Empathy and Compassion

Jiya is a first-year student studying political science in a metropolitan city. Jiya belongs to Viddhi, a village located in the state of Satya Pradesh. Even though Jiya is very fond of her ancestral home, she has limited knowledge about the socio-cultural aspects of the region. One day, while talking to her father, Jiya expresses her desire to visit her ancestral place. Her father readily agrees, and advises Jiya to inform her paternal uncle, Suresh, who lives in Viddhi, about her travel plans. On the destined day, Jiya arrives at her village to a grand welcome organised by her uncle. Later in the day, Suresh informs Jiya that in the evening they were all to attend a marriage function in the village. At the function, while having dinner, Jiya noticed that a separate seating arrangement was being made for some people. Unlike others, these people were waiting for their meals sitting on the floor, at a substantial distance from the main dining area. This made Jiya curious. On enquiring, Alakh, a 15-year-old boy, told Jiya that the members of his communities were not allowed to sit on chairs in any public occasion in the village. Alakh also told Jiya that even though he did not like the idea of sitting down in front of his friends, his mother and father, both advised him to follow the norm. Jiya asked him as to why different treatment was meted out to some people despite belonging to the same place. Alakh informed Jiya that even though they all belonged to Viddhi, members of his communities lived in separate habitations; had separate wells; and even worshiped in separate places. He also told her that various prohibitions were put on them like they were not supposed to ride a horse as part of their wedding procession, not allowed to wear turbans, which was a common head gear for others etc. Upon returning from the function, Jiya talked to her uncle about the matter. Suresh told Jiya that it is an accepted practice in the region and it is not wise to question the age-old traditions. Next day, while going to the market with her aunt, Jiya passes by the local government school. She at once recognized Alakh in the school uniform. To her surprise, instead of studying inside with other students, he, along with some other students, was sweeping the school corridor. While Jiya was perplexed, her aunt passed it off as a routine affair and told her that it was not out of ordinary for the likes of Alakh to do such jobs. Though Jiya left for her home in a few days, the incidents in Viddhi left an indelible mark on her psyche. As a political science student, Jiya realised that such practices and traditions were a blatant violation of an individual's rights. However, what she did not understand was the reasons behind overt acceptance of such practices by the society. The things witnessed by Jiya at Viddhi are not isolated incidents, but a part of larger systematic cycle of exclusion, and marginalisation. Such incidents are commonplace in many parts of the country even today. a) Discuss the role of various stakeholders in checking such biases and building an egalitarian order. b) Why do such discriminatory practices continue in the society?

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 3 toppers · CSE 2020–2024

Empathy and CompassionFamily, Society and Education

Pratap is a data engineer working in ABC Infocom. Pratap is a sincere employee who is liked equally by his superiors, colleagues, and subordinates. One day, during the lunch hour, a few colleagues were discussing a news item. There was a rally/parade in support of the LGBTQIA+ community which was to be held on the coming Sunday. While the news item was a matter of intrigue and fun for all, Pratap was sensitive about the issue. He explained to his colleagues the importance of understanding the demands of the LGBTQIA+ for equal civil rights as enjoyed by others. Kamal, a colleague of Pratap, believed such tendencies are not in the favour of the traditional values of the society. Another employee, Sushma, said that she has heard some experts on various news channel talking about how the demands being raised by the LGBTQIA+ community are against the laws of nature. Bhanu, the sales team manager, too agreed with the majority opinion; Bhanu said that his parents believe that the inclinations of LGBTQIA+ people are a manifestation of mental illness. Pratap's reasoning in favour of equal rights for all was of no consequence to his colleagues who seemed to have a rigid attitudinal build up against the community as a whole. On the designated day when the rally was to take place, Kamal was watching the coverage of the parade live from his home. To his astonishment, he saw Pratap in the LGBTQIA+ rally. Next day at the office, when Kamal told Pratap that he saw him participating in the parade, Pratap agreed, and told Kamal that he was gay. After this incident Pratap began to see visible changes in the behaviour of not only his colleagues and subordinates but also the management of the office. While earlier all pestered Pratap to be present for various official and personal occasions, now he increasingly felt unwanted. Even his colleagues started taking their lunch separately. Pratap was earlier respected and revered by all for his sincerity and dedication. But now his professional qualities were overlooked and he became an object of amusement for all. He noticed that people started calling him by different names which he realized were a slur on his personality. Matters came to head when Pratap was overlooked for promotion. Earlier, Pratap's superiors on various occasions had told him that his good work has benefitted the organization immensely and he was due for promotion after the next appraisal. Therefore, this supersession came as a rude and disappointing shock to Pratap, and he fell into a mire of self-doubt and loathing. The conditions came to such a pass that, Pratap, who was earlier a happy go lucky, caring, and a self-aware person, started remaining depressed. a) What are the qualities lacked by the colleagues and superiors of Pratap? b) What could be the possible reasons behind the negative attitude of office employees towards LGBTQIA+ community? c) As a friend of Pratap, what advice will you give him?

