OPSC OCS Mains 2025 GS Paper 4 Analysis: 2024 vs 2025 Trends and RAYACADEMY IAS Test Series Reflections

Theme

2025 questions

Count

Case studies on administrative dilemmas

Q1, Q3, Q4, Q5, Q12, Q17

6

Thinkers and quotations

Q6, Q11, Q13, Q15, Q16

5

Ethics in governance and public policy

Q7, Q9, Q10, Q14

4

Values, society and attitudes

Q2, Q8

2

Theme

OCS 2024 GS 4

OCS 2025 GS 4

Change

Case studies on administrative dilemmas

4 (Q2, Q3, Q4, Q17)

6

Up 2

Thinkers and quotations

4 (Q1, Q13, Q14, Q15)

5

Up 1

Ethics in governance and public policy

5 (Q5, Q7, Q8, Q10, Q12)

4

Down 1

Values, society and attitudes

4 (Q6, Q9, Q11, Q16)

2

Down 2

Odisha-specific questions

0

1 (Q4)

Up 1

Current-affairs-linked questions

2 (Q10, Q13)

5 (Q2, Q7, Q11, Q14, Q15)

Up 3

Recurring theme

OCS 2024 GS 4

OCS 2025 GS 4

Rules versus compassion for the vulnerable

Q4: Honest BDO, a destitute woman without an Aadhaar Card, and a ration card

Q5: Passport refused to an elderly man without a Voter ID

Scientific temper versus tradition

Q16: Can scientific temper and traditional cultural values coexist?

Q8: Superstition and scientific temper; Q11: "Nullius in Verba" and Viksit Bharat

RTI and transparency

Q5: RTI and the burden on departments

Q9: RTI, privacy and public servants' assets

Integrity of the civil servant

Q2: Honest civil servant versus wealthy brother, "impractical idealism"

Q3: Honest but rude engineer versus polite but corrupt engineer

Emotional intelligence

Q6: Emotional intelligence versus intellectual prowess

Q16: Plato, justice and emotional intelligence

Gender equality

Q11: Gender equality and Indian cultural values

Q17: Girls-only model schools and Articles 14 and 15

Ethics of war and nationalism

Q13: Voltaire, just war and Operation Sindoor

Q15: J. Krishnamurti, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam and recent wars

Law and justice

Q14: Jonathan Swift, "laws are like cobwebs"

Q6: Montesquieu, "tyranny under the shield of law"

Welfare state

Q15: Gandhi's talisman and the welfare state

Q14: Cash transfers, freebies and the welfare state

Section

OCS 2025 GS IV question

RAYACADEMY IAS test question (Test No.)

Reflection analysis

Case study

Q1. Suresh is holding a responsible administrative position in a key district. The Industries Minister of the State hails from this district. There is a reserve forest area in the district. Suresh comes to know that relatives of the Minister want to establish an industrial plant in the reserve forest area which will yield huge profits but will uproot locals and damage the ecology of the area. Suresh feels that the plant should not be cleared. After some time, the Minister visits the district and summons Suresh. In a private meeting, the Minister argues that in his capacity as the Industries Minister, he has every right to take administrative decisions, and the state policy is decided by him and not the bureaucrats like Suresh. As Suresh tries to cite rules and environmental concerns in this regard, the Minister offers that any relative of Suresh could be made partner in the proposed plant. The Minister counsels Suresh to agree as the plant would in any case come up because he (Minister) can transfer out Suresh and post some more "practical and sensible" officer in his place. So, Suresh may as well benefit from the proposal, the Minister advises Suresh and leaves for the state capital. Suresh is tempted to accept the offer given by the Minister as he could always pretend that he had given clearance under political pressure and his hands are clean. Suresh also knows that the plant would be a reality soon, regardless of his own views on the subject. What advice would you give to Suresh?

A District Collector in a tribal-dominated district of Odisha is pressured by a senior politician to fast-track environmental clearances for a mining project that would displace thousands of tribal families, in violation of the PESA Act and Forest Rights Act. The politician hints that non-cooperation will harm the officer's career. Analyse the ethical dimensions of this situation and recommend a principled course of action. (Test 16, Q17)

Very high overlap (90%): Same dilemma: a politician pushing clearance for a project that displaces locals and damages the environment, with a threat to the officer's career. We had our students write the principled response before the exam.

