UPSC Mains 2017 · GS IV · Q10 · 20 marks · 250 words · Case study

You are aspiring to become an IAS officer and you have cleared various stages and now you have been selected for the personal interview. On the day of the interview, on the way to the venue you saw an accident where a mother and child who happen to be your relatives were badly injured. They needed immediate help.

What would you have done in such a situation ? Justify your action.

हिन्दी में

आप आई.ए.एस. अधिकारी बनने के इच्छुक हैं और आप विभिन्न चरणों को पार करने के बाद व्यक्तिगत साक्षात्कार के लिए चुन लिए गए हैं । साक्षात्कार के दिन जब आप साक्षात्कार स्थल की ओर जा रहे थे तब आपने एक दुर्घटना देखी जहाँ एक माँ और बच्चा जो कि आपके रिश्तेदार थे, दुर्घटना के कारण बुरी तरह से घायल हुए थे । उन्हें तुरंत सहायता की आवश्यकता थी ।

आपने ऐसी परिस्थिति में क्या किया होता ? अपनी कार्यवाही का औचित्य समझाइए ।

Empathy and Compassion Crisis Decision Making

How a topper answered the closest question

Toppers wrote this one in a test series: “You are posted as the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) in a district. As the SDM it is your responsibility to conduct interviews and select a candidate for the post of an ASHA worker in the district. On the day you are conducting the interviews, you are approached by the MLA of the local constituency who asks you to choose a particular lady for this position by overlooking the other candidates. On checking her documents you find that she is eligible in all respects. The MLA implores that she should be given the post on compassionate grounds as her husband was a soldier who was martyred in a war. Some of the options to handle the situation could be as follows: (a) Ignore the MLA and proceed with the process of selection. (b) Speak to your superior and seek his guidance on the matter. (c) Appoint the lady to the post as it is a compassionate appointment. Also suggest other possible options. Evaluate each of these options and suggest the best course of action, giving reasons for it.”

Pratham KaushikAIR 5 · CSE 2017 · 336 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening

As a public servant, doing my duty with integrity will be my prime approach. In this case, I face an

ethical concern - as, even if I appoint the lady on adequate grounds, still it can be seen as under the influence of MLA.

Analysis of available options

Body · points and prose

(a) Ignore the MLA and proceed with selection

Merits → Full display of honesty & integrity → Fair to other applicants for the position

Demerits → Conflict with MLA may harm the cooperation of political executive and bureaucracy in my district. → The lady not getting job will be hardship for her as she is a widow of martyr.

(b) Guidance from Seniors

Merits → Possibility of sound advice

Demerits → Delegation of your own duty (responsibility) → Might be another influence, apart from MLA.

→ shows my inefficacy to handle a small ethical concern.

Merits → Good rapport with MLA

Benefit for that lady

Demerits → Unfair administration

Due process not followed

Rights of other applicants not upheld.

Other possible options

(d) Talk to the MLA regarding appointment process and need for making it fair

(e) Search for government programmes for welfare of martyrs' widows and ask the lady to get help from those.

(f)

Close · a summary

Best course of action -

Speak to the MLA clarifying to him that you'll treat the lady as any other eligible applicant for the process. Even if she fairly secures the job, it becomes your duty to show that not only what you did was impartial but without any political influence. For this, marks and weightage given to certain parameters can also be released in public domain.

If she is not selected, then best course of action will be to make her aware of other schemes of which she can take benefit of.

By following above course of action, I can be ethical in administration since the appointment will be fair and just. Also, I can ensure the welfare of the lady even if she is not selected.

6 more toppers’ answers to this question, part by part, and how they all approached it: open the question.

Toppers’ answers to other close questions

Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Main) Examination 2017, General Studies Paper IV, Q10. The paper on upsc.gov.in. Themes and links to toppers’ answers are by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.