Ethical Dilemmas in Government

You are the manager of a small hotel which maintains high standards of ethics in dealing with its customers. One day a person comes to your hotel and enquires about booking a room at your hotel. However, due to peak season, all rooms were already booked and hence the staff politely informed him about the unavailability. The person, however, was adamant and took this as a personal insult and started misbehaving with the staff present at the counter. Citing his political connection he also threatened the staff of severe consequences. Next day the person lodged a frivolous complaint with the police under the stringent SC/ST act. In his complaint he accused you and your staff of insulting him deliberately on the basis of his caste. He insisted further that he was denied a room at your hotel due to the caste he belongs to. 1. What are the options available to you? 2. Evaluate each of these options and choose the option which you would adopt, giving reasons.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 5 toppers · CSE 2016–2019

Crisis Decision MakingEthical Dilemmas in Government

A hilly state witnessed torrential rains leading to loss of life and property. Apart from the local inhabitants there were tourists stranded in large numbers. With the supply chains broken and increased demand, it was observed that local shopkeepers started selling essential goods at very high prices. With a very restricted possibility of being evacuated in the coming few days, the stranded people feel helpless. A crumbled governance infrastructure in remote areas has multiplied the extent of their agony. Given this situation, answer the following questions. 20 (a) Identify the various stakeholders in the case and give a reasoned account of their interests. Given the administrative, market and ethical perspective of viewing the situation, do you think there is a conflict in the priorities of these stakeholders? (b) Suggest ways to harmonize competing interests in order to resolve the issues, provide relief and prevent escalation of conflict.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 5 toppers · CSE 2018–2019

Crisis Decision MakingEthical Dilemmas in Government

There have been reports of repeat instances of mob lynching in different states of India. It has been pointed out that these presumably faceless mobs gather impromptu on the basis of unverified information on issues that affect the collective conscience of the society such as child trafficking, sexual harassment, cow slaughter etc. Most of the people don't even regret their action of violating the law and even get away with committing such a heinous crime. (a) What are the socio-psychological factors that motivate people to join the mob and kill fellow human beings? (b) Identify the implications of increasing crime of lynching on society. (c) Examine the role of social media in recent instances of mob lynching. As a law enforcement officer, how will you prevent such incidents from happening in your district?

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 5 toppers · CSE 2018–2019

Social Influence and PersuasionAttitude

You have recently been promoted as a Branch Manager in a Public Sector Bank. The bank is battling high NPAs and mounting losses. You have been assigned a very high target of loans by the higher management for the current quarter. Your career prospects also depend on your performance in critical times. Few days back you rejected a loan application for a huge sum based on detailed analysis. Today you got a call from the Regional Manager to approve the loan quickly. On your reluctance to approve, he hints that the loan is sought by a person well connected in the finance ministry and that a refusal will have consequences for everyone in the approval chain. You are now in a tough spot. Based on the given information, answer the following questions: (a) Bring out the ethical issues in the case above. (b) What are the consequences of agreeing to the demands of the senior in the given case. Assess which of them are meritorious and which are not. (c) Suggest institutional reforms that can result in non-punishment of honest feedback.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 5 toppers · CSE 2018

Ethical Dilemmas in GovernmentCrisis Decision Making

You are posted as a District Magistrate of a primarily rural district. Excess agricultural production has led to a continuous fall in market prices of crops in the last three years. With elections approaching soon, the opposition has decided to make this a political issue and has mobilised farmers to protest against falling prices. The protests turned violent at some point and police had to fire in self-defence, killing two people. Violence has increased since then and you yourself were attacked when you tried to pacify the protestors. The protestors have also blocked the main roads as well as railways to prevent movement of goods and people. Given the situation, answer the following questions: (a) Identify the key concerns that need to be addressed on a priority basis. (b) What steps will you take to address them?

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 5 toppers · CSE 2018–2019

Crisis Decision MakingEthical Dilemmas in Government

While on the one hand, some state governments have implemented alcohol consumption prohibition laws, it is permitted in other states. Debates around this issue often involves aspects such as individual rights, cultural attitudes and social welfare. As a teacher you need to explain the key issues involved to a young audience. What are these? How would you conclude the lecture?