Values and society

Q2. Recently, youngsters, popularly known as GenZ, held protests raising several demands relating to integrity of examination, education policy and unemployment. The protestors showed scant regard for the seniority in age and rank. They affirmed their right to ask questions from anyone in authority and wanted equal status in any decision making process. Are you in agreement with the view that all citizens are fundamentally equal; and nobody can claim monopoly of knowledge or exercise authority on the grounds of age, seniority and social position? How does it reconcile with the Indian culture of respect for the elders and wisdom arising out of long experience of life? Where would you like to draw a demarketing line?

Deeply rooted social customs may sometimes conflict with the constitutional values of equality and dignity. What role can ethical governance play in reconciling cultural practices with individual rights? Discuss. (Test 30, Q11)

Partial overlap (45%) + classroom coverage: We trained our students to reconcile tradition with constitutional equality. In current affairs classes, we discussed the GenZ protests and youth participation in governance.

Case study

Q3. Ritesh is the head of a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) which undertakes construction of buildings and bridges. He has two young engineers reporting to him, Mohan and Sohan. Both are equally bright, intelligent and hard working. However, Mohan is an upright and honest man, but foulmouthed. He routinely abuses the workers at the construction site and shouts at them. Sohan, on the other hand, is very polished, sweet-tongued, and polite. He, however, is corrupt to the core and accepts bribes from the suppliers and sub-contractors. Understandably, Sohan is a popular employee while Mohan is hated by one and all. Whom would you rate higher on the scale of integrity and morality? Who is likely to be more successful in execution of projects, both in the short term and long term? If you are Ritesh, what counsel will you give to Mohan and Sohan?

"Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful." — Samuel Johnson. Discuss the centrality of integrity among the foundational values required of a civil servant. (Test 12, Q9)

Emotional intelligence is particularly valuable when administrators have to deal with anger, anxiety, conflict and criticism. Explain how self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy and interpersonal skills can contribute to effective public administration. (Test 25, Q8)

Strong overlap (75%): This case pits integrity against emotional intelligence. We had trained our students on both: integrity as the foundational value, and self-regulation in handling anger and conflict.

Case study (Odisha)

Q4. You are working as Sub-divisional Officer in a remote part of Odisha. Within a few weeks of your posting you observe that the parents are not keen to send their wards to any school, whether Government-run or private. On enquiry, the locals candidly state that there is no point of getting their wards educated as there is rampant unemployment in the area and even well-educated youth do not find any job. On top of that, an educated boy/girl refuses to take up agriculture or animal rearing. How will you convince the locals about the importance of getting the youngsters educated? Do you have suggestions for improving the education policy of the country? Discuss.

A District Education Officer notices that a large number of parents in a remote area are reluctant to send their adolescent daughters to secondary school. […] How should the officer approach the problem? Discuss the role of attitude, social influence and ethical persuasion in bringing about behavioural change. (Test 25, Q3)

Very high overlap (85%): Same situation: an officer in a remote area facing parents unwilling to send children to school. We had trained our students in ethical persuasion over enforcement.

Case study

Q5. Govind is a senior citizen and suffers with an eye ailment. He wants to travel to the United Kingdom (UK) for medical consultation. He applies for the Passport. However, the Passport Officer refuses to issue him a passport as Govind does not have a Voter ID card, putting the citizenship status of Govind under doubt. Govind argues that he, and even his parents, were born in India and he meets all the requirements of holding a passport. He also pleads his case on the ground of medical necessity and his advancing age. However, the Passport Officer, though sympathetic, expresses his inability to issue a passport to him. Examine the case from the point of view of ethical governance, duty to serve the public, quality of service on the one hand and the duty to enforce the rules on the other.

