UPSC Mains 2022 · GS IV · Q9 · 20 marks · 250 words · Case study

The Supreme Court has banned mining in the Aravalli Hills to stop degradation of the forest cover and to maintain ecological balance. However, the stone mining was still prevalent in the border district of the affected State with connivance of certain corrupt forest officials and politicians. Young and dynamic SP who was recently posted in the affected district promised to himself to stop this menace. In one of his surprise checks with his team, he found loaded truck with stone trying to escape the mining area. He tried to stop the truck but the truck driver overrun the police officer, killing him on the spot and thereafter managed to flee. Police filed FIR but no breakthrough was achieved in the case for almost three months. Ashok who was the Investigative Journalist working with leading TV channel, suo moto started investigating the case. Within one month, Ashok got breakthrough by interacting with local people, stone mining mafia and government officials. He prepared his investigative story and presented to the CMD of the TV channel. He exposed in his investigative report the complete nexus of stone mafia working with blessing of corrupt police and civil officials and politicians. The politician who was involved in the mafia was no one else but local MLA who was considered to be very close to the Chief Minister. After going through the investigative report, the CMD advised Ashok to drop the idea of making the story public through electronic media. He informed that the local MLA was not only the relative of the owner of the TV channel but also had unofficially 20 percent share in the channel. The CMD further informed Ashok that his further promotion and hike in pay will be taken care of in addition the soft loan of ₹ 10 lakhs which he has taken from the TV channel for his son’s chronic disease will be suitably adjusted if he hands over the investigative report to him.

(a) What are the options available with Ashok to cope up with the situation?
(b) Critically evaluate/examine each of the options identified by Ashok.
(c) What are the ethical dilemmas being faced by Ashok?
(d) Which of the options, do you think, would be the most appropriate for Ashok to adopt and why?
(e) In the above scenario, what type of training would you suggest for police officers posted to such districts where stone mining illegal activities are rampant?

हिन्दी में

उच्चतम न्यायालय ने वन आवरण के क्षरण को रोकने और पारिस्थितिक संतुलन बनाए रखने के लिए अरावली पहाड़ियों में खनन पर प्रतिबंध लगा दिया है। हालाँकि, कुछ भ्रष्ट वन अधिकारियों और राजनेताओं की मिलीभगत से प्रभावित राज्य के सीमावर्ती जिले में पत्थर-खनन फिर भी प्रचलित था। हाल ही में प्रभावित जिले में तैनात युवा और सक्रिय एस० पी० ने इस खतरे को रोकने के लिए खुद से वादा किया था। अपनी टीम के साथ अचानक जाँच में, उन्होंने खनन क्षेत्र से बचने की कोशिश कर रहा पत्थर से भरा ट्रक पाया। उसने इस ट्रक को रोकने की कोशिश की लेकिन ट्रक चालक ने पुलिस अधिकारी को कुचल दिया, जिससे उसकी मौके पर ही मौत हो गई और वह इसके बाद वहाँ से भागने में सफल रहा। पुलिस ने प्रथम सूचना रिपोर्ट (एफ० आइ० आर०) दर्ज की लेकिन करीब तीन महीने तक मामले में कोई सफलता हासिल नहीं हुई। अशोक, जो प्रमुख टी० वी० चैनल के साथ काम कर रहे खोजी पत्रकार थे, ने स्वतः संज्ञान से मामले की जाँच शुरू की। एक महीने में ही अशोक को स्थानीय लोगों, पत्थर-खनन माफिया और सरकारी अधिकारियों से बातचीत कर सफलता मिली। उन्होंने अपनी खोजी रिपोर्ट तैयार की और टी० वी० चैनल के सी० एम० डी० के सामने पेश की। उन्होंने अपनी जाँच रिपोर्ट में भ्रष्ट पुलिस और सिविल अधिकारियों तथा राजनेताओं के आशीर्वाद से काम करने वाले पत्थर माफिया की पूरी गठजोड़ का खुलासा किया। माफिया में शामिल राजनेता कोई और नहीं बल्कि स्थानीय विधायक थे जो मुख्यमंत्री के बेहद करीबी माने जाते हैं। जाँच रिपोर्ट देखने के बाद सी० एम० डी० ने अशोक को सलाह दी कि वह इलेक्ट्रॉनिक मीडिया के माध्यम से रिपोर्ट को सार्वजनिक करने का विचार छोड़ दे। उन्होंने सूचित किया कि स्थानीय विधायक न केवल टी० वी० चैनल के मालिक के रिश्तेदार थे बल्कि अनौपचारिक रूप से चैनल के साथ 20 प्रतिशत के हिस्सेदार भी हैं। सी० एम० डी० ने अशोक को आगे बताया कि अगर वह जाँच रिपोर्ट उन्हें सौंप दे, तो उनके बेटे की पुरानी बीमारी के लिए टी० वी० चैनल से उधार लिए गए 10 लाख रुपये के सॉफ्ट लोन के अलावा उनकी आगे की पदोन्नति और वेतन में बढ़ोतरी का ध्यान रखा जाएगा।

