A smart city project is underway, and you have been appointed Head of Procurement. Before this assignment, you held a similar role in a major public sector undertaking (PSU), where you earned a reputation for your tender drafting and vendor management skills. Given the smart city project’s scale and significant procurement requirements, you seemed the perfect fit to lead the procurement section. A month ago, your section invited tenders for building supplies. Among the applicants was Mr. Sharma, a supplier you knew from your previous role at the PSU. Mr. Sharma lived in your neighbourhood, and your spouses were friends. Despite this personal connection, you have always maintained strict professional boundaries. Upon scrutinising all the tenders, your section found Mr. Sharma’s terms the most competitive, so the tender was awarded to him. However, once the decision was made public, another vendor, Mr Patel, accused you of colluding with Mr Sharma due to your previous relationship. Mr. Patel filed a formal complaint with the Department Seniors, providing evidence of your prior association with Mr. Sharma. As a result, an enquiry was initiated, and you were placed on compulsory leave pending its outcome. This situation left you questioning where you might have gone wrong despite your efforts to maintain professionalism. 1. Do you think the above case involves a conflict of interest or there are more issues? Explain. 2. Keeping the above case in perspective, discuss the relevance of impartiality and non-partisanship as professional value. 3. In hindsight, how do you think you could have avoided the above unpleasant situation.

Answered by 9 toppers · CSE 2022–2025

Syllabus: Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service, integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker-sections.