Prakash is a Block Development Officer known for strictly following rules. An elderly widow approaches him for assistance under a welfare scheme. She satisfies the substantive eligibility conditions but is unable to produce one prescribed document […] What should Prakash do? Can objectivity and adherence to rules be reconciled with empathy and compassion in public administration? Discuss. (Test 25, Q4)

A Block Development Officer finds that an extremely poor elderly couple is eligible for a housing scheme, but their application cannot be processed because one mandatory document is unavailable. […] What should the officer do? Should procedural compliance always prevail over substantive justice? Give reasons. (Test 30, Q4)

Very high overlap (95%): An elderly citizen, one missing document, a sympathetic officer bound by rules. We set this exact dilemma in two full-length tests.

Thinkers

Q6. French political thinker Baron de Montesquieu said, "There is no greater tyranny than that which is perpetrated under the shield of law and in the name of justice". Are you in agreement? Examine in the light of Salt Satyagraha by Mahatma Gandhi. Do you think that government officials are responsible for the "tyranny of law and justice" which Montesquieu is referring to? If yes, suggest some remedial measures.

“In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place.” — Mahatma Gandhi […] Should a civil servant follow his or her conscience when it conflicts with an official direction that is legally valid? Where should the limits of individual conscience in public administration be drawn? (Test 25, Q13)

“An act may be legally permissible but ethically questionable, while an ethically desirable act may not always be expressly provided for in rules.” In this context, discuss the relative importance of laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance for a civil servant. (Test 25, Q9)

Strong overlap (75%): Law versus conscience, through Gandhi. We had taught our students why a legal act can still be unjust, and the officer's duty when it is.

Governance

Q7. The Election Commission of India has launched the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in several states. It has raised concerns in some sections about voting rights and inclusion of names in the electoral rolls. While the necessity of the SIR to ensure integrity of elections cannot be disputed, offer your suggestions to make it more people friendly, elucidating the principles of administrative accountability and ethical governance.

Evaluate the Election Commission’s use of Special Intensive Revision to maintain clean electoral rolls. Assess the constitutional challenge of balancing universal franchise with data accuracy. (Test 11, Q2)

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has emerged as one of the most significant electoral reforms in recent years. Discuss its objectives, benefits, and challenges. (Test 1, Q11)

Strong overlap (80%): We tested the SIR twice, including the exact tension between clean rolls and voting rights. In the Ethics paper, our students added the accountability lens.

Values and society

Q8. A large number of people in India continue to harbour superstitious beliefs. What are the reasons for this state of affairs? What steps can be taken by the administration and the government to promote scientific temper and to weaken superstitions, prejudice and misconceived notions from the society?

Can scientific temper and traditional moral values coexist in society? What possible areas of conflict may arise between them? How should a public administrator respond when established customs conflict with reason, evidence and human dignity? Discuss with suitable examples. (Test 30, Q16)

Very high overlap (90%): Scientific temper against superstition, and the administrator's role. We set this in our open mock just before the exam.

Governance

Q9. The Right to Information Act protects information of personal nature such as Income-tax returns and bank account details of individuals from disclosure to anyone seeking information. Arguably, this has resulted in shielding information about dubious transactions from public scrutiny. Discuss the role of the RTI Act in promoting transparency and curbing corruption. Do you think that the income and bank account details of all public servants should be in the public domain to check corruption in bureaucracy? Justify.

The Right to Information promotes transparency, but excessive or indiscriminate disclosure may sometimes affect privacy, administrative efficiency and legitimate confidentiality. How should a public authority balance transparency with these competing concerns? (Test 30, Q5)

You are the Public Information Officer of a government department in Odisha. […] How should you balance transparency, confidentiality and the statutory requirements governing RTI? (Test 17, Q17)

Very high overlap (90%): RTI transparency versus privacy. We had our students write on this balance twice, once as a direct question and once as a case study.

Governance

Q10. While we seek to establish an egalitarian society, the disparities in income levels continue to remain acute and even accentuate. What are the reasons for inequalities in society, economic as well social and educational? How can, in your opinion, senior government functionaries help in realising the ideal of "equality of status and opportunity" as enshrined in the Preamble of the Constitution?