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 2 toppers · CSE 2020–2023

AttitudeEmpathy and Compassion

You are the officer-in-charge responsible for monitoring allotment of foodgrains under the Public Distribution System to BPL families in a given district. A group of BPL families in the district claim that they have been denied ration from fair price shops due to non-linking of Aadhar card with their BPL cards. They remark that the government and officers concerned are not empathising with their situation and stage a silent protest. Further, the incident is also being linked to similar instances in other areas of the country where people were denied access to PDS benefits due to similar reasons. The government receives a lot of criticism for this incident on social media networks. You are now in a conundrum, as you are aware that the BPL families need to get foodgrains on time. However, as a government officer, you also need to follow the prescribed rules. Media scrutiny has further aggravated the situation and you realize you need to tread carefully. Based on the information above, answer the following: (a) List the issues in the given situation that the parties involved are facing. (b) What step(s) will you take in the situation to ensure that the demands of the aggrieved persons are met without violating the rules? (c) In this context, briefly discuss how the poor in the country currently face digital exclusion and its consequence(s).

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 2 toppers · CSE 2018–2020

Rules versus CompassionEmpathy and Compassion

You are working as a Manager who handles critical projects in a private firm. You have recently been issued a notice by the Human Resource department that categorically highlights gender imbalance in your team and instructs you to recruit more females. Realizing the importance of this matter you decide to roll out vacancy requirements on an urgent basis and close it within a week. You receive several applications and start interviewing female candidates. However, you realize that the top four candidates are married and two of them are expecting their child. During the interviews the candidates commit on their priority for the project, till it finishes and show willingness to work from home, afterwards. What is the action that you will take? Explain the factors that you will take into account and justify the merits of the course of action.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2020

Corporate GovernanceEmpathy and Compassion

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. Realising that it is not 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. 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 in India?

Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2020

Probity in GovernanceEmpathy and Compassion

You are an Indian Forest Service Officer posted in a division which falls in the coastal regulation zone and contains multiple wildlife sanctuaries. Recently, the State government has brought up a proposal of a new food processing park in your division. Under the proposal, around 175 square kilometers of forest land will be acquired as per the law. The developers of the project claim the various socio-economic benefits it can provide to the people in the area. Due to this a sizeable chunk of trees will be uprooted. There are studies which suggest that such initiatives have a long-term impact on wildlife and also leads to human-wildlife conflict. Some residents living in the periphery of the forest have supported this move in hope of employment opportunities. However, traditional dwellers of the forests have protested against this move. The government has constituted a committee to frame guidelines for sustainable operation of this project. The committee has asked for your suggestions in this regard. (a) Identify the principles and values that would guide your suggestions in this regard. (b) What course of action should be taken in order to balance the social and environmental needs in this case?

