2017 · GS Paper 4 · Q10 · 20 marks
You are aspiring to become an IAS officer and you have cleared various stages and now you have been selected for the personal interview. On the day of the interview, on the way to the venue you saw an accident where a mother and child who happen to be your relatives were badly injured. They needed immediate help. What would you have done in such a situation ? Justify your action.
In short
I would stop, give first aid and get my injured relatives to hospital within the golden hour, then inform UPSC and try to reach the interview. A career can be rebuilt but a life cannot, and Section 134A of the Motor Vehicles Act protects such Good Samaritans.
Model answer
Ghissu Editorial · Verified 4 Oct 2026 · 279 words
Value of life
Two injured relatives need help within the golden hour, and Article 21 places life above all else.
Conscience and kin
Walking past would leave a Crisis of Conscience and break family trust.
Bystander Apathy
Assuming others at the spot will help is diffusion of responsibility, the reason many road victims die untreated.
Immediate care
Call 108, give first aid and take them to hospital, protected by Section 134A of the Motor Vehicles Act after SaveLIFE Foundation (2016) [case].
Hand over
Use the cashless road-accident treatment scheme of 2025 [scheme] and call family to take charge.
Inform UPSC
Call the contact on the e-summon, request a later slot and carry the hospital slip.
Proceed or accept
Reach the venue if possible, or accept the loss and try again.
Irreversibility
A career can be rebuilt, a life cannot, so Phronesis ranks rescue first.
Service character
Suhas LY [officer] in Noida's 2020 COVID response showed that a public servant's worth lies in responding to crisis.
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This chapter in the exam
Personal, Family and Social-Norm Dilemmas6 questions
Asked in 4 of 14 sittings since 2013
- 2023At 9 pm on Saturday evening, Rashika, a Joint Secretary, was still engrossed in her work in her office. Her husband, Vikram, is an executive in an MNC and frequently out of town in connection with his work. Their two children aged 5 and 3 are looked after by their domestic helper. At 9:30 pm her superior, Mr. Suresh calls her and asks her to prepare a detailed note on an important matter to be discussed in a meeting in the Ministry. She realises that she will have to work on Sunday to finish the additional task given by her superior. She reflects on how she had looked forward to this posting and had worked long hours for months to achieve it. She had kept the welfare of people uppermost in discharging her duties. She feels that she has not done enough justice to her family and she has not fulfilled her duties in discharging essential social obligations. Even as recently as last month she had to leave her sick child in the nanny's care as she had to work in the office. Now, she feels that she must draw a line, beyond which her personal life should take precedence over her professional responsibilities. She thinks that there should be reasonable limits to the work ethics such as punctuality, hard work, dedication to duty and selfless service. (a) Discuss the ethical issues involved in this case. (b) Briefly describe at least four laws that have been enacted by the Government with respect to providing a healthy, safe and equitable working environment for women. (c) Imagine you are in a similar situation. What suggestions would you make to mitigate such working conditions?
- 2017You are the manager of a spare parts company A and you have to negotiate a deal with the manager of a large manufacturing company B. The deal is highly competitive and sealing the deal is critical for your company. The deal is being worked out over a dinner. After dinner the manager of manufacturing company B offered to drop you to the hotel in his car. On the way to the hotel he happens to hit a motorcycle injuring the motorcyclist badly. You know the manager was driving fast and thus lost control. The law enforcement officer comes to investigate the issue and you are the sole eyewitness to it. Knowing the strict laws pertaining to road accidents you are aware that your honest account of the incident would lead to the prosecution of the manager and as a consequence the deal is likely to be jeopardized, which is of immense importance to your company. What are the dilemmas you face ? What will be your response to the situation ?
All 6 questions, sorted by sub-topic, with model answers and practice.
Question from the official UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination 2017 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.