Madhusudan Das viewed social justice not merely as formal equality, but as the empowerment of disadvantaged people through education, self-respect, economic opportunity and social reform. […] How can his ideas guide a public administrator in balancing equality, equity and affirmative support for weaker sections in Odisha? (Test 25, Q14)

Strong overlap (75%): We trained our students on how administrators turn formal equality into real opportunity, through an Odia reformer's example.

Thinkers

Q11. The Latin phrase "Nullius in Verba" meaning 'Take nobody's word for it' emphasises rejection of traditional wisdom, demand of evidence/proof for our beliefs and promotion of scientific temper. It was adopted by the Royal Society of London as its official motto around 1663 AD. Do you think adoption of this attitude is essential for laying the foundation for modern India? Discuss with specific reference to the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047.

Can scientific temper and traditional moral values coexist in society? What possible areas of conflict may arise between them? How should a public administrator respond when established customs conflict with reason, evidence and human dignity? Discuss with suitable examples. (Test 30, Q16)

Strong overlap (80%): Evidence over tradition is the heart of both questions. Our students went in with the scientific temper framework ready.

Case study

Q12. Shyam is a Professor of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in a private university. He, along with his senior students, have been working on designing a robot using AI. The robot is to be showcased in a prestigious international exhibition and the dates have been announced. The timelines for the project are very tight. Shyam and his team are working day and night to have the robot ready. However, the team is not able to sort out the technical glitches in the project. It is now clear that not only the university but the country will face huge embarrassment as the debut of the robot has already been given wide publicity. At a personal level, the career prospects of Shyam will be as good as finished. A senior team member of Shyam suggests making cosmetic changes in an imported robot already available and presenting it as the one engineered by the university team. Later, it would be replaced by the robot being worked upon by the team and nobody would come to know of it. The idea seems appealing to Shyam. He asks his team to go ahead. To his close aides, Shyam justifies the decision on the ground of protecting the honour of the country. How ethical is the decision of Shyam? Can it be justified on the grounds of love for nation and/or practicalities of real life? What will be your suggestions to Shyam? Are there any alternatives which you can suggest to Shyam and his team?

“Character is doing the right thing when nobody is looking.” — J. C. Watts. Examine the importance of this idea for a public servant. How can integrity guide administrative behaviour when external supervision is absent? (Test 30, Q1)

"Character is what you do when no one is watching." Examine the relevance of this statement for a civil servant's private conduct, and whether private morality has any bearing on public duty. (Test 12, Q6)

Strong overlap (70%): "Nobody would come to know of it" is the test of character. We had our students write on integrity without supervision in two tests.

Thinkers

Q13. Famous English novelist Oscar Wilde said, "Education is an admirable thing but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught". Do you agree with him that qualities of heart like empathy, morality, compassion, selfless service and contentment which are extremely desirable in a public servant cannot be taught? Discuss the role of family, society, education and culture in shaping attitudes of a person.

“Values are not acquired merely through formal instruction; they are shaped by the social environment in which an individual grows.” Examine the role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating human values. Why may highly educated persons sometimes fail to demonstrate ethical conduct? (Test 25, Q5)

"Attitudes are caught, not taught." Discuss how thought processes and behaviour are shaped by underlying attitudes, and whether behaviour can, in turn, reshape attitude. (Test 12, Q8)

Very high overlap (95%): Values cannot be merely taught, and the role of family, society and education. Our test asked the same idea in almost the same words.

Governance

Q14. Several Governments have launched schemes towards welfare of the poor. Many such schemes envisage direct transfer of money to the bank accounts of eligible beneficiaries. Some thinkers are critical of these developments, arguing that such 'freebies' are wasteful as no economic purpose is served by such schemes. They contend that these schemes are a drain on state exchequer and only make people indolent. Discuss the ethical dimension of these schemes of money transfer in the light of principles of welfare state, empathy for the poor and justice to all.

"Direct Benefit Transfer has transformed welfare delivery in Odisha but has not eliminated exclusion errors." Elucidate with reference to schemes like Subhadra and CM-KISAN. (Test 20, Q13)

What do you understand by ethics of care? How can this approach improve public policy towards the elderly, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable sections? (Test 30, Q9)

Partial overlap (50%) + classroom coverage: We tested direct cash transfers and the ethics of care. In class, we covered the freebies debate and the welfare state.