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2018

Ethical Dilemmas in GovernmentEthics in Private and Public Life

As the District Magistrate you are posted in a district that had been infamous for girl-child marriages. The government introduced a contributory scheme two decades ago, where the government contributed the same amount as the parents, into an account, for their girl child of age 0 to 7 years. The total sum could be withdrawn only when the girl turns eighteen and is unmarried. Due to this scheme, a new pattern has emerged. All girls are married as soon as they turn eighteen and incidents of dowry have increased substantially - because the community customs require paying the sum commensurate to the age of the girl. Further, parents now tend to save money for the scheme instead of investing in girl's education. As the local administration tries to tackle the current situation it looks up to you for ideas and leadership: (a) Identify the factors which have led to such outcomes. (b) Devise a strategy, keeping in mind the multiple aspects of the situation.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2018–2019

Ethical Dilemmas in GovernmentCivil Service Values

The excluded and marginalized section of society are worst hit by globalization. Take the case of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) like Sentinelese of Andaman & 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?

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2017–2018

Empathy and CompassionCivil Service Values

You are working in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and posted in a rural area. There are many government programs being run by your Ministry under which people are given financial help after verification of the required documents. Every day you encounter some cases, in which people from weaker section are not able to avail the benefits due to faulty or insufficient documents. However, there are also some instances of people trying to forge documents, which makes verification important. What will be your approach towards cases wherein those from the weaker section are not able to avail the benefits due to insufficient documents - will you go by the rule book or exercise discretion in selected cases based on your experience. Discuss both options available to you and evaluate them.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2017–2018

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 course of 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 4 toppers · CSE 2018–2019

Corporate GovernanceEthical Dilemmas in Government

You are a manager in a sales firm. Mr. A and Mr. B are two juniors working under you. Mr. A is a hardworking person who completes his work before time and hardly takes a leave. His work is meticulous and you have never received any complaint about his work. However, in your personal meetings with Mr. A, you realized that he kept to himself and spoke only when required. You received similar feedbacks from his colleagues as well. Mr. B is not as hard working and completes his work at the very last moment. You also come to know that using his rapport with his colleagues he gets his work done by them. In your meetings with him, he comes across as a confident person but lacking in sincerity. Both are expecting promotion this year, but you can promote only one of them as you have only one vacant position. In this context, answer the following questions: (a) Discuss the merits and demerits of choosing one amongst the two for promotion. (b) Based on your evaluation, whom will you choose for the job? (c) What steps will you take to keep all the employees motivated who did not get promotion on expected lines?

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2017–2018

Civil Service ValuesWork Culture

One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. In light of this statement, examine the relevance of civil disobedience in a modern democratic society. Discuss the duties and responsibilities of a law enforcing officer in such situations.

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2016–2018

Law and MoralityEthical Dilemmas in Government

Mr. A is an honest senior bureaucrat who retired some time back. He has worked across many positions and wields immense influence in the corridors of power. His wife was working in a consulting firm. She has now quit her job and started her own consulting firm that will bid for government contracts also. Mr. A himself intends to contribute his experience and insider knowledge about the government operations to prepare for the bid. When prodded about any conflict of interest, Mrs. A argued that she always wanted to own her own consulting firm and bid for government projects so that she could improve the quality of government operations through her services. But earlier she could not since her husband was a bureaucrat in the same city and various government rules prevented her from doing so. As he has now retired she can take up this job. (a) What are the ethical issues involved in this case? (b) What are steps that can be taken by Mr. A to resolve these ethical issues? (c) What is the best option for Mr. A? Support your answer with appropriate reasons.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2017–2018

Conflict of InterestIntegrity

The bureaucracy technically has been an efficient form of organisation but is seen to have exceeded its administrative powers due to its tendency towards self aggrandisement, permanence in employment, and nearness to the political executive. Discuss.

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2018–2019

Civil Service ValuesWork Culture

Competition, it is argued, spurs the best of performance, however, can it also instigate cheating and unethical behaviour? Discuss with adequate examples.

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2016–2019

Dimensions of EthicsEthical Dilemmas in Government

We live in a time when almost everything can be bought and sold. Over the past few years, markets and market values have come to govern our lives as never before. Today the logic of buying and selling no longer applies to material good alone but increasingly governs the whole of life. However, there is a wide spread realization that markets have become detached from morals and we need to somehow reconnect them. The use of markets to allocate social goods has also been a cause of concern. In this context, answer the following: 20 (a) Is greed wholly a vice or a trait of character that has both positive and negative sides? Could you relate it to the utilitarian philosophy that emphasizes pursuit of self interest by individuals as the basis of economic well being? (b) Are there some things that money shouldn't buy? Illustrate with examples.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2018–2019

Dimensions of EthicsEthical Dilemmas in Government

The bailout package offered to large financial corporations in response to global financial crisis raised important ethical questions. Discuss the ethical issues involved in giving bailout packages to financial corporations using taxpayers' money.

