GS4 · 20 marks · 250 words
Asanpur is a beautiful small district in Northern part of India. It used to be the hub of stone mining activity. However, excessive mining led to environmental degradation and rapid soil erosion while cutting of stone created air pollution hazard. Due to various detrimental impacts, NGT has imposed a ban on stone mining in Asanpur. Despite this ban, the mining mafia has been able to operate with connivance of corrupt government officials and politicians. Many officers have tried to stop this illegal mining, but the powerful mafia has either forced them to submit through force or bribed them or got them transferred through their political contacts. Last week, a DSP lost his life when he was trying to stop a truck carrying illegally mined stones. You recently got promoted and made the SP of Asanpur. Upon taking the charge, you quickly realized the gravity of the problem. Illegal mining was run by organized gangs in the district. It was also linked to other crimes in your city ranging from petty crimes like pick pocketing to serious offenses like kidnapping and murders. Illegal mining and related crime have negatively impacted socio-economic development of the district as youth are increasingly getting involved in the illegal activities and businesses are leaving the district due to high crime rates. You created a special task force and started taking stringent actions against the illegal mining in your district. In a short span of a few weeks you seized thirty dumpers carrying illegally mined stones. Public appreciated your stringent actions while the corrupt ecosystem created by illegal miners was rattled. One day, a junior officer approached you and informed you that he has been receiving threats from the illegal stone miners. He also informs you that others in the task force are also facing problems like someone in the task force is being harassed by reopening an old settled case against him while someone else has received a transfer order to a remote district. This has demotivated the taskforce and reminded them of the connections of illegal miners in the district. The same day, when you reach home, your wife tells you that she got a call from an unknown number threatening her of dire consequences if you do not stop your investigation. You fear that the call was from a member of the organized crime syndicate involved in the illegal mining activity. Your wife is worried about the safety of the family and requests you to be lenient in your work. In this situation, answer the following questions: 1) How will you motivate the task force to work with honesty in this adverse condition? 2) How would you justify putting your family at risk in line of your duty? 3) Identify the various dimensions of the crisis. Based on your understanding, suggest measures to deal with the crisis.
Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2023
Syllabus: Case Studies on above issues.
How toppers approached it
From the one answer · about 400 words · 100% drew a diagram.
Opening
- No separate opening1 of 1
Body
- Points and prose1 of 1
Close
- A summary1 of 1
The toppers’ answers
More on Crisis Decision Making
Deciding under time pressure with incomplete information, and the ethics of acting or waiting.
- You are posted as Superintendent of Police in a district. A case has come up in which more than 30 girls were allegedly raped and sexually exploited at the city shelter home run by an NGO. The scandal came to light when media flagged complaints of sexual abuse of inmates of the city shelter home. A nexus of police, politicians, administration and criminals have been allegedly responsible for the racket going on for the last few years. In light of this, a lot of protests have erupted across the city. While, on one hand, media glare has meant that people are demanding swift action, you have been asked to go slow in investigating the case by top officers in your department. Elections in the state are due in a few months, so it has become a politically sensitive issue. You are also under immense political pressure from the ruling party to not take strict action and make compromises to cover up the case. Given the situation, answer the following: (a) Identify the issues involved in the case. (b) What are the options available to you? Which of these options will you choose? Justify your stand with logical arguments.15 answers
- You are working as a District Magistrate in an aspirational district where women literacy and sex ratio is one of the lowest in the country. It is brought to your notice that a woman who has been elected as 'Sarpanch' on a seat reserved for women candidates in a panchayat in your district is head 'only on the paper'. All the work related to the panchayat is actually carried out by her husband. Even the flag hoisting ceremony on Independence Day is carried out by her husband. However, her husband happens to be a good administrator as indicated by that panchayat's performance on various developmental parameters as compared to other panchayats in the district. Also, her husband enjoys the support of the local people. Given the situation, answer the following: (a) Identify the stakeholders and issues involved in this case? (b) What options are available to you as the District Magistrate in such a scenario? Also, evaluate each option and indicate what option will you choose.15 answers
- You are posted as a District Magistrate in a Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected district. The district has witnessed many instances of violence by the naxalites in the past. It has been observed that instances of violence increase as the elections approach. You, as a Returning Officer, are responsible for the smooth conduct of elections. Soon after the announcement of elections, the naxalites gave a call for their boycott and have been threatening people to stay away from them. The people of the district are eager to exercise their voting rights but are scared of the impending acts of violence. Further, with threat to their lives and a low expected turnout, the other electoral officers are also reluctant to go to these areas. In this context, answer the following: (a) Identify the civil service values that are crucial for working in such adversities. (b) Suggest a plan of action to ensure the conduct of free and fair elections in such a situation.13 answers
- As the head of the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), you are tasked to complete the construction of a power plant. The project needs to be completed expeditiously to fulfil the promise made by the government to ensure access to power for all. The selected site is in a remote area and is ideal for plant construction. However, the project would require relocation of the people living in the vicinity. Initially, the local community objected to disruption in their lives but were convinced later about the economic benefits that would accrue to the region through this plant. The project had started gathering pace, but recently a local NGO working for environment protection got involved with the local community regarding the issue. And now the local community has started protesting against any developmental activity in the region. As the officer-in-charge for the speedy execution of the project, answer the following: (a) What are the issues involved in this case? (b) What course of action will you take and why?12 answers
- As the administrator in-charge of your area, you are witness to the widespread food wastage in lavish parties as well as in restaurants and eateries, on one hand and people starving due to inability to ensure one square-meal a day, on the other. Realizing that it is not the scarcity of resources, but the habit of people that is causing paucity in availability of food, you decide that certain measures are needed to be taken in order to deal with the issue of starvation at the grassroot level. 20 Given the situation, answer the following questions: (a) Identify the ethical issues involved in this case. (b) What measures would you take to deal with wastage of food in your area? (c) What explains this co-existence of affluence and hunger in developing countries like India?12 answers