UPSC Mains GS 4 Syllabus and Previous Year Questions Trends

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination is one of the toughest competitive exams in India. The General Studies Paper-IV (Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude) is a crucial part of the Mains examination, testing your understanding of ethical principles, decision-making skills, and problem-solving abilities.

UPSC Mains GS4 Syllabus

The key component of the Mains GS4 Preparation Guide is the syllabus. The terms and areas mentioned in the syllabus should be remembered by heart. This paper includes questions to test the candidates’ attitudes and approach to integrity issues and probity in public life. It tests the problem-solving approach to various issues and conflicts a civil servant faces in dealing with society. These are analyzed based on a set of theoretical Ethics Questions as well as case studies. 

The GS 4 syllabus covers a wide range of topics, broadly categorized into following sections

Ethics and Human Interface and Human values 

• Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in-human actions
• Dimensions of ethics
• Ethics – in private and public relationships 
• Lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators
• Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers: from India and world.  
• Role of family society and educational institutions in inculcating values  

Attitude,  Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service

• Attitude: content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and behaviour
• Moral and political attitudes
• Social influence and persuasion  
• Integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker-sections 
• Emotional intelligence: concepts, and their utilities and application in administration and governance.  

Ethics in Public administration

• Status and problems; ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions
• Laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance
• Accountability and ethical governance
• Strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance
• Ethical issues in international relations and funding
• Corporate governance

Probity in Governance

• Concept of public service
• Philosophical basis of governance and probity
• Information sharing and transparency in government, Right to Information
• Codes of Ethics, Codes of Conduct, Citizen’s Charters
• Work culture, Quality of service delivery
• Utilization of public funds, challenges of corruption.  

Case Studies on above issues.  

Mains GS4 Previous Year Questions Trends

Though the specific questions vary from year to year, they generally follow the themes outlined in the syllabus. In recent years, the questions have been a mix of theoretical concepts and their practical application in real-life scenarios. The following section explains the trend of GS4 Previous Year Questions along with some examples. 

Basic questions related to ethics

Almost every year UPSC has asked basic questions. Even though the question may seem different and difficult, it actually boils down to very basic things like what is value, what is wisdom, what is ethics, what are their importance in human life or their importance for a civil servant. Certain following questions would enable you to understand that:

1. What do you understand by ‘moral integrity’ and ‘professional efficiency’ in the context of corporate governance in India? Illustrate with suitable examples. (2023)
2. “Corruption is the manifestation of the failure of core values in the society”. In your opinion, what measures can be adopted to uplift the core values in the society? (2023)
3. “Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have the right to do and what is right to do.”-Potter Stewart (2022)
4. It is believed that adherence to ethics in human actions would ensure in smooth functioning of an organization/system. If so, what does ethics seek to promote in human life? How do ethical values assist in the resolution of conflicts faced by him in his day-to-day functioning? (2022)
5. Identify five ethical traits on which one can plot the performance of a civil servant. Justify their inclusion in the matrix. (2021)
6. Identify ten essential values that are needed to be an effective public servant. Describe the ways and means to prevent non-ethical behaviour in the public servants. (2021)
7. Distinguish between laws and rules. Discuss the role of ethics in formulating them. (2020)
8. “Non-performance of duty by a public servant is a form of corruption”. Do you agree with this view? Justify your answer. (2019)
9. What is meant by ‘crisis of conscience’? How does it manifest in the public domain? (2019)
10. “Emotional Intelligence is the ability to make your emotions work for you instead of against you.” Do you agree with this view? Discuss. (2019)

Key terms in the syllabus are important

Almost every year UPSC is consistent in asking direct questions related to terms mentioned in syllabus such as compassion, integrity, code of conduct etc. Some questions from the previous years that falls in this category are as follows:

1. ‘International aid’ is an accepted from of helping ‘resource-challenged’ nations. Comment on ‘ethics in contemporary international aid’. Support your answer with suitable examples. (2023)
2. Is conscience a more reliable guide when compared to laws, rules and regulations in the context of ethical decision-making? Discuss. (2023)
3. ‘Probity is essential for an effective system of governance and socio-economic development.’ Discuss. (2023)
4. Apart from intellectual competency and moral qualities, empathy and compassion are some of the other vital attributes that facilitate the civil servants to be more competent in tackling the crucial issues or taking critical decisions. Explain with suitable illustrations. (2022)
5. (i) Constitutional morality (ii) Conflict of interest (iii) Probity in public life (iv) Challenges of digitalization (v) Devotion to duty (2022)
6. Attitude is an important component that goes as input in the development of human being. How to build a suitable attitude needed for a public servant? (2021)
7. Should impartial and being non-partisan be considered as indispensable qualities to make a successful civil servant? Discuss with illustrations. (2021)
8. What are the main components of emotional intelligence (EI)? Can they be learned? Discuss. (2020)
9. A positive attitude is considered to be an essential characteristic of a civil servant who is often required to function under extreme stress. What contributes to a positive attitude in a person? (2020)
10. Explain the basic principles of citizens’ charter movement and bring out its importance. (2019)
11. What do you understand by probity in governance? Based on your understanding of the term, suggest measures for ensuring probity in government. (2019)

