Pressure and Loyalty

You are posted as the Superintendent of Police (SP) in a district of a state where alcohol prohibition has been imposed recently. The District Excise department has conducted many raids and seized liquor in large quantities, for which it has received state-wide public appreciation. A few months later reports surface in the media that in this district, hundreds of seized bottles of illicit liquor are missing from the government malkhanas or stores. As a result, the government is left red-faced. You are asked by the DM, who is the overall in-charge of the district excise setup, to investigate the matter. Upon investigation, you unearth a nexus of politicians and government officials who smuggled seized liquor and sold it through spurious means both inside and outside the state. In this context, evaluate these options: 1. Report your findings to the DM and seek instructions for further actions, stating clearly the criminal offences committed prima facie. 2. Charge all accused under legal provisions and let the law take its own course. 3. Being aware of the seriousness of the matter, discretely put the detailed investigation report in the public domain and expose the nexus. Also, suggest, without restricting yourself to the given options, the final course of action that you would prefer.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 12 toppers · CSE 2019–2022

CorruptionEthical Dilemmas in Government

You have recently been posted as a District Labour Officer in a state, which derives a substantial revenue from tourism. You come to know that a big hotel in the area has not been paying wages as per the Minimum Wages Act. The hotel owner is a powerful local leader having contacts with many influential officials of the state. You have the power to take sou-moto cognizance of such violations and accordingly you initiate a preliminary enquiry into the matter. However, no worker is willing to come forward to lodge a formal complaint because they fear loss of employment. Meanwhile, your action has attracted notice of the higher authorities, and you are advised to drop the matter altogether. You are deeply concerned about the situation as it involves not only violation of the Minimum Wages Act but also denial of basic human rights of the worker. (a) Identify the issues involved in the given case. (b) Consider the options given below: 1. Follow the informal advise of the higher authorities. 2. Convince the owner of the hotel to take note of these violations and take appropriate remedial measures. 3. Submit a detailed report on the matter highlighting violations of workers’ rights and seek formal directions from the competent authority. 4. Serve a notice to the hotel owner and initiate action as per your powers under the Minimum Wages Act. Evaluate the merits and demerits of each of these options and suggest your preferred course of action, giving reasons.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 11 toppers · CSE 2019–2022

Ethical Dilemmas in GovernmentCrisis Decision Making

What do you understand by "integrity-based civil disobedience"? Do you think a challenge to personal integrity can be a justifiable cause for responsible disobedience in civil services? Explain.

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 11 toppers · CSE 2021–2025

IntegrityEthical Dilemmas in Government

You have recently joined the Statistical Department of the State as Deputy Head of Records. Your duties involved supervising the timely inflow of data, scrutinising the data source and ensuring data entry and updating. You had a staff of 32 to manage, and it was a mixed bag; some were young recruits, some were in the department for some time, and some were on the verge of retirement. Overall, the Staff was not very efficient, but somehow they managed their jobs. In one of the meetings, the Head of the Department mentioned outsourcing of jobs of your staff as a cost-cutting measure. But there were no serious deliberations, so you didn't think much of it. But yesterday, you received an official order stating that your department tasks will be outsourced and your Staff will be downsized. You had no problems with outsourcing, but you did not favour downsizing, as it would lead to people losing their jobs. You sought a meeting with your Head to discuss the ramifications of the new order, specifically the downsizing part. Your Head was very emphatic about the whole process and seemed to be least concerned with people losing their livelihood. Disappointed, you got back to your office thinking of ways of saving your staff's jobs. In utter desperation, you wrote to the concerned Minister, marking a copy to your Head and the Chief Secretary. The Minister sympathetically received the note, and he assured some positive action. But your Head was not happy about you going above without his consent. He immediately orders your transfer and starts disciplinary proceedings for non-compliance with the office order. 1. Discuss the administrative and ethical issues involved in the above case. 2. Do you think it was morally right on your part to write to the minister? Justify 3. How will you respond to the action initiated against you? Discuss the available options and justify your selected course of action.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 9 toppers · CSE 2022–2025