Thinkers

Q15. "When you call yourself an Indian or a Muslim or a Christian or European, or anything else, you are being violent. Do you see why it is violent? Because you are separating yourself from the rest of mankind. When you separate yourself by belief, by nationality, by tradition, it breeds violence. So a man seeking to understand violence does not belong to any country, to any religion, to any political party or partial system; he is concerned with the total understanding of mankind" - J. Krishnamurti. Do you agree with this kind of internationalism which is in consonance with the Indian philosophy of Vasudhaiva Katumbakam (the whole world is one family)? Discuss in the light of recent US-Iran and Russia-Ukraine wars, growth of hyper-nationalism and the feeling that the world is no more a global village.

When humanitarian considerations conflict with strict legal or administrative requirements, what should guide a public servant? Discuss with reference to refugees, migrants or displaced persons. (Test 30, Q10)

Partial overlap (30%) + classroom coverage: We tested humanitarian ethics across borders. In class, we covered J. Krishnamurti, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam and ethics in international relations.

Thinkers

Q16. Plato is believed to have said, "Knowledge without justice ought to be called cunningness rather than wisdom". Why is knowledge alone not sufficient to qualify as wisdom and it needs to be tempered with justice and empathy? Is the sense of justice an essential component of emotional intelligence? Can it be taught to public servants who are already grown up adults? Discuss.

"Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful." — Samuel Johnson. Discuss the centrality of integrity among the foundational values required of a civil servant. (Test 12, Q9)

"Self-awareness is the foundation of emotional intelligence." Discuss how a civil servant lacking self-awareness can become a systemic liability in public administration. (Test 17, Q1)

Very high overlap (85%): "Knowledge without integrity is dangerous" is Plato's point in Samuel Johnson's words. We also prepared our students on emotional intelligence in public servants.

Case study

Q17. At a very senior level meeting in the government chaired by the Education Minister, it is proposed to set up model schools exclusively for girls because the drop out rate is higher for girls and the female literacy rate is lagging behind. Arvind, who is attending the meeting as one of the officials, opposes the proposal on the grounds of being discriminatory to boys, thereby violating the principle of equality. Arvind further argues that the scheme would entail heavy expenditure and is not worth it as the girls generally do not join the economic work force of the state. Therefore, expenditure on their education will not yield commensurate economic benefit to the society. Do you think that Arvind's arguments have a solid legal basis and the proposed policy will be hit by Article 14/15 of the Constitution guaranteeing equality? Also discuss his arguments from the point of view of economic, social and ethical considerations. What will be your suggestions if you were present in the meeting?

A District Education Officer notices that a large number of parents in a remote area are reluctant to send their adolescent daughters to secondary school. […] How should the officer approach the problem? Discuss the role of attitude, social influence and ethical persuasion in bringing about behavioural change. (Test 25, Q3)

Madhusudan Das viewed social justice not merely as formal equality, but as the empowerment of disadvantaged people through education, self-respect, economic opportunity and social reform. […] How can his ideas guide a public administrator in balancing equality, equity and affirmative support for weaker sections in Odisha? (Test 25, Q14)

Strong overlap (75%): Girls' education and equality versus equity. We had trained our students on both through two questions in the same full-length test.

Match level

Questions

Count

Share

Very high overlap (85% and above)

Q1, Q4, Q5, Q8, Q9, Q13, Q16

7

41%

Strong overlap (70% to 84%)

Q3, Q6, Q7, Q10, Q11, Q12, Q17

7

41%

Partial overlap + classroom coverage

Q2, Q14, Q15

3

18%

Phase

Duration

Focus

Foundation

Months 1 to 4

Syllabus concepts (attitude, EI, integrity, probity), thinkers bank, OCS GS 4 PYQs (2024 and 2025)

Integration

Months 5 to 8

Weekly case studies, quotation practice, sectional tests, ethics in current affairs

Intensive

Months 9 to 12

Full-length tests and open mocks, revision of case frameworks and thinkers