Fair Treatment — Prelims Strategy

Prelims Strategy

Ask what makes two cases comparable. A difference in political influence is not the same kind of difference as a verified urgency condition permitted by a scheme. Identical outcomes can be unfair if relevant barriers are ignored, while different arrangements can be fair if they support equal access through lawful criteria.

Distinguish substantive and procedural questions. Eligibility concerns the rule governing entitlement; a hearing or correction route concerns how the facts and rule are applied. A sympathetic applicant is not automatically eligible, but an eligible applicant should not be excluded because the record cannot be corrected.

For constitutional options, keep Article 14 separate from Article 16. For numerical differences between groups, avoid inferring discrimination without examining relevant conditions and the process. Select the response that checks evidence and applies a public justification, not the one that simply promises equal numbers.

Review the traps for confusion between assistance and favouritism, consistency and rigidity, or suspicion and proof. These exercises support GS IV preparation without claiming a separate Ethics Preliminary paper.