Secure Synopsis | NOVEMBER-2016

©www.InsightsIAS.com 10 ©www.InsightsonIndia.com

Topic: Ethics in public administration

Q) Is the habit of raising doubts, questioning the authorities and the police, a bad

culture? Critically comment. (150 Words)

EPW

When people do critical analysis of functioning of institutions, government wings, etc and raise doubts, it is a sign of mature democracy. This is also sign of bringing rationality into the thought process and reflects role of intelligentsia in such process. But, it is not always rational, many times intelligentsia, civil societies keep on blaming police, defense forces or authorities for each and every single fault in the society. And in this process they ignore the hard work, good work performed by such organization.

However, it is not a bad culture in a democracy as it helps it in deepening of democracy and since government represents the people's choice, so people have complete authority to question their representatives.

If we talk about India, questioning authorities have brought many important issues into the picture like Fake encounters by police forces, violating human rights by Army personnel under the immunity offered under AFSPA, quality of government services, etc. When Edward Snowdown became whistle blower in USA, basically he was questioning the misuse of power by USA through their PRISM program which was violating right to privacy of people.

However, such habits have to pay certain cost for it, like in India- Sections 124-A of IPC (sedition) has been misused many times as a tool to suppress freedom of speech of citizens and in same way Edward Snowden is paying coast through his asylum in Russia. But, such punitive measures should not deter the questioning habit of citizens.

Nevertheless, it has been found that many times raising doubts and questioning authorities is baseless and it is just done for the sake of doing it. For example- In the recent surgical strike performed by Indian Army against the terrorist groups across LOC, many political parties were demanding videos, proofs, etc, as a routine job to find fault in the ruling party, ignoring the sensitivity of the matter. Sometimes, it also causes interference in investigative action like- when NDTV live allegedly reported Pathankot encounter questioing the efficicy of our security forces and to make it breaking news, it was actually helping terrorist forces by providing vital infrormation indirectly.

Blaming, questioning authorities for every single fault in country, also demoralizes the spirit of defense and police personnel who are serving in hostile terrains and that too with limited resources. We should respect such services.

However, questioning is always good as it makes authorities accountable, transparent and participative in

approach. It is morally right on the part of citizens and the authorities should be empathetic and should

reflect emotional intelligence in dealing with such questions and doubts. For example- in case of RTI, many

times it has been found that bureaucrats don’t appreciate RTI and its procedures, but we all know what role

RTI has played in empowering citizens of India. So, it is important for the people to know what their

government is doing, but some information has to be kept away for the security and integrity of the nation.

Q) Analyse ethical implications of recent demonetisation move by the government.

(150 Words)

Livemint

Background - In partial demonetization, from midnight of November 8, Rs1,000 and Rs500 notes ceased to be legal tender. These two denominations accounted for almost 90% of the value of the currency in circulation—as on March this year, Rs500 notes accounted for 47.8% and Rs1,000 notes 38.6%. According to analysts, cash economy is around 14 lakh crore and of which nearly 50 % is black. The ethical implication of recent demonetization are:-

Check to corruption - It will hit the unholy nexus of corruption and black money as an external check. Corrupt people, who compromise with their values, ethics and neglect constitutional values and spirit

G S – I V Secure Synopsis | NOVEMBER-2016

©www.InsightsIAS.com 11 ©www.InsightsonIndia.com

would be checked by this move, since, they dealt in higher denomination of the currency. Demonetization has pushed up the cost of corruption.

Protects the honest people- All those people who used to earn honestly and save their money, now they will get better return of their money, as the black money will be weeded out by this move. Black money was causing inflationary trend in the economy, lowering the value of money for honest and poor people. For example- The prices of houses and land in real estate sector will be rationalised.

Boost trust of common man in governance - This move is being seen as cleansing move of the government and in turn it has helped in boosting the trust and faith of the people in governance. Earlier, it was believed that government favours only corporates and rich people, this perception is getting changed and citizens are feeling empowered.

