Archives: Questions

What are the challenges facing the power sector in India? Discuss solutions for each and every stage of power sector development keeping in mind the future energy requirements of the country. (250 Words)

Mentors Comments: 1. Mention a few vital stats or reports highlighting the state of the power sector in India. 2.… Continue reading What are the challenges facing the power sector in India? Discuss solutions for each and every stage of power sector development keeping in mind the future energy requirements of the country. (250 Words)

You are an education minister of a state. Recently, lot of reports on how women teachers of secondary school dresses up came and emphasized that many teachers wear ungracious and western type of attire which are against Indian cultural ethos while they are in school. People from one cultural group meet you and wants you to clear your mind about that to the public. There is an opinion in air that such things put indelible mark on the impressionable minds of the adolescent students about ‘image of teachers’ in general and ‘women’ in particular. Public expects something from you in the given situation. Answer the following questions related to it: (a) As a minister, when public is expecting something from you, what would you do to safeguard the Indian cultural ethos regarding teachers and women on dress matters? (b) You are a minister in official capacity and a public representative, but you must also have your personal opinion than the public expectations. Do you think that dress is a matter of personal choice and there should be no official dictate regarding it? (c) Also, can you say that what matters is the quality of education and not the type of dress teachers wear? (d) There must be views from both the sides, one may go with you and other will criticize you. Give arguments for and against the dress code for teachers in schools. (250 Words)

Answer: (a) As a minister, when the public is expecting something from you, what would you do to safeguard the… Continue reading You are an education minister of a state. Recently, lot of reports on how women teachers of secondary school dresses up came and emphasized that many teachers wear ungracious and western type of attire which are against Indian cultural ethos while they are in school. People from one cultural group meet you and wants you to clear your mind about that to the public. There is an opinion in air that such things put indelible mark on the impressionable minds of the adolescent students about ‘image of teachers’ in general and ‘women’ in particular. Public expects something from you in the given situation. Answer the following questions related to it: (a) As a minister, when public is expecting something from you, what would you do to safeguard the Indian cultural ethos regarding teachers and women on dress matters? (b) You are a minister in official capacity and a public representative, but you must also have your personal opinion than the public expectations. Do you think that dress is a matter of personal choice and there should be no official dictate regarding it? (c) Also, can you say that what matters is the quality of education and not the type of dress teachers wear? (d) There must be views from both the sides, one may go with you and other will criticize you. Give arguments for and against the dress code for teachers in schools. (250 Words)

Fall in Rupees is a blessing in disguise for Indian economy which is suffering from double cancer of stagnant industrial growth and lack of job creation? Critically discuss. (250 Words)

Mentors Comment: Briefly discuss the reasons for the weakening of rupee in the intro and then in the next subheading,… Continue reading Fall in Rupees is a blessing in disguise for Indian economy which is suffering from double cancer of stagnant industrial growth and lack of job creation? Critically discuss. (250 Words)

Manual Scavenging is quite a common social stigma attached with them in the society. One day few manual scavengers, employed to clean sewer and toilets inside the District Court complex by the Public Works Department,were neither given any safety equipment, nor gloves. When the advocates in the court premises opposed this, the engineer ignored them by denoting the manual scavenging as “a small work” with no hazards involved. When opposed by few advocates, it led to a fight between PWD workers and advocates. Later advocates called a press conference and raised the issue – “We saw few workers who were clad in their inners and were inside the drain cleaning it with bare hands. We (lawyers) got together and opposed it but the engineers did not listen to us. Despite the Supreme Court passing a judgment on this issue, it is shocking that even in court complexes manual scavenging continues. Even government organizations are not following the government rules.” You are a district administration head. Due to the above stated case, following situation arises: (a) All those involved in the manual scavenging and others ad hoc safai karamchari went on strike and demanded for better livelihood. When you called all the community members for a meeting to discuss the issue, no one turned up. (b) Advocates came to you and demanded for stringent action against the official and threatened to go on strike. (c) When you called to PWD official for understanding their version of the issue, they told you that it was an urgent assignment pressurized from above; thus they did not have time going for scheduled procedure. They felt very demotivated. What are the best options available to solve the above stated problems? How will you effectively address all the issues? And also discuss limitations of each course of action. (250 Words)

Answer: (a) All those involved in the manual scavenging and others ad hoc safai karamchari went on strike and demanded… Continue reading Manual Scavenging is quite a common social stigma attached with them in the society. One day few manual scavengers, employed to clean sewer and toilets inside the District Court complex by the Public Works Department,were neither given any safety equipment, nor gloves. When the advocates in the court premises opposed this, the engineer ignored them by denoting the manual scavenging as “a small work” with no hazards involved. When opposed by few advocates, it led to a fight between PWD workers and advocates. Later advocates called a press conference and raised the issue – “We saw few workers who were clad in their inners and were inside the drain cleaning it with bare hands. We (lawyers) got together and opposed it but the engineers did not listen to us. Despite the Supreme Court passing a judgment on this issue, it is shocking that even in court complexes manual scavenging continues. Even government organizations are not following the government rules.” You are a district administration head. Due to the above stated case, following situation arises: (a) All those involved in the manual scavenging and others ad hoc safai karamchari went on strike and demanded for better livelihood. When you called all the community members for a meeting to discuss the issue, no one turned up. (b) Advocates came to you and demanded for stringent action against the official and threatened to go on strike. (c) When you called to PWD official for understanding their version of the issue, they told you that it was an urgent assignment pressurized from above; thus they did not have time going for scheduled procedure. They felt very demotivated. What are the best options available to solve the above stated problems? How will you effectively address all the issues? And also discuss limitations of each course of action. (250 Words)

