“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi (a) Explain the ethical meaning of this statement. (b) Analyse its relevance for civil servants in contemporary public administration.

Question Understanding – Finding Information

Precise Syllabus Mapping: Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world. (GS Paper – IV)

Essential Instructions in GS Paper IV Answer Writing:

• Answer the question as a future civil servant, not as a philosopher. Clearly mention the ethical principles involved.
• Best Writing Format is to use THEMATIC + BULLET format with formula: Thinker → Core ethical idea → Governance relevance.

Directive words:

• Explain → Bring out ethical philosophy and meaning
• Analyse → Apply critically to present-day governance

Focal points of the questions:

• Design Contextualisation of Gandhian ethics
• Humanistic governance perspective

Dos & Don’ts

Do for Maximum Marks

• Explain the ethical philosophy behind the quote
• Use ethics terminology (altruism, integrity, empathy)
• Apply clearly to civil services and governance
• Maintain balanced, non-preachy tone
• Structure answers part-wise (a) and (b)

Don’t do these Common Mistakes

• Don’t merely paraphrase the quote
• Avoid spiritual sermonising
• Don’t ignore contemporary administrative challenges
• Avoid generic “civil servants should…” statements
• Don’t exceed word limit with unnecessary quotations