Cleanse poll-funding - All those political parties, who were involved in bribing the voters by giving cash have got a blow. This move is a step towards bringing transparency in poll-funding, as the donations could be monitored and also the spending by political parties. It will help in choosing political representative on the basis of his work rather than how much he bribes the voters. Thus this move is good for political democracy.

Help in solving problems threatening right to life - This move is a big blow to terror financing, human trafficking, drug trafficking and other activities which directly affect the right to life of the citizens, guaranteed by the constitution and will also contribute in improving the quality of life.

However, in the short run this move has caused panic, mental stress and it may lower the morale of citizens due to the inconvenience caused. The rural people and senior citizens may be the worst hit by this move. The livelihood of daily wage earner may also get affected since they may lose their precious work day by standing in queues in front of the banks.

But in long run, it will contribute towards happiness of the citizens and it should be seen as empathetic and compassionate move of the government for the larger good of the society. It will make the authorities accountable, who were earlier engaged in corruption and overall transparency in the economy will also improve. It is move to provide justice to all those people who faced the brunt of corruption and black economy.

Q) Is it ethical for a political leader to use his political power, office and influence to

help his business make profits? Justify. (150 Words)

NYT

Political executives enjoy the authority, power on the behalf of the citizens in a democracy. Thus, it is their duty, to use their office only for the welfare of the people, especially showing empathy and compassion towards weaker sections of the society. But, it is often seen that, political leaders vested with power, start misusing their seat of authority favouring their own business or personal benefits, which is unethical.

It is sign of ethical erosion, even if they think of misusing their power and authority and is a matter of conflict of interest and favouritism. When politicians do so, they do not only violate the organisational code of conduct, but at the same time they go against the spirit and values of the constitution of the country.

Such misuse of power becomes possible due to unholy nexus between politician- bureaucrats and politician- corporates. This kind of nexus was displayed during the 2G scam in India, when politicians were misusing their seat of power to influence their personal business. Such act, wastes the resources of the country which could be used for welfare of weaker sections of the society and derail the progress of the country. It also lowers the image of India in global arena and thus affects the investment coming from abroad.

Misuse of authority should be checked as it erodes the faith of the citizens and causes trust deficit. A politicians should aspire for setting an example of integrity to the whole world and it should be treated has the opportunity a person gets in his or her life to make the society a better place to live in rather than betterment of himself or herself which he or she is not authorized to do .

G S – I V Secure Synopsis | NOVEMBER-2016

©www.InsightsIAS.com 12 ©www.InsightsonIndia.com

Q) Critically examine ethical issues involved in extrajudicial killings by the state. (150

Words)

Livemint

Extra judicial killings is the extreme step when the state takes away the life of a person without following

procedure of law. of the land .IT poses a question to the sanctity of the constitution ..

Ethical issues involved in extrajudicial killings are ---

1) HUMAN RIGHTS VS SECURITY - EVEN prisons have last resort to human rights when they are

curtalied of CIVIL rights for time being. Either death of them within custody ,in prison or during encounter

poses a serious ethical dilemma whether security to society of being thier scot free is important or their

fundamental human rights by arresting them is important .

2) ACCOUNTABILITY VS JUSTICE - After extrajudicial killing, whether the accountability of police to their

duty , nation , is important or injustice to the killed is supreme is a major ethical issue..

3) DUTY VS SAFETY-- During face off , whether the authorities should protect themselves in defence or

they should follow their their duty guidelines which says to use weapon in extreme case .

Extra judicial killings refer to the killing of criminals and people under trial beyond the purview of laws and

authority of judiciary.

Such course of action raises various ethical and moral issues and challenges.

- In post-mmodern world where we talk of fourth generation of rights , the punishment and imprisonment

has no retributive aspect , rather the whole purpose of awarding the judicial punishment is reformation and

transformation of the attitude of the criminals.

Extra judicial killings do not only negate the basic premise of the punishment and the purpose but also

indicate a complete disregard for law and order and judicial process.

