UPSC Mains 2026 GS Paper 4 is General Studies Paper IV — Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude (Paper V of the Civil Services Main Examination). It was held on 23 August 2026, 2:30 PM–5:30 PM, for 250 marks. Twelve questions are compulsory, split across Section A (theory) and Section B (case studies). Download the GS Paper 4 PDF. Confirm exact wording when the Commission uploads the official file under Previous Question Papers on upsc.gov.in.
Key highlights
- Date and session: 23 August 2026, 2:30 PM–5:30 PM (3 hours).
- Marks: 250; Paper V; not a qualifying paper.
- Structure: Section A theory (Q1–Q6) + Section B six 20-mark case studies (Q7–Q12).
- PDF: Download GS Paper 4.
- Official copy: Examinations → Previous Question Papers on upsc.gov.in.
UPSC Mains 2026 GS Paper 4 exam overview
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Examination | Civil Services (Main) Examination 2026 |
| Paper name | General Studies Paper IV (GS Paper 4 / Ethics) |
| Paper number | Paper V |
| Date | 23 August 2026 |
| Session | Afternoon, 2:30 PM–5:30 PM |
| Duration | 3 hours |
| Maximum marks | 250 |
| Questions | 12, all compulsory, in two sections |
| Section A | Q1–Q6; 10-mark parts (~150 words) |
| Section B | Q7–Q12; 20 marks each (~250 words) |
| Medium | English and Hindi |
| Negative marking | None |
GS Paper 4 closes 23 August. GS Paper 3 was the same morning. Earlier papers sit on the Mains 2026 question paper hub.
Download UPSC Mains 2026 GS Paper 4 question paper PDF
Download the UPSC Mains 2026 GS Paper 4 question paper PDF. The Commission also publishes the same paper under Examinations → Previous Question Papers on upsc.gov.in.
How to download GS Paper 4 from upsc.gov.in
- Open upsc.gov.in.
- Go to Examinations.
- Open Previous Question Papers.
- Find Civil Services (Main) Examination, 2026.
- Select General Studies Paper IV (Paper V).
- Open the PDF and save it.
UPSC Mains 2026 GS Paper 4 Section A (theory)
Answer each 10-mark part in about 150 words. Question 3 has three parts.
Question 1
| Part | Marks | Question |
|---|---|---|
| Q1(a) | 10 | Owing to paucity of time, a university professor generates a Ph.D. evaluation report using Artificial Intelligence and submits it with some modifications. Discuss this from the perspective of accountability and integrity. |
| Q1(b) | 10 | A business house is working on a project that could displace a forest community from their habitat. As the administrative officer of that district, what ethical challenges are you likely to face? |
Question 2
| Part | Marks | Question |
|---|---|---|
| Q2(a) | 10 | An endangered tribe has developed a severe skeletal deformity. University research has identified a mineral supplement as a possible remedy, though clinical trials are yet to be conducted. Should the District Magistrate permit this research on the tribe? Discuss from the perspective of medical and administrative ethics. |
| Q2(b) | 10 | Discuss how national security can be balanced with concerns of human rights. |
Question 3
| Part | Marks | Question |
|---|---|---|
| Q3(a) | 10 | Dr B. R. Ambedkar cautioned that employing civil disobedience within a constitutional democracy equates to endorsing ‘anarchy’. How should modern democracies navigate the ethical dilemmas posed by civil-disobedience movements that aim to promote social justice against policies that may raise genuine concerns? |
| Q3(b) | 10 | In what ways can an Indian Administrative Officer apply Gandhi’s notion of trusteeship to ensure fairness in governance? |
| Q3(c) | 10 | Shakespeare in Henry IV says, “The arms are fair when the intent of bearing them is just.” What ethical implications does this have in governance? |
Question 4
| Part | Marks | Question |
|---|---|---|
| Q4(a) | 10 | Citing the serious adverse effects of long-term medication, a doctor convinces the family of a female patient for surgery. The patient reluctantly consents, though her original choice was medication. Explain paternalism and beneficence by analysing the doctor’s action. |
| Q4(b) | 10 | Efficiency is doing things right, while effectiveness is doing the right thing. How do you strike a balance between the two to enhance productivity? |
Question 5
| Part | Marks | Question |
|---|---|---|
| Q5(a) | 10 | Schools in remote areas often do not fully comply with government regulations. Strict enforcement would close most of them. How should an administrator balance enforcement of rules and educational rights of children? |
| Q5(b) | 10 | In international relations, ethical considerations are often subjugated to the strategic interests of nation-states. Discuss this from an ethical perspective. |
Question 6
| Part | Marks | Question |
|---|---|---|
| Q6(a) | 10 | On the request of his Personal Assistant, a District Magistrate stops the transfer of a schoolteacher who gives private tuition to the PA’s child, who has a learning disability. Discuss empathy versus compliance with rules. |
| Q6(b) | 10 | Some moral philosophers argue that spending some of your resources — without significantly affecting your financial stability — to help people who badly suffer is a moral duty, not merely charity. Justify this claim by explaining the distinction between duty and charity. |
UPSC Mains 2026 GS Paper 4 Section B (case studies)
Answer each in about 250 words (20 marks).
