Ethics

"Accountability" in public administration primarily refers to the obligation of officials to?

A Explain and justify their actions/decisions to relevant authorities and the public
B Avoid explaining their decisions to anyone
C Act without any oversight
D Escape all forms of scrutiny —

Which type of accountability refers to civil servants being answerable to their administrative superiors within the organizational hierarchy?

A Administrative/hierarchical accountability
B No accountability at all
C Only accountability to foreign entities
D Only self-accountability with no external check —

"Political accountability" refers to elected officials/ministers being answerable to?

A The legislature and, ultimately, the electorate/voters
B No one at all
C Only to unelected bureaucrats
D Only to foreign governments —

"Legal accountability" refers to officials being subject to?

A The judicial system and legal consequences for violations of law
B No legal consequences whatsoever
C Only informal social pressure
D Only internal departmental review, with no external legal recourse —

"Social accountability" refers to mechanisms through which citizens/civil society can?

A Directly hold public officials and institutions accountable, e.g., through social audits or public hearings
B Have no role in oversight whatsoever
C Only vote in elections, with no other engagement
D Only communicate through formal legal channels —

Which is an example of a "horizontal accountability" mechanism, where one branch of government checks another?

A Judicial review of executive/legislative actions
B A citizen voting in an election (a form of vertical accountability)
C Media reporting on government (accountability, but not strictly horizontal here)
D An NGO conducting a social audit —

"Vertical accountability" typically refers to accountability mechanisms between?

A Citizens and their elected government, primarily through elections
B Different branches of government checking each other
C Officials only accountable to themselves
D No accountability relationship at all —

Which oversight institution is primarily responsible for auditing government accounts and expenditures in India, thereby promoting financial accountability?

A The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)
B The Election Commission
C The UPSC
D The Reserve Bank of India, exclusively —

"Transparency" in governance is closely linked to accountability because it?

A Provides the information necessary for citizens and oversight bodies to hold officials accountable
B Prevents any form of accountability
C Has no relationship to accountability
D Ensures complete secrecy —

Which law in India specifically empowers citizens to request information from public authorities, thereby enhancing transparency?

A The Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005
B The Official Secrets Act (which restricts information)
C The Indian Penal Code
D The Companies Act —

"Proactive disclosure" by government bodies refers to?

A Voluntarily publishing information without waiting for specific citizen requests
B Refusing to disclose any information at all
C Only disclosing information when legally compelled through lengthy litigation
D Selectively disclosing information only to favored parties —

Which best supports transparency in government procurement processes?

A Open, competitive tendering with publicly available criteria and results
B Secret, single-source contracts with no public disclosure
C Contracts awarded based on personal relationships alone
D Complete absence of any public record —

"E-governance" initiatives contribute to transparency and accountability primarily by?

A Making government processes and information more accessible and traceable through digital platforms
B Increasing bureaucratic secrecy
C Reducing citizen access to services
D Eliminating any public record-keeping —

Social audits, as a tool for accountability, typically involve?

A Community members reviewing and verifying the implementation of government programs/schemes
B Only internal government review, with no citizen involvement
C Complete secrecy in program implementation
D No verification process whatsoever —

Which best illustrates a "checks and balances" system supporting accountability?

A The judiciary having the power to review and strike down unconstitutional laws passed by the legislature
B One branch having absolute, unchecked power
C No separation of powers
D Complete concentration of authority in a single body —

Whistleblower protection laws are important for accountability because they?

A Encourage individuals to report corruption/wrongdoing without fear of retaliation
B Punish those who report wrongdoing
C Discourage any reporting of misconduct
D Protect only wrongdoers, not those who expose them —

Which mechanism allows citizens to lodge formal complaints against maladministration or corruption by public officials?

A Ombudsman institutions (e.g., Lokpal/Lokayukta in India)
B No formal complaint mechanism exists
C Only informal, unofficial channels
D Complaints are automatically dismissed without review —

"Answerability" as a component of accountability requires officials to?

A Provide explanations and justifications for their decisions and actions when required
B Refuse to explain any decisions
C Act without ever being questioned
D Avoid all forms of communication with oversight bodies —

"Enforceability," another key component of accountability, refers to the existence of?

A Actual consequences/sanctions for officials found to have acted improperly
B No consequences whatsoever for misconduct
C Only symbolic, toothless reprimands
D Complete immunity from any penalty —

Which term describes the practice of media organizations investigating and reporting on government actions to promote transparency and accountability?

A Investigative journalism/the media's watchdog role
B Government-controlled propaganda
C Complete media silence
D Censorship of all reporting —

Parliamentary committees, such as the Public Accounts Committee, contribute to accountability by?

A Scrutinizing government expenditure and administrative performance in detail
B Approving all government spending without any scrutiny
C Having no oversight function at all
D Operating in complete secrecy with no reports —

Which concept describes the risk that increased administrative discretion, if unchecked, could undermine accountability?

A The potential for abuse of discretionary power without adequate oversight
B Discretion always leading to perfectly accountable outcomes automatically
C No relationship between discretion and accountability
D Discretion eliminating the need for any accountability mechanisms —

"Citizen Charters," used in many government departments, aim to enhance accountability by?

A Clearly stating service standards and timelines that citizens can expect and hold departments accountable to
B Providing no specific standards at all
C Allowing departments to set arbitrary, unstated expectations
D Eliminating citizen expectations entirely —

Which best describes the relationship between transparency and reduced corruption?

A Greater transparency generally makes it harder to conceal corrupt practices, thereby discouraging them
B Transparency has no bearing on corruption levels
C Transparency always increases corruption
D Secrecy is more effective than transparency in reducing corruption —

Ultimately, robust accountability and transparency mechanisms aim to ensure that public power is exercised?

A Responsibly, in the public interest, and subject to meaningful checks
B Arbitrarily and without any checks
C Exclusively for the benefit of those in power
D With complete impunity —