Question 5(a) · 3312 words written
5a
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Integrity demands that honesty should be reflected in our actions all the time. This goes beyond commission of actions & also involves non-commission of actions which we are supposed to perform.
Once I had a small fight with someone in school days. After the school got over, I found the wallet of that person lying on the road. For once I thought that I can let it remain there and hurt that person but I soon realized that now that I have seen that wallet lying there, it would be utterly evil to not return it to the owner. Thus, I held myself back from an evil inaction.
The statement is equally valid for public life too. A civil servant may feel that he is not responsible if his political bosses involve in corruption & siphon off public money. But in truth, civil service values of integrity & efficiency demand that that civil servant stop that politician from looting public money. He is accountable not only for his actions but also for inactions.
To me the statement means that if someone is privileged, it is more important for him to value his principles above those privileges.
In Indian tradition, it is believed that Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth does not stick around with a person who has no principles.
As an example: Ramalinga Raju of Satyam was a privileged person but when he forgot his principles and indulged in account fudging, he got caught. Today he is no longer respected as he didnt follow principles of good corporate governance. He has also lost his privileges as today there is no entity named Satyam Computers.
This is valid for nation-States too. The once powerful European States which inhumanely colonised the world have today lost their privileges and fighting deep recession in their economies.
Hence, it is essential to always value principles over privileges because that is what makes us worthy of this privileged existence in the form of humans.
Laws preventing atrocities against Dalits have grown stringent but recent happenings in Una, Gujarat show that unless entrenched social prejudices & attitudes change, it would be impossible to ensure dignity to our Dalit brethren. Thus, we must look beyond laws & tackle the problem holistically :
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(1) Material needs of Dalits like occupation, housing, water, shelter, etc- need to be provided for by economic empowerment. This can help because as Ambedkar said, when Dalits become economically powerful, the gates of temples will automatically open for them.
(2) Dalits have to leave traditional caste-based occupations like cow-skinning & must learn newer skills.
(3) Use of scriptures : It has to be proved to our society that ancient Scriptures do not give any sanction to caste based discrimination, as most of the attitudes flow from wrong reading of these scriptures.
(4) Sensitivity training of police & bureaucrats at cutting edge level :- A Dalit coming to register a complaint must be comforted by the local police and government schemes for their welfare must be properly implemented. For this, sensitivity training is required.
(5) Rule of Law :- Strict enforcement of PoA, 1989 & quick justice delivery. An efficient judiciary is the biggest social reformer.
(6) Schools :- If children forget caste differences, the problem can be tackled in 1 generation only.
(7) Promoting inter-caste marriages :- Govt. must provide security to such couples
(8) Promoting Dalit literature because that can open the eyes of masses towards hidden forms of violence against Dalits.
A bureaucrat is supposed to be anonymous. It means that all the laurels for good implementation of a scheme go to the political executive & all the blame for poor implementation also rests with political executive. A civil servant is held to account by that political executive.
Anonymity entails that :- • A civil servant can't critise government policy in public. • A civil servant can't disclose the advice given by him or her to the minister.
Anonymity & neutrality are important traits for civil servants because:- (i) Civil servants are a part of permanent executive. If they are not anonymous, then public would turn against them in case of failure of policy. This will lead to failure of administration. (ii) Neutrality is important for faith of entire political spectrum in the efficacy of a civil servant. (iii) In its absence, politicisation of civil services would result with direct consequences for governance. (iv) Neutrality & anonymity are also important for objective decision-making.
Hence these are important traits for a civil servant.
There are injunctions that girls should not keep mobiles & wear jeans in colleges. The proponents argue that this is for the safety of girls themselves and protection of Indian culture.
As far as the safety of girls is concerned, wearing jeans has no direct correlation with sexual abuse. Sexual abuse has direct correlation with patriarchy instead.
Similarly, Indian culture doesnt prohibit a girl from exercising her freedom. Even if it does, such ideas are not favoured by our Constitution & hence are useless.
Such ideas reflect outdated views and are new means to control agency of a girl. That is these are patriarchal ideas in new forms.
It is just a new way of saying that girls should always remain submissive to boys. The idea of a girl wearing a jeans-top and making friends of her own is not acceptable to so-called guardians of culture because this tradition is the way these people gain their self-esteem from. This reflects low self-esteem on their part.
It is also poor conduct to advice such things because moral paternalism is out of fashion now. Indian Constitution allows all citizens- whether boys or girls - equal rights to wear what they want.