Ethical Dilemmas in GovernmentEthics in Private and Public Life

There was an incident at a company wherein a fire broke out and led to a number of casualties. During the preliminary inquiry, one of the employees and bystander witnesses, specified that the company had taken all the safety measures and the management was not at fault. During litigation, the same employee was identified as a witness and his deposition was to be taken. The issue is now in the court. You are a Senior Manager of the company and accompanying the said employee to the court for the deposition. On the way the employee tells you that he had lied during the inquiry; and that the truth was worse for the company than he had stated previously. (a) Identify the various ethical issues you would face in this situation. (b) What would you suggest the employee to do? Give reasons for your suggestions.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 5 toppers · CSE 2021–2022

Ethical Dilemmas in GovernmentCrisis Decision Making

You have been newly appointed as the District Magistrate of a district, which is known for its rich mineral deposits. Following the news being circulated in the media about the illegal mining in your district, you have initiated an enquiry into it. When the State's Minister of Mines and Minerals gets to know of the enquiry initiated by you, he directs you to name some junior government employees as being involved in the wrongdoing and make them scapegoats. He also points out that elections to the State Assembly are around the corner and the present government wishes to stay clear of any political corruption. This Minister is a very influential figure in the present regime and there are high chances of the present ruling party being voted back to power. In due course of the enquiry, it has come to your notice that the said Minister has also been involved in illegal mining through his cronies. The findings of the enquiry can affect the outcome of the elections as well as completely derail your career, if the incumbent party wins the elections, which looks very likely as per the polls. Answer the following with reference to this case: (a) Identify the stakeholders and the ethical issues in the given case. (b) Critically evaluate the options in the given scenario and state your course of action, giving reasons.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2022–2023

CorruptionEthical Dilemmas in Government

It was Assembly election times, and you were deputed to a constituency on election duty where one of your responsibilities was to monitor candidates' campaign expenses and supervise the campaigns' videography. As you take charge and start working, you realise the challenge you have got into. Two of the candidates had a criminal background, and the whole contest was more or less between these two only. As the campaigns picked pace, you noticed that both the candidates indulged in inciting the voters on caste and religious grounds. Further, they were doling out monetary inducements in blatant violation of the election code of conduct. You had all of it on record, thanks to your videographer. You decided to warn them before taking any strict action, so you called them and confronted them with the evidence. Much to your relief, they quietly accepted the mistake and promised to comply with the codes. Two days after the meeting, you get the news that one of your videographers was severely beaten by the goons of one of the candidates. And the beating of the videographer was meant as a warning to you. Further, the same evening you get a call threatening you with dire consequences if you interfere with the campaigns. You realise that your decisions are proving to be dangerous for the people working with you. You didn't feel good about endangering the safety of your staff. 1. What are the issues involved in the above case? 2. Is it ethically justified to be devoted to duty at the cost of the personal safety of the staff? Discuss. 3. How will you go about doing your election duties without compromising the safety of your staff? Explain.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2022–2025

Ethical Dilemmas in GovernmentCrisis Decision Making

You are an IPS officer posted as the Inspector General of Police in a state. The recent death of a father-son duo in one of the districts in the state, due to custodial violence allegedly in the presence of the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), has sparked anger across the state. This is not an isolated incident, as there have been allegations raised by human rights groups in the past regarding custodial deaths due to physical assault by the police. The High Court of the State, taking suo moto cognizance of the recent incident, has served a notice to the state government, seeking a detailed report on the rising instances of custodial deaths. The state government has constituted a Committee to probe the incident and submit a detailed report on the veracity of facts related to it. You have been asked to head the Committee. You know the Deputy Superintendent of Police of the district to be an honest, hardworking and upright officer. He has privately requested you to absolve him of any wrongdoing as he claims not to be present when the incident occurred. You know that any action against him will be detrimental to his reputation and career. On the other hand, the seniors in the department are pressuring you to put all the blame on the DSP and make him a sacrificial lamb in order to protect the overall image of the police in the state. In the given scenario, answer the following questions: (a) Identify the stakeholders and the ethical issues involved in the case. (b) What steps will you take to ensure that the enquiry is seen to be fair and impartial? (c) Given the challenges that the police forces in India operate under in their day-to-day functioning, suggest some initiatives to address them.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 3 toppers · CSE 2022–2025