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2017–2018

Corporate GovernanceUtilisation of Public Funds

In a district, in which you are posted as a District Magistrate, a teacher molests a child in a government run school. As the news of this crime spreads, the parents, relatives and locals gather at the school. The culprit teacher has meanwhile fled. The police arrests the Principal of the school and assure the crowd that the culprit would be arrested soon. The crowd, however, has gone berserk and begins to damage the school building. It wants immediate arrest of the culprit and is not ready to budge until he is arrested. (a) Is it correct to take the Principal into custody when he has personally not committed the crime? Support your answer with appropriate reasons. (b) What options do you have in dealing with the crowd? Enumerate the merits and demerits of each and also suggest the best possible option. (c) In the capacity of District Magistrate what would be your long term plan to prevent molestations and rapes in the schools?

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2016–2018

Crisis Decision MakingEthical Dilemmas in Government

What are the various sources through which humans can judge the correctness of their actions? In the context of public life discuss how these sources are important in offering a clear and practical guidance.

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 3 toppers · CSE 2016–2018

Sources of Ethical GuidanceEthics in Private and Public Life

You are the head of a policy think-tank. There is a proposal to cut down more than 10,000 trees to build a residential colony in the capital of the country. The city has one of the highest homeless population in the country and the settlement will be used for them. This news has generated a lot of public debate. While on the one hand is the need to expand urban infrastructure in order to meet the demands of the growing population, on the other, is the environmental concern. In last ten years, the city has lost more than half of its green cover and has seen increased frequency of extreme climatic events. You are asked to deliver a lecture for the policymakers and concerned citizens, in which you have to specifically deal with the following questions: 20 (a) Why do you think such situations arise in the first place where developmental activities and environmental concerns often come out as antithetical to each other? (b) What should be the short-term and long-term solutions for tackling such situations? (c) What are the potential benefits of inculcating environmental concerns in the policy making and planning process?

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 3 toppers · CSE 2018–2019

Environmental EthicsEthical Dilemmas in Government

You have been recently posted as Superintendent of Police of a district which has a famous temple. Shortly thereafter you found that there is considerable tension in your district on the issue of allowing entry of women in the temple. The women were trying to break the allegedly 400-year-old tradition of the temple, which banned women from entering its inner sanctum. Recently a 350-strong group of women was stopped by the temple administration from entering the temple. This led to a scuffle wherein few women participating in the protest were manhandled. There is a pressure on you from local politicians who want you to prevent any such forced entry as elections are approaching. (a) Do you think there is a dichotomy between progressive values guaranteed to women by the Constitution and regressive traditions which continue in the garb of religion? How can this dichotomy be resolved? (b) How would you manage the law and order situation created by the forced entry? (c) How would you manage and mould patriarchal attitude of the temple administrators and male elders to ensure harmony.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 3 toppers · CSE 2017–2018

Ethical Dilemmas in GovernmentLaw and Morality

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. 20 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 3 toppers · CSE 2018–2019

Rules versus CompassionEmpathy and Compassion

You are a teacher in the Science department of a reputed college. Your HoD (Head of Department) has been a good mentor to you and has guided your career progress. You get to know from one of your students that the HoD gives private tuitions at his residence, which is disliked by many others in the department. There are also rumours that he might be giving extra marks to the students taking his tuitions. When enquired, his reply is that he is not alone and a few other teachers are giving private tuitions as well. He assures you that it is beneficial for the students as some of them need extra attention. He advises you not to make a fuss about it and indirectly reminds you about the assessment rating, which is due this week. You are aware that a good rating will definitely get you the due promotion. The HoD is due to retire in 4 months. (a) What are the dilemmas that you face in this situation? (b) Highlight the course of action that you would adopt and give reasons for the same.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 3 toppers · CSE 2018–2019

Conflict of InterestEthical Dilemmas in Government

Who are the key stakeholders you would involve as part of the consultation process? (b) What are the principles that you would consider while giving your recommendations to the government? Also, provide an outline of a solution that you deem appropriate in the prevailing context.

Answered by 3 toppers · CSE 2018

Civil Service ValuesEthical Dilemmas in Government