The General Studies Paper 4 (GS 4) in the UPSC Civil Services Mains examination is a critical component that assesses candidates on the subject of Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude. This paper is designed to evaluate the ethical and moral dimensions of aspiring civil servants, focusing on their ability to make decisions in challenging situations, uphold integrity, and exhibit a sense of responsibility towards society. The UPSC GS 4 Mains syllabus delves into topics such as ethics and human interface, attitude, emotional intelligence, contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers, and the role of civil services in a democracy. It aims to gauge the candidate’s understanding of ethical principles and their application in real-world scenarios, crucial for individuals aspiring to join the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and other prestigious civil services. In this paper, candidates are expected to showcase not only their knowledge but also their analytical and decision-making skills in the realm of ethics and governance.
The General Studies Paper IV covers the following main areas:
- Ethics
- Integrity
- Aptitude
This paper tests the candidate’s approach to the issues of integrity and probity while dealing with public life. It also tests the candidate’s approach to problem-solving and conflict resolution.
This paper may have a slight overlap of topics with Governance and Social Justice Subjects from General Studies II in the Civil Service Examination mains papers but is largely independent of the syllabus of other GS papers.
| S.No | Ethics Topics |
| 1 | Ethics and Human Interface |
| 2 | Human Values |
| 3 | Attitude |
| 4 | Aptitude |
| 5 | Emotional Intelligence |
| 6 | Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and the world |
| 7 | Public or Civil Service Values and Ethics in Public Administration |
| 8 | Ethical issues in international relations and funding corporate governance |
| 9 | Probity in Governance: Concept of public service; Philosophical basis of governance and probity; information |
| 10 | Codes of Ethics & Citizen’s Charters |
How to Approach GS 4 Paper
The following table mentions the tips on how to prepare ethics for UPSC mains, topic-wise:
| Topic | Tips to Prepare |
| Ethics and Human Interface | – Understand how you inculcate ethics in your actions and dealings with society. – Analyze how you determine whether an action is ethical or not. – Identify the principles you follow to ensure ethical conduct. – Be prepared for questions in the Part I section. |
| Human Values | – Focus on how people acquire values, especially through reading about significant personalities like freedom fighters. – Study books about great thinkers whom you admire. – Practice applying statements of great personalities to the present context. – Analyze and apply rather than express personal opinions. |
| Attitude | – Understand the content, structure, function, and influence of attitude. – Relate attitude to thought and behavior for Case Study (Part 2). – Consider moral and political attitudes, social influence, and persuasion for the theory (Part 1). – Be ready for questions in either Part 1 or Part 2. |
| Aptitude | – Embed important words in answers, such as integrity, impartiality, nonpartisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance, and compassion. – Refer to ‘Ethics in Governance’ for clear definitions, including Nolan Committee Recommendations. – Address bribery scenarios. |
| Emotional Intelligence | – Follow the three procedures of Emotional Intelligence: understand and control your emotions, understand and control others’ emotions, and act genuinely to solve issues. – Be prepared for questions in both Part 1 and Part 2. |
| Ethical issues in international relations | – Use examples like the Nepal Earthquake video to discuss how funding aided in international relations. – Be ready for questions in Part 2 (case study). |
| Sharing and transparency in government | – Refer to CCS, 1964 – The Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964, covering 300-400 pages. – Focus on Citizen’s Charters, Work Culture, Quality of Service delivery, utilization of public funds, and challenges of corruption. – Be prepared for direct questions on the Citizen’s Charter. |
Let’s break down the approach to preparing for the Ethics paper:
- Gain a clear understanding of the topics in the syllabus.
- Review Code of Conduct, citizen’s charter, RTI, and Probity in governance reports.
- Explore Ethics in Governance reports and the book by Ramesh K Arora (Ethics in Governance).
- Examine previous year’s question papers for insight.
- Practice solving CSAT decision-making questions.
- Identify and incorporate keywords from the syllabus into your writing.
- Integrate thinkers’ quotes and apply them to current situations.
- Focus on deep understanding by revisiting a single book multiple times instead of reading many books.
- Questions related to each of these aspects frequently appear in the General Studies 4 paper. For specific GS 4 questions in UPSC Mains, refer to the linked article, which can help you strategize your preparation for each GS-II topic.
| S.No | Ethics Books for UPSC |
| 1 | Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude – G Subba Rao & P N Roy Chowdhury |
| 2 | Lexicon for Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude for IAS General Studies Paper IV – Niraj Kumar |
| 3 | Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude – Santosh Ajmera & Nanda Kishore Reddy |
| 4 | Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude – M Karthikeyan |
| 5 | Ethics in Governance: Innovations, Issues and Instrumentalities – Ramesh K Arora |
| 6 | ARC Reports |
GS 4 Structure
Here are the key aspects of the UPSC Mains General Studies Paper-IV:
- The paper comprises twelve questions divided into two sections. Previously, before 2018, there were fourteen questions, but the format has been adjusted for increased complexity, resulting in a reduced number of questions.
- All questions are mandatory.
- Questions carry either 10 or 20 marks, depending on the required answer length. Responses to 10-mark questions should be within 150 words, while 20-mark questions require answers within 250 words.
- The total marks allocated for this paper are 250.
- Questions fall into two categories:
- Direct concept-related questions evaluate the candidate’s understanding of ethical issues and concepts related to integrity and aptitude (125 marks).
- Case studies assessing the candidate’s application of these concepts to situations involving various stakeholders, including politicians, pressure groups, the public, and others (125 marks).
- This paper exhibits the most variability among the four General Studies Papers, with question types varying widely from year to year. Candidates are advised to familiarize themselves with the syllabus and recent patterns.
