There were not many surprises for candidates in the Ethics paper but the length of the paper tested the examinees' performance and smart approach to questions. UPSC conducted General Studies Paper 4, as part of the Civil Services Main Exam 2022 on 18-09-2022. There were 12 questions divided into two sections – A (theory) and B (case studies). Total marks were 250 marks and the time duration was three hours. Section A (Theory)- 150 words, 10 marks each The questions in the theory section can be categorised in the following ways for our understanding — The questions revolving around issues of service delivery and good governance (1 a), empathy and compassion (1 b), rules and regulation (2 a), the whistleblower (6 a) and corporate social responsibility (6 b) were lengthy to read. However, it appeared that by giving a lengthy background to each question, the paper setter wanted to communicate to the candidate, what he or she actually wants. Therefore, contextualizing these themes as per the demand of the question was the key. — The other set of easy questions was straightforward definitions following the previous years’ trend. The terms asked as questions were ‘Good governance and E-governance’ (4 a), ‘Constitutional morality’, ‘Conflict of interest’, ‘Probity in public life’ and ‘devotion to duty’(5 b). The catch here was simple- definition in your own words, brief examples to substantiate and associate values if you could think of. — A dedicated question on ethical quotes (3 a, b, c), like an essay paper, not just tested the creativity of a candidate but also if he or she could explain the quotes in limited words with suitable examples. In all honesty, they were lucid and easy quotes to tackle and only pressure in the exam could have restrained candidates from giving their best shot. These quotes from Potter Stewart, A.P.J Kalam and Dalai Lama revolved around the general themes of ethics, family and teachers and success respectively. — An interesting yet challenging set of questions in the paper brought the combination of current/social issues and applied ethics. Challenges of digitization (5 b, iv) and ethical issues with the online methodology for the vulnerable section of society are not conventional topics. The question on the Russia-Ukraine war simply meant to ask a question on War Ethics but expected examples from the ongoing war itself. Section B (Case studies)- 250 words, 20 marks each — The trend in the case studies almost remained the same as the previous year. Though the pressure in the examination hall due to the lengthy section A must have tested candidates’ cool-mindedness and sharp eye while solving the case studies. — The themes of the case study had no innovation this year. Corruption, ethical dilemmas, migration, mining, compensation and strikes, environmental ethics and media or journalistic ethics were the broad themes. Case studies 9 and 10 briefly interplayed the issue of family or personal life along with professional lives. — Questions of case studies were divided into sub-parts that were indicative of writing precisely and to the point. The constant sub-questions in all case studies were- ethical dilemmas, listing options or steps, evaluation of steps/options, suggestions in form of policy measures, training and consequences of the action. — There are a few takeaways from the Ethics paper of 2022. As the syllabus is limited, the repetition of themes and topics will keep occurring. What is important is to notice the form in which the questions are asked. It is not just enough to collect the definitions and examples related to topics but also contextualizing as per the question’s demand is a must. A lengthy paper like this one is a test of patience, a sharp eye, speed, time management and good writing skills of the candidate. It is important to understand every issue of static and current relevance from the perspective of ethics. Newspaper editorials and dedicated sections covering such themes should be referred. Just a few months of preparation after prelims for this paper is not enough. Ethics paper requires a great amount of practice, reading good sources, having variety in answers and even more amount of wisdom. Finally, the difficulty level of the ethics paper remained medium due to a mixed kind of questions. However, what remained challenging was completing this lengthy paper on time. The Ethics paper should be taken seriously to score high. Expect UPSC to experiment a new variety of questions for such a paper with a limited syllabus in times to come.
