Akshay, a junior officer in the Public Works Department (PWD), is part of the bid evaluation committee for a prestigious government contract to construct a large public hospital in a major city. During the evaluation, he observes that one of the leading bidders has strong connections to a senior politician's family. Despite the bidder's history of substandard construction work and project delays, several committee members appear to favor this bidder. Upon reviewing internal documents, Akshay uncovers evidence suggesting that the bidder's technical credentials have been exaggerated in the evaluation reports. Simultaneously, a more qualified construction company, with a smaller scale but a better track record, has been overlooked. Akshay is concerned that awarding the contract to the politically connected bidder would endanger public safety and lead to wasteful expenditure of taxpayer money. Despite his ethical concerns, Akshay fears that raising the issue may lead to retaliation from senior officials, potentially jeopardizing his career and standing within the department. He is thus caught in a moral conflict between his duty to the public and personal job security. (a) Identify and analyze the ethical issues involved in the case. (b) Discuss the possible courses of action available to Akshay. What would be the most ethical and appropriate course of action in this situation? Justify your response.

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Syllabus: Case Studies on above issues.