Civil Service ValuesEthical Dilemmas in Government

You are an Airworthiness Officer posted with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, tasked to conduct the safety audit of a major airline of the country. During the recent audit, you find that some of the airplanes belonging to the airline do not fully meet a few of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety standards. The issues are minor, mainly pertaining to some incomplete aircraft maintenance logs and safety rules related to training of the crew. The airline belongs to a very influential business conglomerate with close ties to all major national political parties and has a long history of ethical business practises. The point person appointed by the airline to communicate with you has assured that everything will be in order in a couple of months. Your senior in the department has also indicated that it is best not to mention such minor issues in the report, particularly given the image of the business group involved and the trust it enjoys. He also reiterates the assurance given by the airline to address these issues at the earliest in a time-bound manner. However, you are aware that airline safety norms are paramount and every other consideration is secondary to the safety of the crew and passengers. As a public servant appointed to uphold public trust, answer the following: (a) Bring out the dilemmas that you face, elaborating on the competing values in the given situation. (b) What are the options available to you? Discuss the merits and demerits of each. Which of these will you choose and why?

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 3 toppers · CSE 2022–2024

Ethical Dilemmas in GovernmentCrisis Decision Making

You are a District Magistrate posted in a backward district of the country. You are responsible for getting an Atal Residential School built on the village land in your district. The contract for the construction of the school has been assigned to a popular local leader's son. This land is presently occupied by tribal communities but they cannot produce any ownership records. They claim that they have resided on the land for generations. They also allege that the administration is pressurising them to vacate their land to build the school and have assured that they will be relocated elsewhere. However, they are hesitant to do so as it will uproot them from their homes and will affect their livelihood. One of the prominent tribal leaders has highlighted this issue and it has caught the attention of the mainstream media. In the light of the situation, answer the following: (a) Identify the stakeholders involved in the case and their respective interests. (b) Discuss the various ethical concerns in the given case. (c) What are the options available to you and which of these options you will choose? Justify.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 3 toppers · CSE 2021–2022

Ethical Dilemmas in GovernmentEmpathy and Compassion

You are posted as the Superintendent of Police (SP) of a district, which has witnessed several lynching related crimes in the recent past. One day, a police station in the district got an SOS that in a particular village under their jurisdiction, two women have been accused of witchcraft and are now being paraded naked by the villagers. Given the past record of crimes in the village, it was likely that they would be killed by the villagers. When a police team from the station reached the spot and tried to save the two women from the mob, a scuffle broke out. In the ensuing scuffle, the police were brutally attacked and they had to retaliate by lathicharging in order to save themselves. The incident left three villagers dead. There is anger amongst the villagers, who are also a critical vote bank of the ruling party in the state. As the SP, you have been instructed to institute a quick enquiry and take the strictest action against the police team who lathicharged. You are aware that with elections around the corner, you need to diffuse the situation quickly. Given the situation, answer the following : (a) Identify the stakeholders and the issues involved in the above case. (b) What are the options available to you? Which of these will you choose and why? (c) As an objective and scientfic-tempered administrator, what steps will you suggest in the long-run to deal with mob lynching?

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 2 toppers · CSE 2022–2024

Ethical Dilemmas in GovernmentCrisis Decision Making

You are posted as the Superintendent of Police (SP) of a district, which has witnessed several lynching related crimes in the recent past. One day, a police station in the district got an SOS that in a particular village under their jurisdiction, two women have been accused of witchcraft and are now being paraded naked by the villagers. Given the past record of crimes in the village, it was likely that they would be killed by the villagers. When a police team from the station reached the spot and tried to save the two women from the mob, a scuffle broke out. In the ensuing scuffle, the police were brutally attacked and they had to retaliate by lathicharging in order to save themselves. The incident left three villagers dead. There is anger amongst the villagers, who are also a critical vote bank of the ruling party in the state. As the SP, you have been instructed to institute a quick enquiry and take the strictest action against the police team who lathicharged. You are aware that with elections around the corner, you need to diffuse the situation quickly. Given the situation, answer the following : (a) Identify the stakeholders and the issues involved in the above case. (b) What are the options available to you? Which of these will you choose and why? (c) As an objective and scientific-tempered administrator, what steps will you suggest in the long-run to deal with mob lynching?

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 2 toppers · CSE 2022

Crisis Decision MakingPressure and Loyalty

In context of the relationship between political executive and civil servants in India, highlight the significance of neutrality in the civil service.