There is generally a difference between two groups of civil servants- one group always think in terms of public interest and tries to devise programmes and policies that best serve the public interest while there is another group, which in the name of public interest devises programmes and policies which run political campaigns of the government in power. The Home Minister has called a special meeting of the civil servants to listen to their problems in serving public interest and find ways for improvement. Suppose you are in the first group, whose sole concern is public interest and you are attending the meeting. Answer the following questions based on the above case: (a) Would you make a point that, it is an intolerable abuse of power to serve the political campaign of the ruling party in the name of serving public or national interest? Why? (b) Do you agree that civil servants should follow the commands of the ruling class, which has a compulsion to fulfill commitments expressed in their manifesto based on which they have won electoral mandates? (c) How a civil servant can maintain political neutrality, which is one of the most important attributes of a good officer? Discuss with respect to the above case where one group of civil servants is fitted against you and they have their own opinion and reason for such stand. (d) If your Home Minister is willing to be with the other side, then how will you present your case to the Home Minister?

a.) Would you make a point that, it is an intolerable abuse of power to serve the political campaign of… Continue reading There is generally a difference between two groups of civil servants- one group always think in terms of public interest and tries to devise programmes and policies that best serve the public interest while there is another group, which in the name of public interest devises programmes and policies which run political campaigns of the government in power. The Home Minister has called a special meeting of the civil servants to listen to their problems in serving public interest and find ways for improvement. Suppose you are in the first group, whose sole concern is public interest and you are attending the meeting. Answer the following questions based on the above case: (a) Would you make a point that, it is an intolerable abuse of power to serve the political campaign of the ruling party in the name of serving public or national interest? Why? (b) Do you agree that civil servants should follow the commands of the ruling class, which has a compulsion to fulfill commitments expressed in their manifesto based on which they have won electoral mandates? (c) How a civil servant can maintain political neutrality, which is one of the most important attributes of a good officer? Discuss with respect to the above case where one group of civil servants is fitted against you and they have their own opinion and reason for such stand. (d) If your Home Minister is willing to be with the other side, then how will you present your case to the Home Minister?

Regulatory institutions in India are still a “work in progress”, and they have not attained the kind of maturity that is needed for the emerging economy. Comment. (250 Words)

Mentors Comment: It’s a straightforward question. In the discussion, you have to discuss the regulatory framework in India. Regulatory bodies… Continue reading Regulatory institutions in India are still a “work in progress”, and they have not attained the kind of maturity that is needed for the emerging economy. Comment. (250 Words)

You are officer in charge for transfer and posting of personnel of a particular department. This position is very difficult mainly for two reasons- (i) people closer to the power corridor try to influence you and (ii) women officers often send requests to postpone transfer orders on the pretext of family responsibilities. Consider the following situations and give your views with suitable explanations. (a) A Cabinet Minister sends a D.O letter to you regarding posting of an official on a supposedly ‘lucrative assignment’ for which you have already decided about the name of a more competent officer with a good track record of honesty, integrity, probity and timely delivery. What will you do? (b) As per the rules in your department, every officer needs to be transferred from one destination to other after three years. A woman officer comes to you with a request that as the new destination allotted to her is far flung and remote, she would fail to provide medical treatment to her ageing and sick in-laws who need constant clinical help. But according to her innate qualities and high level of expertise, the new destination would need only officer like her to deliver best results and meet official targets. What will you do? (c) The position of incharge of transfer and posting provides a very lucrative opportunity to make money and cultivate liaison for a life time. One should not be ‘too idealistic’ to ignore such opportunities and adopt ‘pragmatic approach’. Do you agree? Give reasons. (250 Words)

Answer: (a) A Cabinet Minister sends a D.O letter to you regarding the posting of an official on a supposedly… Continue reading You are officer in charge for transfer and posting of personnel of a particular department. This position is very difficult mainly for two reasons- (i) people closer to the power corridor try to influence you and (ii) women officers often send requests to postpone transfer orders on the pretext of family responsibilities. Consider the following situations and give your views with suitable explanations. (a) A Cabinet Minister sends a D.O letter to you regarding posting of an official on a supposedly ‘lucrative assignment’ for which you have already decided about the name of a more competent officer with a good track record of honesty, integrity, probity and timely delivery. What will you do? (b) As per the rules in your department, every officer needs to be transferred from one destination to other after three years. A woman officer comes to you with a request that as the new destination allotted to her is far flung and remote, she would fail to provide medical treatment to her ageing and sick in-laws who need constant clinical help. But according to her innate qualities and high level of expertise, the new destination would need only officer like her to deliver best results and meet official targets. What will you do? (c) The position of incharge of transfer and posting provides a very lucrative opportunity to make money and cultivate liaison for a life time. One should not be ‘too idealistic’ to ignore such opportunities and adopt ‘pragmatic approach’. Do you agree? Give reasons. (250 Words)

JOIN THE COMMUNITY

Join us across Social Media platforms.

💥Mentorship New Batch Launch
Click Here
💥Mentorship New Batch Launch
Click