UPSC Mains 2021 · GS IV · Q7 · 20 marks · 250 words · Case study

Sunil is a young civil servant and has a reputation for his competence, integrity, dedication and relentness pursuit of difficult and onerous jobs. Considering his profile, he was picked up by his bosses to handle a very challenging and sensitive assignment. He was posted in a tribal dominated district notorious for illegal sand mining. Excavating sand from river belt and transporting through trucks and selling them in black market was rampant. This illegal sand mining mafia was operating with the support of local functionaries and tribal musclemen who in turn were bribing selected poor tribals and had kept the tribals under fear and intimidation. Sunil being a sharp and energetic officer immediately grasped the ground realities and the modus operandi followed by the mafia through their devious and dubious mechanism. On making inquiries, he gathered that some of their own office employees are in hand and glove with them and have developed close unholy nexus. Sunil initiated stringent action against them and started conducting raids on their illegal operations of movement of trucks filled with sand. The mafia got rattled as not many officers in the past had taken such strong steps against the mafia. Some of the office employees who were allegedly close to mafia informed them that the officer is determined to clean up the mafia’s illegal sand mining operations in that district and may cause them irrepairable damage. The mafia turned hostile and launched counter-offensive. The tribal musclemen and mafia started threatening him with dire consequences. His family (wife and old mother) were stalked and were under virtual surveillance and thus causing mental torture, agony and stress to all of them. The matter assumed serious proportions when a muscleman came to his office and threatened him to stop raids, etc., otherwise, his fate will not be different than some of his predecessors (ten years back one officer was killed by the mafia).

(a) Identify the different options available to Sunil in attending to this situation.
(b) Critically evaluate each of the options listed by you.
(c) Which of the above, do you think, would be the most appropriate for Sunil to adopt and why?

हिन्दी में

सुनील एक युवा लोक सेवक है तथा सक्षमता, ईमानदारी, समर्पण तथा मुश्किल और दुर्वह कामों के लिए अथक प्रयास हेतु उसकी प्रतिष्ठा है। उसकी प्रोफाइल को देखते हुए उसके अधिकारियों ने उसे एक बहुत ही चुनौतीपूर्ण और संवेदनशील कार्यभार को संभालने के लिए चुना था। उसे अवैध बालू खनन के लिए कुख्यात आदिवासी-बहुल जिले में तैनात किया गया। नदी पट्टी से, अनियंत्रित रूप से बालू उत्खनन करके ट्रकों से ढोकर उसको काला बाजार में बेचा जा रहा था। यह अवैध बालू खनन माफिया, स्थानीय कार्यकर्ताओं और आदिवासी बाहुबलियों के सहयोग से काम कर रहा था जो बदले में चुनिंदा गरीब आदिवासियों को रिश्वत देते रहते थे तथा उनको डरा और धमका कर रखते थे। सुनील ने एक तेज और ऊर्जावान अधिकारी होने के नाते जमीनी हकीकत पहचानकर और माफिया के द्वारा कुटिल तथा संदिग्ध तंत्र के माध्यम से अपनाए गए उनके तौर-तरीकों को तुरंत पकड़ लिया। पूछताछ करने पर उसने पाया कि उसके अपने कार्यालय के कुछ कर्मचारियों की उनसे मिलीभगत है और उन्होंने उनके साथ घनिष्ठ अवांछनीय गठजोड़ विकसित कर लिया है। सुनील ने उनके खिलाफ कड़ी कार्रवाई शुरू की और उनके बालू से भरे ट्रकों की आवाजाही के अवैध संचालन पर छापे मारना शुरू कर दिया। माफिया भड़क गया क्योंकि पहले बहुत अधिकारियों ने उनके विरुद्ध इतने बड़े कदम नहीं उठाये थे। कार्यालय के कुछ कर्मचारियों ने जो कथित तौर पर माफिया के करीब थे, उनको सूचित किया कि अधिकारी उस जिले में माफिया के अवैध बालू खनन संचालन को साफ करने के लिए दृढ़ संकल्पित है और उन्हें अपूरणीय क्षति हो सकती है। माफिया शत्रुतापूर्ण हो गया और जवाबी हमला शुरू किया। आदिवासी बाहुबली और माफिया ने उसको गंभीर परिणाम भुगतने की धमकी देना शुरू कर दिया। उसके परिवार (पत्नी और वृद्ध माता) का पीछा किया जा रहा था, वे उनकी वास्तविक निगरानी में थे जिससे कि उन सभी को मानसिक यातना, यंत्रणा और तनाव हो रहा था। उस समय मामले ने गंभीर रूप धारण कर लिया जब एक बाहुबली उसके कार्यालय में आया और उसको छापे मारना इत्यादि बंद करने की धमकी दी और कहा कि उसका हाल उसके पूर्व अधिकारियों से अलग नहीं होगा (दस वर्ष पूर्व माफिया द्वारा एक अधिकारी की हत्या कर दी गई थी)।

