GS4 · 20 marks · 250 words

Naveen and Vinod, final year undergraduate students at ABC college of engineering, are close friends. Naveen has been a meritorious student and got appointed as the secretary of the training and placement cell, which has the mandate to oversee the campus placements of the students. Vinod, on the other hand, spent more time on leisure activities and paid less attention to his academic performance. However, the lackadaisical attitude of Vinod began to reflect on his grades. His poor performance in the majority of subjects meant that he had to complete some courses again, in order to graduate in time. As Vinod struggled to complete his extra courses, he barely had any time left for anything else. The immense fatigue was also evident from his deteriorating physical and psychological health. Around this time the campus placement in the ABC college had started. While all other students were preparing for the recruitment tests, Vinod had barely any time for the same. Vinod's parents, who had taken loan for Vinod's education, are expecting Vinod to get a good job. The guilt of wasting his college years and letting down his poor parents was becoming unbearable for Vinod, as a result of which he had a nervous breakdown. Naveen, who in his capacity as secretary of training and placement cell, was busy organising the recruitment drive, was aware that the chances of Vinod getting recruited were very slim. He also knew that Vinod was repenting in true sense and working very hard to complete his courses, despite his deteriorating emotional health. Naveen was afraid that if Vinod did not get a job, he may take some extreme step. Naveen has in his possession the question paper for the recruitment test to be held next week. Vinod had in the past requested Naveen to help him in any way possible to get a decent job. While Naveen knows that sharing the questions with Vinod may help him get through the exam, it would be ethically incorrect. Now, Naveen is in a dilemma over the course of action he should take. a) What are the ethical dilemmas before Naveen in this case? b) Identify and evaluate the various courses of actions available before Naveen. If you were in Naveen's shoes, which course of action would you choose and why?

Answered by 3 toppers · CSE 2023–2024

Syllabus: Case Studies on above issues.

How toppers approached it

From 2 of the 3 answers · about 430 words · 50% drew a diagram.

Opening

  • No separate opening2 of 2

Body

  • Points and prose1 of 2
  • Points1 of 2

Close

  • No separate close1 of 2
  • A summary1 of 2

The toppers’ answers

Srishti DabasAIR 6 · CSE 2023 · 429 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening

The given case study reflects the ethical dilemma between personal relationships and professional ethics hence pointing towards Conflict of Interest.

Body · points and prose

Diagram
- Stakeholders - Naveen - Vinod - Vinod's parents - Other students - Education system as a whole.

My vision = Slightest of unethical step will lead to Cognitive Dissonance

(a) Ethical dilemmas in front of Naveen:

  1. Vinod's mental health versus a recruitment test.

  2. Vinod's parents expectations versus other students' right to fair examination.

  3. Vinod's repenting versus Vinod's laxity in the very first place.

  4. Short term helping Vinod by sharing question paper versus developing long term lesson for Vinod.

  5. Friends responsibility versus professional integrity.

  6. Narrow vision of getting a placement versus broader life aim of becoming a ethical person.

(b) courses of Action available with me, (ie Naveen) -

Option I = Sharing questions with Vinod

MeritsDemerits
→ save Vinod from nervous breakdown→ unfair to other students
→ ease Vinod's parents hardships→ crisis of conscience in me
→ Vinod might get job & repay loan→ Vinod will never learn a life lesson

Option II → Not share questions with Vinod

MeritsDemerits
→ save me from crisis of conscience.→ Vinod may take extreme step
→ would be just for other students→ His parents will be disappointed
→ ethically right→ Our friendship break.

Option III → Convince and persuade Vinod to work harder without using unfair means.

MeritsDemerits
→ Important to make Vinod realise the value of hard work.→ Vinod might not understand.
→ change lackadaisical attitude of Vinod.→ Our friendship will be dented.
→ Vinod's emotional health deteriorate.

I would choose Option II and Option III simultaneously, along with:-

(1) Effectively and firmly communicating to Vinod that I would not do any unethical act, and that our friendship should not be based on such events, rather should be strong enough to face adversities.

(2) Talk to Vinod's parents to make them understand that Vinod might take some more time to get a job, but he will definitely do so with his hard work.

(3) Make Vinod realise value of time as he has already wasted lot of time.

(4) Helping Vinod in studying for exam by explaining him concepts.

(5) Helping Vinod's parents pay the loan through alternate methods of availing government schemes.

Close

Reasons for the advice include values of

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