2013 · GS Paper 4 · Q2(a)(ii) · 3 marks
What do you understand by the following terms in the context of public service? Perseverance
In short
Perseverance in public service is sustained, resilient effort towards a public goal despite setbacks, holding the goal firm while adapting the means, unlike obstinacy. Pulse Polio's repeated rounds from 1995 until India's last wild case in January 2011 show perseverance at institutional scale.
Model answer
Ghissu Editorial · Verified 4 Oct 2026 · 275 words
Sustained Effort
It is effort held over a long horizon rather than a burst of zeal, what Angela Duckworth calls grit, passion and perseverance for long-term goals.
Resilience After Setbacks
A persevering officer treats failure as feedback and returns with a corrected plan instead of shifting blame.
Firm Goal, Flexible Means
It keeps the objective fixed but adapts the method, which separates it from obstinacy.
Project Delivery
E. Sreedharan rebuilt the cyclone-wrecked Pamban bridge in 46 days in 1964 and later pushed the Konkan Railway through the Western Ghats despite landslides and litigation.
Frontier Governance
IAS officer Armstrong Pame built the 100-km "People's Road" in Manipur's Tamenglong district in 2012-13 through donations and villagers' labour when official funds did not come.
Institutional Patience
Pulse Polio teams revisited the same migrant households round after round from 1995 until India's last wild case in January 2011, leading to WHO certification in 2014.
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Question from the official UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination 2013 paper. Answer written by Ghissu's engine and checked against our editorial standards. Found an error? Tell us and we correct it within 48 hours.