10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 2 toppers · CSE 2022–2025

Impartiality and ObjectivityCivil Service Values

You are a Sub-Divisional Magistrate of a large city, having the reputation of a very honest and upright officer. A huge hospital in your city is working day and night to ensure Emergency services are carried out because of the COVID-19 pandemic. One night, during monsoons, fire engulfed the Covid ward causing instant death of 20 patients including 10 minors. Many more were seriously injured requiring immediate medical attention. The mishap resulted in a big hue and cry, forcing the government to institute an inquiry. Your preliminary enquiry has revealed a series of anomalies. The material used for the cables was of poor quality. Despite the approved building plans permitting only one basement, an additional basement has been constructed which required more power demand causing stress on the system. This was overlooked during the periodic electrical inspections by the building inspector of the municipal corporation. In your enquiry, you noticed that the hospital has more demand of power than sanctioned by the electricity department. Apart from this you also noticed many irregularities in compliance to the fire safety guidelines. There were no proper exit routes indications and many other technical irregularities with respect to fire safety. The permission to have higher load demand and No Objection Certificate for fire safety was accorded by the previous Sub-Divisional Magistrate who is not only your senior and well known to you professionally, but also a good friend. Prima facie, the case appears to be of a widespread nexus between officials of the district administration and the hospitals. Your colleagues are putting pressure on you to go slow in the enquiry. The previous SDM happens to be a close relative of a powerful minister in the state cabinet. The previous SDM is persuading you to hush up the matter, promising you a fortune to do so. He also hinted that if this matter is not resolved at the earliest in his favour there is somebody in his office who is waiting to file a case against you under the POSH Act. (a) Discuss the ethical issues involved in the case. (b) What are the options available to you in this situation? (c) Explain your selected course of action.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2022

CorruptionPressure and Loyalty

Ashmita is a respected doctor who runs her own maternity clinic in a small town. She is a mother of two and her husband is also a doctor. Ashmita handles multiple cases of child delivery every day and is known for her compassionate treatment of patients. Her clinic enjoys a good reputation in town. Among other expecting mothers, Shikha, daughter-in-law of an MLA, was admitted to Ashmita's maternity clinic for child birth. The MLA met Ashmita and expressed his confidence in her skills. He requested her to personally take extra care of Shikha, to which Ashmita agreed happily. Shikha unexpectedly went into labour in the early hours the next day. During this time, Ashmita was performing an emergency surgery on another patient, so she could not attend to Shikha. Shikha was taken care of by other qualified doctors and hospital staff. The MLA was visibly unhappy that Ashmita did not attend Shikha herself. Once the emergency surgery was completed, Ashmita joined her staff and attended Shikha. However, Shikha passed away due to excess bleeding from Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) during childbirth. Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) is unpredictable heavy bleeding and Ashmita did everything that she could have done to try to save Shikha's life. The MLA blamed Ashmita for Shikha's death. Ashmita was beaten by the MLA and his staff. When her husband tried to save Ashmita, he was dragged out of the hospital and thrashed. A police complaint was also lodged against Ashmita accusing her of murder due to negligence. For many days after the incident, she and her family faced constant harassment by police and supporters of the MLA. Ultimately, Ashmita could not take any more humiliation and committed suicide. The news of suicide by the doctor spread like wildfire. Indian Medical Association took cognizance of the case and warned of a nationwide strike of doctors if appropriate actions in this case were not taken. The state government has appointed a committee to investigate the matter and recommend suitable actions. You are the Chairperson of this committee. In this scenario, answer the following: a) Why do doctors face violence in the country? b) Identify various moral-ethical and administrative lapses in this case. c) What would you recommend in this case? Give rationale behind giving those recommendations.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2022

Ethical Dilemmas in GovernmentPressure and Loyalty

You are posted as a Customs official in one of renowned port cities of India. Your team has recently intercepted a consignment having over 5000 kilograms of red sandalwood. Red Sandalwood, also known as Red Sanders, is a prohibited item for export and is covered under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) list and hence you detained a few individuals for their alleged involvement in trying to smuggle it to another country. However, you later come to know that these people are working for an influential businessman with close ties to the ruling party of the state. Your seniors in the department have verbally instructed you not to register any compliant as yet. You are fearful that a deal will be struck between the businessman and a few corrupt officers of your department and the detained persons will be freed. You are ready to go ahead and file the complaint but at the same time are also fearful of departmental action against you if you disobey your seniors. (a) What are the various options available to you in the given case? Evaluate the merits and demerits of each of these. (b) Also indicate (without necessarily restricting to the above options) your course of action and the reasons for the same.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2022