Hence, such imposition of dress codes must be thoroughly criticed by all sections of society.
Manual scavenging is a blot on the face of a nation that claims itself to be the moral superpower of the world.
Ethical issues associated with manual scavenging:- (i) It is an inhuman practice & lower the dignity of a human being when he carries excreta of someone else in his hands. (ii) It is illegal & against the Constitution. (iii) It leads to continuation of caste-based occupational structure, which is a source of immense suffering for lower castes. (iv) The practice gives rise to untouchability, another inhuman practice.
Available options are:- (a) Fudge the data to show less number of manual scavengers and avoid media scrutiny. (b) Fudge the data, avoid media scrutiny & work secretly to end manual scavenging. (c) Accept the prevalance of the practice & work to end it.
Evaluation of options :- (a) The one option allows DM to ease political pressure and avoid bad publicity of the city administration - It also allows poor manual scavengers to earn some money for survival. But, the practice is a blot on humanity and the option is outright lying, going against the principles of transparency & integrity. (b) The option keeps the politicians happy. Their support can be essential to end the practice. But, such things cannot remain secret for long. Manual scavenging cant be ended in secrecy. In fact, this may lead to more exploitation as money paid might get reduced. (c) This option is in line with Article 18 of the Constitution & the law of the land. It is better to accept the prevalence of a bad practice. This might help create public opinion against the practice. A civil servant should not unduly worry about political pressure & must show courage in such cases.
(3) After accepting that the problem exists, the District administration can use funds under Swatch Bharat mission to build modern latrines & ensure water-availability in them.
(ii) The manual scavengers need to be provided skill training under programs like Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana. They can be trained in modern waste disposal methods.
(iii) Till the time they complite their training, there is a need to provide PDS & monetary benefits for survival of their family.
Drug menace is one of the biggest national security problem facing India today. It is not only a drain on our economy but it wastes an entire generation. This can hurt our future.
Options available are :- (i) Consult with the seniors in police department and take their advice into account. (ii) Proceed with the case normally refusing to release anyone. (iii) Leak information to the media about political pressure to release culprits. (iv) Meet the leaders demanding release and explain to them the dire situation.
Evaluating the options :- (i) Seniors in the department can help with their experienced inputs. They can also help deal with undue political pressure as no politician would like to interfere with a united police force.
There are no apparent demerits in this course of action.
(ii) A police officer must do the duty that is entrusted to me. This would also increase confidence of junior police officers in their leadership. Releasing the culprits may give important information about involvement of others on interrogation.
But, I may be suspended or transferred like other junior staff, causing trouble to myself & my family.
(iii) It is a sure shot way of reducing political pressure on me.
But, while this option would reduce the trust of citizenry on not only political class but also the police. It would interfere in the smooth functioning of police in the case.
(iv) The leaders can be made to understand that they should not ruin the lives of young people for personal gains.
The option may not yield much result because if the leaders could understand this, they sure could also understand the importance of not meddling in the case in the first place.
In the above scenario, following step (i) or (ii) is justified. A police officer must be courageous to do the right thing. It is also good to take the seniors of the department into confidence on such serious matters. Also, an officer need not worry about personal costs like suspension. He must show fortitude here because "It is fortitude that protects all other virtues".
The SC/ST act is a stellar piece of legislation that prevents atrocities against the much tormented lower castes. However, some people with vested interests have also misused the provisions of the law.
Options available are: (i) File a counter FIR against the person for misusing the law & misbehaving with the staff. (ii) Let the person file the FIR and deal with the law, while having trust in the police. (iii) Meet the person and reason out with him to take back the complaint. (iv) Give him the room in a friend's hotel & end the controversy.
Evaluating the options: (i) The person needs to be punished for mesbehaving with the staff; which had been professional in their conduct. Counter FIR would also put pressure on the person to see that two can play the game. But this action can induce doubt in the mind of the police as it may be seen as trying to influence investigation. This action might also destroy the reputation of the hotel which has been so painstakingly achieved. (ii) The police is duty-bound to ask the side of hotel manager in the case. The register of the hotel can be shown proving that there was no ulterior motive to deny him the room. The police are also experienced enough to know that some people file frivolous complaints. But, the coming of the police into the hotel may make customers uneasy. On the other hand, by coming to the hotel & observing staff behavior police can take first hand look into how ethical the staff actually is. (iii) In Indian tradition, customer is considered to be God-send. Hence it is the duty of a hotel manager to at least, try to assuage his concerns. But this may be seen to be giving in to the unjust force. It can also mean trying to influence the victim, thus interference with rule of law. (iv) The ugly controversy can be put to an end by arranging the room for a person in a friend's hotel. This would give business to a friend and help keep the hotel reputation intact. But, this step may hurt the morale of the staff and also, the customer is dangerous and may try to hurt the friend in some other frivolous case.
