The UPSC Civil Services Mains Exam Paper 4 is known as the “General Studies Paper IV” and focuses on Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude. The syllabus is designed to assess the candidates’ attitude and approach to issues relating to integrity, probity in public life, and their problem-solving approach to various issues and conflicts faced by them in dealing with society. Here is the detailed syllabus for General Studies Paper IV:
- Ethics and Human Interface:
- Essence, determinants, and consequences of Ethics in human actions.
- Dimensions of ethics.
- Ethics in private and public relationships.
- Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers, and administrators.
- Role of family, society, and educational institutions in inculcating values.
- Attitude:
- Content, structure, function.
- Its influence and relation with thought and behavior.
- Moral and political attitudes.
- Social influence and persuasion.
- Aptitude and Foundational Values for Civil Service:
- Integrity, impartiality, and non-partisanship.
- Objectivity.
- Dedication to public service.
- Empathy, tolerance, and compassion towards the weaker sections.
- Emotional Intelligence:
- Concepts and their utilities and application in administration and governance.
- Contributions of Moral Thinkers and Philosophers from India and the World.
- Public/Civil Service Values and Ethics in Public Administration:
- Status and problems.
- Ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions.
- Laws, rules, regulations, and conscience as sources of ethical guidance.
- Accountability and ethical governance.
- Strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance.
- Ethical issues in international relations and funding.
- Corporate governance.
- Probity in Governance:
- Concept of public service.
- Philosophical basis of governance and probity.
- Information sharing and transparency in government.
- Right to Information.
- Codes of ethics.
- Codes of conduct.
- Citizen’s Charters.
- Work culture.
- Quality of service delivery.
- Utilization of public funds.
- Challenges of corruption.
- Case Studies on the Above Issues.
The syllabus aims to test candidates’ understanding of various ethical and moral dimensions of governance and their ability to apply this knowledge in practical scenarios.