Ethical Dilemmas in GovernmentCorruption

With stars in your eyes, you have recently cleared your probation and are posted as the Assistant Commissioner of Police in Delhi. The first task allotted to you is to check drunk driving especially at night time. You accordingly form teams comprising of officials of several departments and instruct them to do their best to bring the offenders to book without any sort of fear or favour. In the first week itself you get more than a dozen calls from your subordinates where they were threatened of dire consequences when they tried to apprehend the drunkards especially those driving luxury cars. When you discuss the case with your team, they too advise that those with 'connections' can be pretty harmful, especially for an officer like you who has just completed his probation. They even narrate instances where young officers like you were given so-called 'penalty postings' when they apprehended relatives of politicians. a) What do you tell your subordinates to do in such a situation when they look to you for advice? b) What will be your course of action to tackle the menace and at the same time boost the morale of your force? Explain.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2022

Crisis Decision MakingPressure and Loyalty

You are posted in the Department of Mines, and one of your roles is to help your Department Head negotiate mining leases with private contractors. Recently, the state government demarcated a new mining zone and planned to invite bids for the mining blocs. You were instructed to oversee the bidding process and speed up the contract negotiations. As planned, the tenders were released, bids came in, and tenders were allocated as per the norms. All this happened at a breakneck speed. You wondered, why the hurry? But it was not your place to think and question; you quietly went about your work. As the contractors were about to start operations, you had to instruct them on environmental concerns to watch out for. And to do that, you read the environmental impact assessment report submitted by a consulting firm hired by the department. To your surprise, the report was shoddy and looked cooked up. You got suspicious and raised the issue with your Head, who politely instructed you to do what you were told, and he reminded you that the Department of Mines was under pressure from the Ministry. After the meeting, you, on your own accord, did some digging and found out that the report was fraudulent and the mining activity that was about to start would lead to a massive environmental disaster which the State could not afford. (a) What are the issues and value violations you notice in the above case? (b) What are the options available to you? (c) Discuss the advantage and disadvantages of each option and identify your chosen course of action. (d) Do you think that environmental considerations are sometimes overrated at the cost of development?

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2022

Environmental EthicsEthical Dilemmas in Government

You are a Sub-Divisional magistrate of a large city, having the reputation of a very honest and upright officer. A huge hospital in your city is working day and night to ensure Emergency services are carried out because of the COVID-19 pandemic. One night, during monsoons, fire engulfed the Covid ward causing instant death of 20 patients including 10 minors. Many more were seriously injured requiring immediate medical attention. The mishap resulted in a big hue and cry, forcing the government to institute an inquiry. Your preliminary enquiry has revealed a series of anomalies. The material used for the cables was of poor quality. Despite the approved building plans permitting only one basement, an additional basement has been constructed which required more power demand causing stress on the system. This was overlooked during the periodic electrical inspections by the building inspector of the municipal corporation. In your enquiry, you noticed that the hospital has more demand of power than sanctioned by the electricity department. Apart from this you also noticed many irregularities in compliance to the fire safety guidelines. There were no proper exit routes indications and many other technical irregularities. The permission to have higher load demand and No Objection Certificate for fire safety was accorded by the previous Sub-Divisional Magistrate who is not only your senior and well known to you professionally, but also a good friend. Prima facie, the case appears to be of a widespread nexus between officials of the district administration and the hospitals. Your colleagues are putting pressure on you to go slow in the enquiry. The previous SDM happens to be a close relative of a powerful minister in the state cabinet. The previous SDM is persuading you to hush up the matter, promising you a fortune to do so. He also hinted that if this matter is not resolved at the earliest in his favour there is somebody in his office who is waiting to file a case against you under the POSH Act. (a) Discuss the ethical issues involved in the case. (b) What are the options available to you in this situation? (c) Explain your selected course of action.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2022

