UPSC Prelims 2026 — practice paper

Mr. X, a senior officer, was overseeing a critical vaccination programme during a pandemic. He found that a private service provider responsible for vaccine distribution was compromising on quality to make profits. Despite immense pressure to manage the issue due to vested interests, he raised his voice based on the principles of public administration which he learnt during various training programmes attended across his career. He reported the issue to the appropriate vigilance authority and halted the contract to ensure citizen welfare. Which one among the following principles of public administration was most strongly demonstrated by Mr. X's actions ? (a) Esprit de corps (b) Equity (c) Accountability (d) Delegation

Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched ? (Indian Army Corps : Headquarters) (a) 3 Corps : Dimapur (b) 4 Corps : Tezpur (c) 14 Corps : Leh (d) 33 Corps : Srinagar

Ms. X is a mid-level civil service official working in the urban development department of a major city. Recently, she was involved in approving a contract for a public infrastructure project - a new community park. During the approval process, she received a piece of confidential information indicating that one of the contractors had a history of poor workmanship and allegations of corruption in other cities, though nothing had been legally proven. The Head of the Department, Mr. Y, advised her not to disclose this information to the project committee or the public because it could delay the project and damage the city's reputation. However, Ms. X believed that withholding such information compromised transparency and public trust. What amongst the following should Ms. X do now ? 1. Immediately disclose the information to the project committee and the public. 2. Recommend removing the contractor from the shortlist to protect the project's integrity. 3. Propose a 'limited disclosure' to an oversight committee, while keeping the information confidential from the public for the time being. Select the answer using the code given below : (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 3 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3