- the principles of natural justice dictate that no one can be punished without being heard , and it is the

fundamental right of a person to represent and defend himself in the process of trial for convictions.

The denial of this fundamental right breaches the belief in the system of Justice and it is against the ethical

premise of the democratic state.

There might be some instances where the regular judicial course is not possible , and it becomes incumbent

upon the administration to resort to extreme actions to safeguard the larger societal interest. But the ethical

principles suggest to take into consideration even the rights of the dreaded criminals. Killing them extra

judicially is similar to treating then as sub-humans and indirectly absolving them from the burden of ethical

and moral justification as well as the accountability for their acts. This is so because it is only humans who

are put against the test of ethics and morality for their conduct.

This does not serve the interests of the society and so doesn't even conform to the utilitarian principles of

ethics which consider the largest good of the largest number.

SUPREME COURT underlines says half of prisoners are still in jails for years without their conviction .

some times , prisoners die under mysterious circumstances . Hence, proper accountability mechanism ,

transparency , accountability , respect of human rights, proper guide lines to when to use weapon or if used

proper videography must be ensured .

G S – I V Secure Synopsis | NOVEMBER-2016

©www.InsightsIAS.com 13 ©www.InsightsonIndia.com

Topic: Ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions

Q) Some argue that recent demonetisation is an ethical step. What justifications can

be given to support this argument? Do you agree with these justifications? Critically

comment. (150 Words)

The Indian Express

The recent demonetization move is purportedly done in the interest of nation and for larger good of the common man. However, its suddenness and magnitude has ethical implications for the political establishment, corrupt business and people, and most importantly for the common people.

This move rewards honest citizens and punishes the corrupt. However,

Reward for the honesty has come at a cost by putting lives of ordinary citizens haywire. While, the corrupt are made to struggle to convert their ill-gotten money into white money, the move may not impact daily life of these people adversely. This raises the ethical issue of cleansing the system at the cost of common man’s willingness to endure hardship for the betterment of society.

This move has given rise to new hopes and aspirations among honest citizens. Demonetization, if fails to live up to the expectation of honest people in bringing transparency, accountability and good governance in the administration and businesses, might cause loss of faith in political leadership and result in cynicism and disillusionment.

Demonetization might force corrupt politicians to mend their ways forcing them to focus more on issues to win votes than using money and muscle power. This would strengthen democracy. However, this depends on how serious is our political establishment in forcing itself to reform, rather than finding new ways to allure voters.

Major ethical implication would be the infringement of rights of people, especially of common man. A poor man and woman is forced to stand in queues against their will. It raises an important question about right of government to force citizens to act against their wills be it in the interest of nation or people themselves. But considering larger benefits, it can be argued that it’s ethical to endure transient hardships. Are rich people and politicians enduring equal amount of hardships in the interest of the nation?

Also there is an ethical issue of forcing both public and private bank employees work overtime without providing them incentives.

Overall, it can be argued that demonetization is morally a correct move, but ethically not.

Q) In the light of recent fake news issue and post-truth developments, what are

the professional and ethical responsibilities of sites such as Facebook? Critically

examine. (150 Words)

The Hindu

Social media sites such as Facebook have become powerhouse for the fake news. For some, it is source of revenue, for others it is a medium of conspiracy and due to no regulation on their authenticity, it is becoming problem for the countries to manage.

The fake news is affecting the world, for example - Fake news through Facebook has influenced elections in Indonesia, the Philippines and elsewhere. Social media sites have also been used to spread misinformation about the referendum on the peace deal in Colombia and about Ebola in West Africa. Recent U.S presidential elections saw a rising number of fake posts regarding the popular vote polls which in turn left the voters confused and disillusioned.

In the backdrop above mentioned problems, the operators like Facebook, Google, have certain professional Responsibilities. They should be critical of the sources of news and seek independent verification. They can develop the algorithms which can detect and delete the fake news as soon as possible. Sites, should verify the credibility of news and should track the user involved in spreading such fake news. Use of digital signature should be made compulsory, so that it would act as deterrent for the users.