CorruptionPressure and Loyalty

You are the Superintendent of Police (SP) in a district. One of your subordinates informs you that a girl has reached out to him and complained about a potential death threat to her and her boyfriend who belongs to another caste. Both the families are averse to their union. She has also informed that the local police station is neither filing any complaint nor giving her any assurance of protection. The girl belongs to the dominant caste of the region and her father is a prominent local leader of the party which is in power in the state. On further enquiry, you come to know that both the girl and her boyfriend are adults. They have moved out of the house and have started living together. This has further angered both the families and they are accusing each other of abduction. In the given scenario, answer the following questions: (a) Bring out the ethical dilemma faced by you. (b) What would be a suitable course of action to resolve the issue? (c) At times, such instances lead to violence and may end up in honour killings. Discuss the reasons behind their social acceptance in parts of India despite the legal sanction against them.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2022

Crisis Decision MakingEthical Dilemmas in Government

Rajendra has been appointed as the General Manager of South Eastern Zone of the Indian Railways. After taking charge of his new posting, one of the first major shortcomings that Rajendra found in his jurisdiction was the gross shortage of staff, especially at operational level. Given the sensitive nature and importance of railways, Rajendra immediately apprised his seniors in the ministry about this issue. In his report, Rajendra pointed out that shortages at various positions are leading to an over-stretched workforce which may become detrimental for the security of the freight and the passengers. However, Rajendra's report fell on deaf ears and no action was taken by Railways in this regard. As fate would have it, a devastating train accident took place at Salasore, which fell under Rajendra's jurisdiction. Around 300 lives were lost and more than 1000 passengers were injured. The accident sent shock waves across the country and serious questions were being raised on railway safety. Given the seriousness of the incident, immediately an internal fact-finding committee was constituted under Rajendra. The internal committee completed its enquiry and prima facie found 'human error in signaling' as the cause of the accident. The accident, as per the committee, happened when two trains which erroneously, due to faulty signaling, were on the same track; the collision between the two trains derailed some bogies; the derailed bogies collided with yet another train that was running on the parallel track. The fact-finding team also highlighted that Anand, who was in charge of signaling, was working continuously for more than 16 hours instead of his regular 8 hours shift. The report concluded 'lack of adequate staff' as one of the major reasons behind the accident. The very next day Rajendra was summoned by his superior in the ministry. Rajendra's superior congratulated him on the good and timely work on the report. However, he also asked him to modify the report by removing 'lack of adequate staff' as one of the causes of the accident, as it showed Railways in a poor light. His superior further hinted that a lenient approach from Rajendra will bode well for his career. He also promised that Rajendra's cooperation in the matter will have a positive bearing on his request for a study leave. Moreover, the superior also reasoned with Rajendra that a rigid attitude may not bode well for him and he might get ostracized within the rank and file. Further, to make things 'easy' for Rajendra, his superior advised him to blame Anand as the cause of the accident. However, Rajendra is aware that Anand is a very sincere and hard-working employee. He came out of the Chairman's office, dejected and undecided on his next course of action. a) What are the ethical concerns associated with the case study? b) What are the options available with Rajendra? c) If you were at the place of Rajendra, which option would you choose and why?

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2022

Ethical Dilemmas in GovernmentPressure and Loyalty

You have recently been posted as a District Labour Officer in a state, which derives a substantial revenue from tourism. You come to know that a big hotel in the area has not been paying wages as per the Minimum Wages Act. The hotel owner is a powerful local leader having contacts with many influential officials of the state. You have the power to take suo-moto cognizance of such violations and accordingly you initiate a preliminary enquiry into the matter. However, no worker is willing to come forward to lodge a formal complaint because they fear loss of employment. Meanwhile, your action has attracted notice of the higher authorities, and you are advised to drop the matter altogether. You are deeply concerned about the situation as it involves not only violation of the Minimum Wages Act but also denial of basic human rights of the worker. (a) Identify the issues involved in the given case. (b) Consider the options given below: 1. Follow the informal advise of the higher authorities. 2. Convince the owner of the hotel to take note of these violations and take appropriate remedial measures. 3. Submit a detailed report on the matter highlighting violations of workers' rights and seek formal directions from the competent authority. 4. Serve a notice to the hotel owner and initiate action as per your powers under the Minimum Wages Act. Evaluate the merits and demerits of each of these options and suggest your preferred course of action, giving reasons.

20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2022

Ethical Dilemmas in GovernmentPressure and Loyalty