Q7 (20 marks) — Medical consent
Lata, a mother of two, is admitted for abdominal investigation. She consents to diagnostic laparoscopy under general anaesthesia. During the procedure Dr Mansi finds a possibly malignant uterine tumour. Options are a biopsy (and a second surgery if malignant) or immediate hysterectomy. Lata is under anaesthesia. Dr Mansi explains the situation to Sujatha, Lata’s sister-in-law, who consents in writing to hysterectomy. Lata is told the next day, feels betrayed, and approaches the police and then the court. Police and Sujatha say the doctor acted in good faith.
(a) Discuss the ethical issues involved in this case. (b) Discuss the moral conduct of the doctor in this situation.
Q8 (20 marks) — AI and predictive policing
Ravi, an SP with cyber-policing experience, is posted in a district with a history of riots. An AI-enabled facial-recognition and biometric system has run for about six months. It flags an immigrant, low-income neighbourhood as a hub of gang violence and drug trafficking. Patrols and preventive detentions rise; public-order metrics improve. Community leaders, civil-rights lawyers and human-rights groups allege the model is trained on biased historical data, that surveillance has created a climate of fear, and that residents do not know what data is held against them.
(a) What are the ethical issues, including biases, involved in the use of AI in data-driven policing? (b) Place yourself in Ravi’s role. Discuss the alternatives available and justify the action that best complies with ethics.
Q9 (20 marks) — Land-use corruption
Seema, a senior officer known for honesty, is District Collector where a large industrial area is coming up. Farmers have filed many change-of-land-use applications. Approvals are selective, not chronological. Files show complaints of large bribes. A small group of touts, working with some Collectorate staff, controls the pipeline. Other employees fear processing files. The backlog hurts the local economy. An aggressive internal probe may trigger institutional resistance and union backlash; ignoring the racket encourages the wrongdoers.
(a) What are the ethical issues involved? (b) Discuss the options open to Seema. Identify the recommended option and justify it.
Q10 (20 marks) — PDS biometrics
Vikas is District Collector of Nainipura, a remote hilly district. PDS distributors must do real-time biometric identification of beneficiaries. Fingerprint matching often fails for growing children, manual labourers and senior citizens, and Wi-Fi is weak. Distributors then use personal discretion. Strict rules protect fiscal probity but can deny food to EWS households and raise Article 21 issues. Leaving the call to distributors risks leakages.
(a) What are the options open to Vikas? How should he balance fiscal probity with empathy towards designated beneficiaries? (b) Discuss the ethics of using technology as a gatekeeper for welfare schemes.
Q11 (20 marks) — Communal conflict in a border district
Rajapuram is a border district. Jhara and Biru, its two major communities, are in continual conflict over land, uneven resources and inadequate political representation. Violence has caused many deaths. Separate relief camps exist. Rajan is appointed DM. He must restore administrative authority, reopen the highway and start peace talks. Rivalry has entered the local administration and police; both communities distrust the government. A neighbouring country could exploit the unrest. Rajan considers opening the highway for food and medical supplies and requisitioning central armed police.
(a) Discuss the ethical issues that need to be addressed. (b) What are the options open to Rajan? Which option would protect his non-partisan image without compromising ethics?
Q12 (20 marks) — Arms export
Ajit heads the Department of Weapon Sales in the Ministry of Defence Production. Production limits allow only one export order. Country A is a developing state with a sound technology base, planned R&D collaboration, no security alliance, needs weapons against a troublesome neighbour, and wants a large long-term loan purchase. Country B prioritises military strength over human development, is allied to a superpower with a base there, is not an NPT signatory but has small nuclear weapons, supports guerrilla forces abroad, can pay an advance, and is also talking to another seller. Colleagues stress jobs, exports and diplomacy.
(a) Discuss the options available to Ajit and which option he should choose, and why. (b) How should Ajit balance national economic and strategic interests with ethical considerations?