(a) इस स्थिति को संभालने में सुनील के लिए उपलब्ध विभिन्न विकल्पों की पहचान कीजिए।
(b) आपके द्वारा सूचीबद्ध विकल्पों का आलोचनात्मक मूल्यांकन कीजिए।
(c) आपके विचार से उपर्युक्त में से कौन-सा विकल्प सुनील के लिए सबसे उपयुक्त होगा और क्यों?

Integrity Ethical Dilemmas in Government Corruption

How a topper answered the closest question

Toppers wrote this one in a test series: “Arushi is a young IPS officer known for her competence, integrity, and relentless dedication to challenging tasks. Recognizing her excellent track record, her superiors have chosen her to handle a sensitive assignment in a tribal-dominated district notorious for illegal bauxite mining. Here, the mafia mines bauxite from mineral-rich lands, transports it by truck, and sells it on the black market. This illegal operation thrives with the support of certain local officials and tribal musclemen who intimidate the local population and bribe select poor tribals to maintain control and silence. Upon assuming the new role, Arushi quickly grasps the ground realities and identifies the mafia's modus operandi, characterized by a series of devious tactics. Her inquiries reveal that several employees in her office are colluding with the mafia, forming an unholy nexus that enables these illegal operations. Determined to dismantle this network, she initiates strict actions, including raids on trucks transporting illegally mined bauxite. These actions significantly disrupt the mafia's operations, unsettling criminals unaccustomed to such resistance. Some office employees allegedly allied with the mafia inform the criminals of her determination to dismantle their operations, posing a serious threat to their profits. In response, the mafia adopts a counter-offensive strategy. Tribal strongmen and mafia operatives begin issuing direct threats to her, warning of severe consequences if the raids continue. Her family (husband and elderly mother) are stalked and placed under virtual surveillance, causing mental anguish and stress for them all. Matters assume serious propositions when a muscleman appears in her office and threatens that if she does not halt raids, etc., she will suffer the same fate as a predecessor officer who was killed by the mafia a decade earlier. a) Discuss the ethical issues involved in this case. b) Identify and evaluate the different options available to Arushi under the given situation. c) Which option would she adopt and why?”

AsthaAIR 9 · CSE 2025 · 223 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening

This case study presents the current persistent challenge of illegal mining, specially in mineral rich areas of tribal belts, often exhibiting unholy nexus of officers & miners.

Body · points and prose

Diagram

* Stakeholders * Environment * a) Poor tribals * b) Civil Administn * c) Corrupt officials * d) Arushi as head * Illegal miners

a) Ethical issues

Diagram

* Miners * a) challenging Rule of law and state's sovereignty * b) Threatening officer → against BNS clauses * c) killing honest officers → against 'Dharma' principle * d) Illegal mining → compromise tribal rights

→ a) Facing ethical dilemma of Arushi protecting family v/s performing duty → b) Risk to life v/s fortitude to challenge nexus → c) Threat recieved from miners v/s courage to stand.

→ a) corrupt officers → against Others probity of civil services → b) collusive corruption

b) Options available

Protect her family & herself, ease on her actions against miners Right to life Saving family ↑ ↗ Learning from past from ↖ → Safety > Duty trauma

Diagram

- Merits - compromised duty - weak character - Denerits - ethics - Slippery slope - Against fiduciary duty

Continue her crackdown on mafia nexus and ensure police deployment around family

Diagram

- Duty ethics upheld - Right example - long term benefit to state - Protecting tribal rights - Merits - Demerits - Family at risk - Compromising safety

c) She should uphold the IInd option of continuing her crackdown undettered by threats as she → (1) must uphold 'fortitude' of character → having courage to stand against evil as per gandhi (2) Role modelling → serve as an example of honest & determinat officer (3) Rule of laws → her responsibility as an IPS officer to maintain law.

(4) Integrity & dedication towards her duty by compromising personal interest for bigger benefit

(5) voice of conscience

Diagram

- Voice of conscience - Heard → Goodnight sleep - Not heard → Cognitive dissonance

(6) Utilitarian Maxim

"Greatest happiness of greatest number."

Arushi must be guided by 'yogakshem' principle to upheld citizen welfare and ensure 'Daridra Nyaya'.

2 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 2021, General Studies Paper IV, Q7. The paper on upsc.gov.in. Themes and links to toppers’ answers are by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.