QUESTION

CSAT

Easy

Comprehension

Prelims 2013

You are the head of your office. There are certain houses reserved for allotment to the office staff, and you have been given the discretion to do so. A set of rules for the allotment of the houses has been laid down by you and has been made public. Your personal secretary, who is very close to you, comes to you and pleads that as his father is seriously ill, he should be given priority in the allotment of a house. The office secretariat that examined the request as per the rules turns down the request and recommends the procedure to be followed according to the rules. You do not want to annoy your personal secretary. In such circumstances, what would you do?

Select an option to attempt

Explanation

NOTE: Official UPSC answer key has considered both A and C as correct.

The best course of action would likely be A. Call him over to your room and personally explain why the allotment cannot be done.

Although you must adhere to the rules, it is also important to maintain a good working relationship with your personal secretary. By explaining the decision personally, you show empathy and transparency, helping to preserve your relationship while still upholding the office rules. This approach avoids any perception of favoritism and ensures fairness while maintaining respect for the individual’s circumstances.

Trusted by 2L aspirants

Practice UPSC Prelims PYQs Smarter

Practice Now
  • Track accuracy & weak areas
  • See past trends & repeated themes
Start Practicing Now

Crack UPSC with your
Personal AI Mentor

An AI-powered ecosystem to learn, practice, and evaluate with discipline

SuperKalam is your personal mentor for UPSC preparation, guiding you at every step of the exam journey.

Download the App

Get it on Google PlayDownload on the App Store
Follow us

ⓒ Snapstack Technologies Private Limited