2017 · GS Paper 4 · Q12 · 20 marks
You 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 ?
In short
As the sole eyewitness, the spare-parts manager faces a clash between truthfulness to the law and the victim and loyalty to his company's critical deal, and should give an honest account after first ensuring the injured motorcyclist gets care. Kant's Categorical Imperative rules out perjury for profit, so the deal must stand on merit.
Model answer
Ghissu Editorial · Verified 4 Oct 2026 · 285 words
Truthfulness vs Professional Loyalty
The core dilemma is between honest testimony and my fiduciary duty to protect a deal critical to my company.
Gratitude vs Justice
The manager was my host, yet the badly injured motorcyclist is owed justice and compensation.
Victim first
Ensure the motorcyclist reaches hospital at once, since Parmanand Katara (1989) [case] held that medical aid to accident victims cannot wait for police formalities.
A truthful statement
Tell the officer exactly what I saw, without exaggeration or omission, since false evidence is a crime.
Fairness to the manager
Tell him candidly I cannot lie and urge him to cooperate and compensate the victim; the Pune Porsche crash of 2024 [current event] shows how an alleged cover-up multiplies harm.
Separating the deal
Brief my management openly and let the contract rest on price and quality, remembering that Satyam's concealment (2009) [case] destroyed far more value than it saved.
This model answer is indicative and the model can make mistakes; please verify key facts independently.
Practise this question
1Get the answer sheet
Sized for this question.
2Write your answer
Timed, by hand.
3Get it marked
Your score and what to fix.
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 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.
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.