Have a list of examples handy

Many questions in previous years ask to illustrate or explain your arguments with examples as can be seen in the questions below:

1. Differentiate ‘moral intuition’ from ‘moral reasoning’ with suitable examples. (2023) 
2. Besides domain knowledge, a public official needs innovativeness and creativity of a high order as well, while resolving ethical dilemmas. Discuss with suitable example. (2021)
3. “Integrity is a value that empowers the human being.” Justify with suitable illustration. (2021)
4. Impact of digital technology as reliable source of input for rational decision making is a debatable issue. Critically evaluate with suitable example. (2021)
5. What are the basic principles of public life? Illustrate any three with suitable examples. (2019)

Important thinkers and leaders list as per previous year questions

Major important thinkers and leaders include Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Guru Nanak, APJ Abdul Kalam Azad, Dalai Lama, Swami Vivekananda, Buddha and the likes. Some quotes that have asked in ethics paper are as follows:

1. “The simplest acts of kindness are by far more powerful than a thousand heads bowing in prayer.” – Mahatma Gandhi (2023)
2. “To awaken the people, it is the women who must be awakened. Once she is on the move, the family moves, the village moves, the nation moves.” – Jawaharlal Nehru (2023)
3. What were the major teachings of Guru Nanak? Explain their relevance in the contemporary world. (2023)
4. “If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel that there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are father, mother and teacher.” —A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (2022)
5. “Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.”-Dalai Lama (2022)
6. “We can never obtain peace in the outer world until and unless we obtain peace within ourselves. “-Dalai Lama (2021)
7. “Every work has got to pass through hundreds of difficulties before succeeding. Those that persevere will see the light, sooner or later.” –Swami Vivekananda (2021)
8. “Condemn none : if you can stretch out a helping hand, do so. If not, fold your hands, bless your brothers, and let them go their own way.” – Swami Vivekanand (2020)
9. What teachings of Buddha are most relevant today and why? Discuss. (2020)
10. “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi (2020)
11. “A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes.” – M.K.Gandhi (2019)
12. “Where there is righteousness in the heart, there is beauty in the character. When there is beauty in the character, there is harmony in the home. When there is harmony in the home, there is order in the nation. When there is order in the nation, there is peace in the world.” – A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (2019)

At times, new thinkers or psychoanalysts are also included for quotes such as Erik Erikson, Savitribai Phule, Socrates etc. 

Some different themes related to themes in syllabus are always incorporated as well

Sometimes a new dimension related to the topic mentioned in the syllabus are asked. Almost every year in the past 5 years, we can find such questions. For example:

1. In the context of work environment, differentiate between ‘coercion’ and ‘undue influence’ with suitable examples. (2023)
2. Explain the term social capital. How does it enhance good governance? (2023)
3. Online methodology is being used for day-to-day meetings, institutional approvals in the administration and for teaching and learning in education sector to the extent telemedicine in the health sector is getting popular with the approvals of the competent authority. No doubt, it has advantages and disadvantages for both the beneficiaries and the system at large. Describe and discuss the ethical issues involved in the use of online method particularly to the vulnerable section of the society. (2022)
4. “Refugees should not be turned back to the country where they would face persecution or human right violation.” Examine the statement with reference to ethical dimension being violated by the nation claiming to be democratic with open society. (2021)
5. An independent and empowered social audit mechanism is an absolute must in every sphere of public service, including judiciary, to ensure performance, accountability and ethical conduct. Elaborate. (2021)
6. Discuss the role of ethics and values in enhancing the following three major components of Comprehensive National Power (CNP) viz. human capital, soft power (culture and policies) and social harmony. (2020)
7. ‘The current internet expansion has instilled a different set of cultural values which are often in conflict with traditional values.’ Discuss. (2020)
8. There is a view that the official secrets act is an obstacle to the implementation of Rights to Information act. Do you agree with the view? Discuss. (2019)

Some current-based themes have also been included in Ethics questions such as Ukraine-Russia war, New Education Policy 2020, changing ethics in the age of social media etc. 

Questions often ask candidates to analyze situations from an ethical perspective, propose solutions to ethical dilemmas, or discuss the ethical dimensions of various issues in governance. The UPSC Mains GS4 strategy is going to be covered in another article in detail. Remember, consistent preparation, critical thinking, and a strong foundation in ethical principles are key to success in GS 4. Good luck with your UPSC journey!