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GS Paper 4 — Ethics Case Studies

GS4 Ethics Case Studies

Case studies are marked on a method, not opinions. Identify the stakeholders, surface the ethical dilemmas, lay out realistic options with pros and cons, then commit to a defensible course of action grounded in law and public-service values.

Stakeholder identificationEthical dilemmasOptions with trade-offsLaw, rules & conductDecision & justificationConsequences & safeguards

How to crack a case study

The method
  • Identify every stakeholder before you decide anything.
  • State the ethical dilemmas explicitly — name the competing values.
  • Lay out realistic options with honest pros and cons.
  • Commit to one course of action grounded in law and public-service values.
  • Close with consequences and safeguards — show you have thought it through.

3 practice questions

20 marks 250 words Case study
You are a District Magistrate. A powerful local politician pressures you to clear an industrial project that violates environmental norms, hinting that your transfer depends on it. The project would bring jobs but harm a nearby wetland and the livelihoods of fisherfolk. What options do you have and what will you do?
See the demand, dimensions & model approach →
20 marks 250 words Case study
You discover that a close colleague and friend, who has helped you greatly in the past, has been taking small bribes to speed up files. Reporting him will end his career and hurt his family; staying silent makes you complicit. What will you do and why?
See the demand, dimensions & model approach →
20 marks 250 words Case study
During a flood, you are in charge of distributing limited relief material. A minister’s office instructs you to prioritise a particular village that is politically important, while an equally affected but poorer village gets nothing. Time and supplies are short. How will you handle the situation?
See the demand, dimensions & model approach →

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