G S – I V Secure Synopsis | NOVEMBER-2016

©www.InsightsIAS.com 14 ©www.InsightsonIndia.com

Due to their outreach to billions of people, they should bear it as their moral responsibility to check such fake news as it can spread rumours, which will affect lives of people, as it happened due to rumour spread on social media in Bangalore against the North eastern people. Such, fake news create panic among citizens and it becomes difficult for state authorities to manage law and order situations. Thus, agencies like Facebook should have social responsibility, empathy towards its users and people. Sites like Facebook should check that their platform should not be used as a tool to defame others or transgress the privacy of people through fake news .

Social media platform should not be used to misuse the freedom of expression in social media, because it has been very well said by Mark Twain- “A lie can travel half way around the world, while the truth is putting on its shoes." - Mark Twain.

Topic: Accountability

Q) Should citizens have unfettered right to question government’s every decisions and

actions? Do you think encouraging such a culture of questioning among the public

would endanger public administration? Critically comment. (150 Words)

The Indian Express

Democracy is of the people by the People, and for the People. So one can understand the

important ‘of people’ that is attached to make government more vibrant and active.

Benefits-

1) It makes things more transparent and power holders more accountable.

2) It gives importance to people so increase in fidelity, trust, decreases moral turpitude, instill confidence

etc

3) It enhance people participation, NGOs and civil societies to come up with good ideas, people give

feedback which help to frame better policies and help in delegated legislations.

Problems

1) It disrupts the functioning of the govt.

2) It at times become time taking hence add to project cost POSCO plant issue.

3) Often NGOs guided by foreign countries put pressure on govt recent Kudankulam nuclear plant issue.

4) Political groups/opposition party often misue this hence spread negativity and distrust among people.

George Bernard shaw said “ Democracy is a device that insures we shall be governed no

better than we deserve" So Questioning is important part of freedom of speech which is the

fundamental right of every citizen hence one should use it to make democracy more vibrant & inculcate our

PM's idea of "Minimum government and maximum governance" as a part of good governance.

Topic: Corporate governance.

Q) Discuss the relationship between ethics and corporate governance. (150 Words)

Reference

Ethics delineates the principles of moral and virtuous behaviour. It guides us in coming out with the premises

which are best in the interests of everyone. Corporate governance has the same motive of converting the

the virtues of private ethics into the principles of larger social welfare.

The working of the corporates is based on the fundamental principle of profit making. The success of

the corporations also depend upon the extent to which they are able to maximise their returns. It's also one

G S – I V Secure Synopsis | NOVEMBER-2016

©www.InsightsIAS.com 15 ©www.InsightsonIndia.com

of the basic premise of Protestant ethics as well as considered as the sign of rational behaviour of human

beings.

But it needs to involve the larger social dimensions in order to qualify for being truly ethical. When corporates

indulge in profiteering based on self-interest only , they are not considering the larger social welfare. This

denial of the inherent responsibility on part of corporates gives rise to the discontent in the society.

Historically this has also been the reason of emergence of various radical ideologies.

Corporate governance is required not only for the welfare of society by taking into consideration the interests

of shareholders and customers , but it is also in the interests of the corporations themselves. It builds a

favourable reputation which can be capitalised for profit making.

In the absolute ethical sense , corporates should adhere to the trusteeship model of Mahatma Gandhi.,

and if impractical due to certain politico-economical reasons then the vibrant corporate governance is

required for the welfare at lager front. Without it the prevailing socioeconomic conditions will give rise to

cronies and it will generate social conflict.

Q) It is said that the Tata-Mistry spat highlights the failings of regulators, stock

exchanges and independent directors. Discuss why. (150 Words)

Livemint

The recent spat between the top officials of the TATA group have brought the issue corporate governance of our country to a new low.

