A mere compliance with law is not enough, the public servant also has to have a well-developed sensibility to ethical issues for effective discharge of duties.” Do you agree? Explain with the help of two examples, where (i) an act is ethically right, but not legally and (ii) an act is legally right, but not ethically.

Model Answer Approach

1. Decode demand: Identify the directive verb (discuss / examine / critically analyse) and bound the scope to Laws, Rules, Regulations and Conscience as Ethical Guidance.
2. Intro (40–50 words): Define the core concept; anchor with a definition, data point, or constitutional/historical reference.
3. Body: 2–3 thematic sub-heads with crisp points, examples and counter-arguments. Add a relevant case study or committee/report.
4. Conclusion (30–40 words): Forward-looking — recommendations, way forward, or a constitutional/ethical anchor.

Structure Checklist

• ✓ Definition / context in intro
• ✓ Minimum 1 data point or report
• ✓ Multi-dimensional arguments
• ✓ Counter-view / limitations
• ✓ Diagram, flowchart or map (if applicable)
• ✓ Way forward in conclusion

Keywords to Use

Related UPSC Mains Questions

From the same microtheme — Laws, Rules, Regulations and Conscience as Ethical Guidance.

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• Is conscience a more reliable guide when compared to laws, rules and regulations in the context of ethical decision making ? Discuss.
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• What is meant by ‘crisis of conscience’? How does it manifest itself in the public domain?
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• What is meant by constitutional morality? How does one uphold constitutional morality?
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• Law and ethics are considered to be the two tools for controlling human conduct so as to make it conducive to civilized social existence. (a) Discuss how they achieve this objective. (b) Giving examples, show how the two differ in their approaches.
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