(a) इस स्थिति से निपटने के लिए अशोक के पास क्या विकल्प उपलब्ध हैं?
(b) अशोक द्वारा चिह्नित किए गए प्रत्येक विकल्प का समालोचनात्मक मूल्यांकन/परीक्षण कीजिए।
(c) अशोक को किन नैतिक दुविधाओं का सामना करना पड़ रहा है?
(d) आपको क्या लगता है कि अशोक के लिए किस विकल्प को अपनाना सबसे उपयुक्त होगा और क्यों?
(e) उपर्युक्त परिदृश्य में, आप ऐसे जिलों में तैनात पुलिस अधिकारियों के लिए किस प्रकार के प्रशिक्षण का सुझाव देंगे जहाँ पत्थर-खनन की अवैध गतिविधियाँ प्रचलित हैं?

Corruption Integrity Pressure and Loyalty

How a topper answered the closest question

Toppers wrote this one in a test series: “In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court halted all mining activities in the Aravalli Hills to prevent environmental degradation and preserve the ecological balance. Despite this, illegal stone mining persisted in a border district of the affected state, facilitated by local goons and politicians. A young and dynamic Superintendent of Police (SP) takes charge in the affected district, vowing to halt the stone mining racket. During a surprise inspection, the SP's team intercepts a loaded truck with illegally mined stones attempting to escape the mining area. The confrontation turns fatal when the truck driver runs over the SP, leaving him dead at the scene. Despite filing an FIR, the police struggle to make headway in the case for months. Sahoo, an investigative journalist working for a prominent TV channel, took it upon himself to delve into the case. Within a few weeks, through interactions with locals, members of the mining mafia, and government officials, he uncovered a complex web of corruption. His investigation revealed that the stone mining operations were being conducted with the tacit approval of corrupt police officers and influential politicians. The local Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA), known to be very close to the Chief Minister, was deeply involved in the illegal activities. Sahoo compiled his findings into a comprehensive report and presented it to the Chief Managing Director (CMD) of his TV channel. However, the CMD, after reviewing the report, advised Sahoo against making the story public. He disclosed that the implicated MLA was a relative of the TV channel's owner and held a substantive unofficial share in the channel. The CMD further offered to take care of Sahoo's promotion and salary hike, as well as adjust the soft loan of 40 lakhs taken for his son's chronic illness, if Sahoo handed over the investigative report and refrained from publishing it. a) What are the ethical dilemmas being faced by Sahoo? b) What are the options available with Sahoo to cope up with the situation? Critically evaluate/examine each of the options identified by Sahoo.”

Shakti DubeyAIR 1 · CSE 2024 · 246 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening

The above case study presents sets of challenges related to Involved following stake holders

Body · points and prose

ics

organisational ethics
profession & work ethics &
lack of integrity - as it

Involved following stake holders

diagram

Stakeholders
- local population
- environment
- MLA
- Sahoo
- SP who lost his life to investigation
- Tuchamel owner
- Society & nation at large

Ethical dilemmas faced by Sahoo:

(1) Conflict of personal & professional ethics

(2) Cognitive dissonance - as he knows the truth

(3) He has been offered huge sum along with the promotion for moral muteness

(4) against stewardship ethics as environment is collective good.

(5) favouritism & Nepotism in organisation

(6) Politician-criminal nexus

(i) … (ii) … (iii) … (iv) … (v) … (vi) … (vii) … (viii) …

… :- (i) …

bribe money and promotion and move ahead.

Positive:- (1) This will ensure a good materialistic life for him (2) provide his son with better treatment (3) Avoid conflict of interest between him & CMD (4) Avoid him from getting into hussel with Bureaucratic-political nexus

Negative (1) It is against the moral principle of integrity (2) lead to knower-does split (3) Promote more acts of corruption (4) snowball more such nepotism & nexus in public administration (5) Negative impact on environment because illegal mining (6) The death of honest officer will go into vain (7) Against Bhagwad Gita's principle right action without expectation of outcome.

This course of action should not be taken by Sahoo in any case.

(2) Sahoo should definitely :- (1) Go ahead and make the story public (2) expose the illegal mining along with the existing criminal-politician; Bureaucratic-political & media-politics nexus

diagram

Impact
- Negative Impact
  - he won't get the promotion & the prize money
- Positive impact
  - This act will be in line with constitutional morality
  - lead to exposing of the criminal act
  - prevent exploitation of natural resource & environment
  - Save public money
  - create credibility of media house
  - It is in line with Gandhi's purity of means

It will help in establishing rule of law & end the rule by few.

1 more topper’s answer 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 2022, General Studies Paper IV, Q9. The paper on upsc.gov.in. Themes and links to toppers’ answers are by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.