The Tatas in certain instances don’t seem to have followed the procedure for removal of chairman. Under the new company law provisions, the secretarial standards prescribed by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India have been made mandatorily applicable to all companies. These standards require any additional item in the board meeting agenda (if not circulated prior to the meeting) to be discussed only with the prior permission of the chairman. During the board proceedings of Tata Sons and Tata Global Beverages, this does not seem to have been the case. Compelling the independent directors to take sides and putting investor interest at stake on account of an otherwise avoidable shareholder and board battle have raised several issues on the governance front.

SEBI as the regulator and Stock exchange as an immediate entity which is mandated to protect the investor interest has failed to understand/ know the brewing issues in TATA group till it came out. This shows the lack of diligence on the part of SEBI to enforce corporate governance in the group to adhere to the code of conduct. Even when the matter came out, no strong messages were sent to restore the investor confidence.

The shareholders invested in the company through stock exchange market must have demanded transparency in the functioning of the affairs at the top management.

The independence of the Independent directors is also in question. Those directors who approved Mistry's removal seems to have done it under the influence of parent shareholders, as they never made any negative observations with regards to the chairman in the statutorily mandated separate meetings to review the performance of the chairperson.

Such incidents shake overall investor's confidence and particularly disturb the sentiments of foreign portfolio investors who put a great emphasis on sound corporate-governance practices. It is time for the entities who are involved directly or indirectly for this misgovernance at the top management to adopt the best international practices of Corporate Governance for enhancing integrity of the organization .

Securities investments are subject to market risks, but losses arising on account of misgovernance should be treated differently. Hence a strong framework of listing regulations, disclosure requirements and securities laws alone cannot safeguard investor interest if implementation is missing. Therefore the focus should be on implementation.

G S – I V Secure Synopsis | NOVEMBER-2016

©www.InsightsIAS.com 16 ©www.InsightsonIndia.com

Topic: Challenges of corruption

Q) Will demonetization of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes curb corruption? Critically

examine. (200 Words)

Livemint

The Indian Express

Background – India has one of the highest levels of currencies in circulation at over 12% of gross domestic product and of this cash, 87% is in the form of Rs500 and Rs1,000 notes. Most of this cash has been supporting underground black economies.

The black economies are result of corruption, which has spread its tentacles in the country to such an extent that there is hardly any section of the society unaffected by its repercussion. It reflects decline in the moral fabric of the society and it has ceased to arouse stronger emotions of morality & ethics due to its acceptance by large section of the society.

Demonetization, is a good step in this direction, which is being forced from government side itself, reflecting the political will to end corruption. It will raise the cost of illegal transactions. In corruption, suppose bribe taking, people involved will facilitate cash with bigger denomination, because it is easy to carry. So, here demonetization of bigger notes in short run will check such easy and big illegal transaction.

Removal of large denomination currencies will make several criminal and illegal activities more costly such as tax evasion, human trafficking, drugs trafficking, extortion and terrorism. For example – sectors with larger cash components in their transaction such as real estate, movie production which earlier used to evade taxes, will now come into the purview of the inclusion, thus chances of corruption is less.

The present demonetization has made provision for stringent monitoring of currency flow, people need to show their ID card for exchanging cash at banks, follow KYC norms, etc. Government has put penalty on ill-gotten cash – cash above 2.5 lakh to face penalty of 200% which is an appropriate punitive measure for the corrupt people. In future, it will encourage the use of plastic money and move towards cashless economy, thus more transparency would be maintained. It has raised the confidence of middle class and poor people in the governance and in future they will not support any kind of corrupt practise. It has also caused fear and anxiety in the mind of corrupt people.

However, demonetization will not end crime, but it will force the underground economy to employ riskier and less liquid payment methods. Proposal of new 500, 1000 and 2000 notes in future will further pose the same challenge. As shown by past experiences- demonetization in 1946 and 1978 did not work as people generally find an alternative way for corrupt transactions.

Though, this move would help in reducing corruption in the short term but to remove corruption entirely or to reduce to minimal levels, we need to inculcate values in the society through value based education and promoting ideals of our constitution.

*****