UPSC Mains General Studies Paper-IV Ethics Syllabus
The following is the detailed Syllabus for General Studies IV Paper in the UPSC Mains Examination:
| Topics | Subtopics |
| Ethics and Human Interface | – The Essence of Ethics, Determinants and Consequences of Ethics in Human Interaction |
| – 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 moral and ethical values | |
| Attitude | – Content, structure and function of attitude |
| – Influence of attitude in thought and behaviour | |
| – Relation of attitude to thought and behaviour | |
| – Moral and Political attitudes | |
| – Social influence and persuasion | |
| Aptitude | – Aptitude and foundational values of Civil Service |
| – Integrity | |
| – Impartiality and non-partisanship | |
| – Objectivity | |
| – Dedication to public service | |
| – Empathy, tolerance, and compassion towards the weaker sections of society | |
| Emotional Intelligence | – Concepts of emotional intelligence |
| – Utility and application of emotional intelligence in administration and governance | |
| Contributions of Thinkers and Philosophers | – Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and the world to the concepts of morality |
| Public/Civil Service Values and Ethics | – Status and associated 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 |
| – The 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 |
Mains GS IV Trend Analysis
In this section, we present the trend analysis for GS 4 in the years 2018, 2019, and 2020. For a comprehensive trend analysis of UPSC Mains GS Paper 4 from 2013 to 2016, UPSC candidates can refer to the detailed information provided in the linked article.
The table below illustrates the total marks allocated to each broad category in GS 2 for the years 2018-2020:
| Category | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
| Basics and thinkers | 60 | 40 | 60 |
| Family and society | 10 | 40 | 60 |
| Work and office | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| Public organisation | 30 | 50 | 10 |
| Private organisation | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| Case Studies | 120 | 120 | 120 |
Ethics Basics and Thinkers Analysis
The following graph indicates the worth of the total mark of questions asked from each subtopic in 2020:
The following graph indicates the worth of the total mark of questions asked from each subtopic in 2018 and 2019:
Family & Society Analysis
The following graph indicates the worth of the total mark of questions asked from each subtopic in 2020:
The following graph indicates the worth of the total mark of questions asked from each subtopic in 2018 and 2019:
Work & Office Trend Analysis
There were no specific questions from this section in CSE 2020. The following graph indicates the worth of the total mark of questions asked from each subtopic in 2018 and 2019:
Public Organisations Trend Analysis
Apart from case studies that included analysis of public servants in public offices, the CSE 2020 has only one question related to the Funding/International Relations topic. The remaining were case studies.
UPSC Exam Pattern
| Preliminary Examination | |
| – General Studies | |
| – Aptitude Test | |
| Mains Examination | |
| – Qualifying | |
| – Paper-A (One of the 22 Indian Languages) | |
| – Paper-B (English) | |
| – Papers to be counted for merit | |
| – Paper-I (Essay) | |
| – Paper-II (GS-I) | |
| – Paper-III (GS-II) | |
| – Paper-IV (GS-III) | |
| – Paper-V (GS-IV) | |
| – Paper-VI (Optional Paper-I) | |
| – Paper-VI (Optional Paper-II) | |
| Personality Test |
The primary focus of this paper is to evaluate candidates’ honesty, integrity, problem-solving, and conflict-resolution skills.
Given the emphasis on case studies, considered the highest-scoring sections, candidates are expected to analyze their reactions to different situations. They should apply the concepts covered in the paper to their actions and responses within their social circle.
UPSC GS 4 Mains Syllabus FAQS
1. What does the GS 4 Mains Syllabus cover?
The General Studies Paper IV focuses on Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude. It tests candidates’ approach to integrity, probity in public life, and their problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills.
2. How is GS 4 different from other GS papers?
While there may be a slight overlap with Governance and Social Justice subjects from GS II, GS
4 is largely independent of the syllabus of other GS papers.
3. What are the key areas under Ethics Topics?
The key areas include Ethics and Human Interface, Human Values, Attitude, Aptitude, Emotional Intelligence, Contributions of moral thinkers, Public/Civil Service Values, and Ethics in International Relations.
4. How to approach the GS 4 paper?
Gain a clear understanding of syllabus topics, review codes of conduct, explore ethics in governance reports, examine previous year question papers, practice CSAT decision-making questions, incorporate keywords, integrate thinkers’ quotes, and focus on deep understanding.
5. Can you recommend books for Ethics preparation?
Some recommended books are “Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude” by G Subba Rao & P N Roy Chowdhury, “Lexicon for Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude” by Niraj Kumar, and “Ethics in Governance: Innovations, Issues and Instrumentalities” by Ramesh K Arora.
6. What is the structure of the GS 4 paper?
The paper comprises twelve questions divided into two sections, with a total of 250 marks. Questions vary in length (10 or 20 marks) and fall into direct concept-related and case-study categories.
7. What are the key topics in the GS 4 syllabus?
Key topics include Ethics and Human Interface, Attitude, Aptitude, Emotional Intelligence, Contributions of Thinkers, Public/Civil Service Values, Probity in Governance, and more.
8. How is the GS 4 paper trend analyzed in recent years?
The trend analysis includes a breakdown of marks allocated to various subtopics, such as Ethics Basics and Thinkers, Family & Society, Work & Office, and Public Organizations, providing insights into the weightage of each section in recent years.
9. What is the primary focus of the GS 4 paper?
The primary focus is to evaluate candidates’ honesty, integrity, problem-solving, and conflict-resolution skills. Case studies play a crucial role, in testing candidates’ application of ethical concepts to real-life situations.
10. Any tips for approaching the GS 4 paper effectively?
Understand the syllabus thoroughly, practice previous year papers, focus on case studies, and apply ethical concepts to practical scenarios. Additionally, deep understanding, integration of thinkers’ quotes, and keyword incorporation are essential strategies.
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