UPSC Mains 2026 GS Paper 4 analysis
The 2026 Ethics paper is a standard two-section GS IV. Section A is concept-plus-dilemma (AI and integrity, medical ethics, Ambedkar and civil disobedience, Gandhi’s trusteeship, Shakespeare on just war, paternalism, efficiency vs effectiveness, remote schools, IR ethics, empathy vs rules, duty vs charity). Section B is six applied cases: consent, AI policing, corruption, welfare technology, communal peace, and arms export.
| Block | Questions | Marks (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Integrity, AI, research ethics | Q1(a), Q2(a), Q8 | 50 |
| Administrative dilemmas (forest, schools, transfer, PDS, CLU) | Q1(b), Q5(a), Q6(a), Q9, Q10 | 70 |
| Thinkers and public values | Q3(a)–(c), Q6(b) | 40 |
| Medical ethics | Q4(a), Q7 | 30 |
| IR, security, human rights, arms | Q2(b), Q5(b), Q11, Q12 | 60 |
| Total | 12 | 250 |
10-mark parts want a definition, one framework, and an Indian example. 20-mark cases want stakeholders → options → values → recommended action. Do not write a GS II polity essay in the arms-export or IR items; keep the ethical test on the page.
Syllabus mapping for 2026 GS Paper 4
| Official GS IV syllabus head | 2026 questions |
|---|---|
| Ethics and human interface; human values | Q3, Q4(a), Q6(b), Q7 |
| Attitude; aptitude and foundational values for civil service | Q1, Q5(a), Q6(a), Q9 |
| Emotional intelligence; empathy | Q6(a), Q10, Q11 |
| Contributions of moral thinkers | Q3(a)–(c) |
| Public/civil service values; probity in governance | Q1(a), Q4(b), Q9, Q10 |
| Case studies on the above | Q7–Q12 |
Map each item to the heads in the ethics syllabus. Practise theory and cases from GS4 ethics answer writing.
How to use this paper
- Tag each part to one GS IV syllabus bullet before you write.
- Name the value in the first line (integrity, trusteeship, informed consent, non-partisanship).
- For Section B, list stakeholders, two or three options, then one recommended action with a statute or code (informed consent, Article 21, conduct rules).
- Do not dump quotations. Ambedkar, Gandhi and Shakespeare earn marks only if they decide the option.
- Write one full 10-mark part and one 20-mark case under time. Reading the PDF is not the paper.
GS Paper 3 from the same morning is on the GS Paper 3 2026 page. Essay and remaining papers sit on the Mains 2026 question paper hub.
Frequently asked questions
When was UPSC Mains 2026 GS Paper 4 conducted?
23 August 2026, afternoon session, 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM. It is Paper V of Mains and follows GS Paper 3 of the same forenoon.
How many questions are there in UPSC Mains 2026 GS Paper 4?
Twelve compulsory questions in two sections. Section A (Q1–Q6) is theory in 10-mark parts of about 150 words. Section B (Q7–Q12) is six case studies of 20 marks (about 250 words). Total 250 marks. Duration is 3 hours. There is no negative marking.
Where can I download the UPSC Mains 2026 GS Paper 4 PDF?
The questions are listed on this page. Download the GS Paper 4 PDF. The Commission also publishes papers under Previous Question Papers on upsc.gov.in.
What does GS Paper 4 cover in UPSC Mains 2026?
Ethics, integrity and aptitude: theory (values, thinkers, attitude, probity) plus applied case studies. In 2026 the cases cover medical consent, AI policing, land-use corruption, PDS biometrics, communal conflict, and arms export.
Is GS Paper 4 a qualifying paper in UPSC Mains?
No. GS Paper 4 (Paper V) is a merit paper. Its 250 marks count toward the 1,750 written total. Only Paper A (Indian Language) and Paper B (English) are qualifying.
What is Paper V in UPSC Mains 2026?
Paper V is General Studies Paper IV — the same paper as GS Paper 4 (Ethics). Paper I is Essay. Paper II is GS Paper 1. Paper III is GS Paper 2. Paper IV is GS Paper 3.
Is GS Paper 4 useful for UPSC CSE 2027?
Yes. It is the newest full Ethics paper. Tag theory parts, write timed case studies, and compare it with older GS IV PYQs rather than treating 2026 as a one-year trend.
Key takeaways
- GS Paper 4, 23 August 2026 (afternoon): 12 questions, 250 marks, Paper V, 3 hours.
- Section A is theory (including a three-part Q3 on Ambedkar, Gandhi and Shakespeare); Section B is six 20-mark cases.
- Download the GS Paper 4 PDF; confirm the Commission’s copy on upsc.gov.in. Use the 2026 papers hub for Essay and GS 1–3.
- Practise by syllabus tag, named value, and timed case writing — not by highlighting the paper once.