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2020

Environmental EthicsEthical Dilemmas in Government

The excluded and marginalised section of society are worst hit by globalisation. Take the case of Particularly vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) like Sentinelese of Andaman and Nicobar islands; their population has reduced drastically and they are facing various other problems as well. In this context answer the following questions: (a) What are the challenges faced by PVTGs due to globalisation (b) If you are posted as a development officer in such an area, what will be your priorities to reduce their vulnerabilities and ensure welfare?

Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2020

Empathy and CompassionDedication to Public Service

Impartiality as a core value of civil servants should not become a hurdle in showing compassion towards weaker section of the society - Examine.

Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2020

Impartiality and ObjectivityEmpathy and Compassion

Respect for human rights and humanitarian principles is a responsibillty for all members of the international community. Discuss in the context of roles and responsibilities of States for protection of refugees.

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2020

Ethics in International RelationsEmpathy and Compassion

Impartiality as a core value of civil services should not become a hurdle in showing compassion towards weaker sections of the society. Examine.

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2020

Impartiality and ObjectivityEmpathy and Compassion

Bihar is a state in the Northern part of the country. Prohibition laws in the state completely ban the storage, possession, sale, and consumption of liquor in any form. Despite the ban, the liquor mafia in the state has succeeded in supplying spurious liquor through various illegal dens. The activities of liquor mafia flourish under the nose of both the civil administration and the police department. Many Civil Society Organizations, women organizations etc., on numerous occasions complained to the authorities about the illegal production, sale, and consumption of liquor, but their complaints have fallen on deaf ears, and no substantial action was taken by the government to curb the menace. As fate would have it, one day there was an unfortunate incident when a large group of fifty construction labourers died after consuming spurious liquor from an illegal den being operated by the mafia. Many of the victims were sole bread winners of their families. While the state was clear on its position that consuming liquor in the state was an illegal activity that warrants no sympathy or compensation (for the next of kin) from the government, families of the victims and also many CSOs were demanding compensation for the families of the deceased construction labourers. The incident got both national and international coverage in print, electronic as well as the social media. The pressure on the state government was mounting to amicably resolve the issue. Anjali is posted as the Joint Secretary in the Secretariat. The CM has asked her to create a detailed report on how should the state government handle this crisis. a) Under the given circumstances, what measures should Anjali recommend to handle the above crisis. b) Critically evaluate the decision of state government to not compensate the victims of spurious liquor.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2020

Crisis Decision MakingRules versus Compassion

Differentiate between the following: (b) Impartiality and Non partisanship

20 marks · 300 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2020

Empathy and CompassionImpartiality and Objectivity

You are the District Magistrate of district, which has recently witnessed rapid transmission of the Covid-19 pandemic. The district has high population density and a sizeable chunk of migrant workers. There has been a shutdown of business activities and the workers are yearning to go back to their native places. The administration has announced a strict lockdown and divided the district into containment zones. There is a severe shortage of people, material and money in the administration and fear and panic is seen to be gripping them. (a) What are the qualities of a civil servant that are revealed in such testing times? (b) What measures would you suggest for: (i) Dealing with the current issue. (ii) Making the district administration more resilient to respond to such a critical situation in the future.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2020

Crisis Decision MakingCivil Service Values

The global toll of the COVID-19 pandemic is enormous: more than a half-million lives lost, hundreds of millions out of work, and trillions of dollars of wealth destroyed. And the disease has by no means run its course. There is tremendous interest in the development of a vaccine, with more than a hundred initiatives under way around the world. Even if one or more vaccines emerge that promise to make people less susceptible to COVID-19, the public-health problem will not be eliminated. But policymakers can avert some foreseeable problems by starting to address key questions about financing and distribution now. In view of the above scenario, answer the following questions: (a) Identify the different stakeholders involved in this scenario. (b) Identify some of the ethical questions and issues that are likely to emerge as the vaccine becomes available. (c) Who, in your opinion, should be amongst the first recipients of the vaccine? Give reasons for your answer.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2020

Crisis Decision MakingEthical Dilemmas in Government

Acc. to Buddhism, for a man to be perfect there are two qualities that he should develop equally: comparison & wisdom. Analyse.

Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2020

Indian ThinkersHuman Values