Any action that one takes in such a situation, following option (ii) that is letting the police do their duty is justified. As a citizen, one must keep faith in the system. The police is experienced & equipped enough to ensure that the law prevails in the country. Once it is proved that the case was frivolous, the person may be taken to task by the police.
As for the reputation of the hotel is concerned, one case can hardly do any damage. If there is integrity with one, customers will certainly recognize it.
As they say, “Integrity always pays but it is a slow pay”.
Hence one must be patient & follow option ii.
Immediate steps :- (i) Personally talk to the health-staff and try to keep their morale high. They must be communicated that government is aware of the hard work conditions but it is their oath to protect the lives of the citizens. They must be assured that they would be suitably rewarded for their services. They must not get demoralised by public outrage rather show empathy towards them and work with ever-more compassion.
(ii) The promot mangement of private hospitals should be reprimanded for neglyent attitude. They should be threatened with cancellation of permits if they show laxity any further.
(iii) The public must be assured that the entire government machinery is geared up to tackle the challenge. Details of all the steps that are being taken must be laid bare before the public.
(iv) To beef up the infrastructure, an empowered team must be made to evaluate whether medical infrastructure can be diverted from other areas which are free in that time.
(v) The political executive must be involved to communicate to the public about the preventive actions such as wearing full clothes, applying cleans that can repel mosquitoes & not letting water stagnant.
(vi) Large scale fumigation drive needs to be arranged.
(2) Long-term measures :- (i) Dedicated workforce to tackle dengue & chikungunya on the lines of Singapore- Their task is to destroy all the mosquito breeding places like construction sites etc.
(ii) Research :- In china, a mutant Aedys Aegypti mosquito is being experimented with that destroys eggs of other dangerous mosquitoes.
(iii) Public engagement :- Every year in times of monsoons & after that, public must be engaged on dos & donts to avoid the disease.
(iv) Fines:- Municipal corporations must be empowered to fine the violators & the amount of fines need to be made exorbitant to act as deterent.
Thus, State needs both short-term & long-term measures to deal with the menace. Just like the success against Polio, the drive against Dengue & Chikungunya can also be won by collaboration, planning and will.
Due to increasing population and increasing footprint of human beings, man-animal conflicts have increased greatly. Gandhiji used to say - "The progress of a civilisation can be gauged from the way it treats its animals".
(I) Options available:- (i) Financial reimbursement to the farmers to avoid culling of animals. (ii) Declaring these animals as vermins and asking the forest department to cull them. (iii) Enclose the farms with barbed wire (iv) Requesting posting somewhere else as you cannot witness culling of loved animals.
Evaluating the options:- (i) The option can potentially assuage the farmers for their loss and save the life of animals too. But, as the animals eat more, they would grow in numbers. This can be ecologically dangerous and pose a threat to other farmers too.
(ii) Conservation of animals is not possible without community support. The forest department should not test their patience. An officer should not let personal feelings come in between an objective decision. It is a common practice employed in controlling the population of animals. But, the option would lead to death of animals for the crime of their own as it is the humans who have ventured into their space.
(iii) Barbed wires would turn away the animals & save the crops. This would be a win-win for all. But, the problem would only be shifted to a new place where there is no barbed wire.
(iv) Personal love for innocent animals would not be violated. But such weak conduct is unbecoming of a civil servant.
In this difficult scenario, an officer should follow option (ii).
An officer should always be objective in one's analysis & not let personal choices come in between.
The decision must be made keeping ecological concerns in mind. Entire food-chain would be disturbed if these animals are not culled and most importantly, in general, communities do not want to harm animals. Their support for animal conservation is essential.
Hence, Option (ii) seems to be the best choice available.
(2) Long-term measures:- (i) There should be scientific cultivation followed in areas of man-animal conflict. ie. the farms should be surrounded by barbed-wires and/or by crops that are inedible for animals. (ii) Adequate nutritious plants must be available in the forests itself for the animals. This calls for forest conservation. (iii) Investments must be made in developing a forest corridor for animals to prevent man-animal conflict.
Animals are an important part of our nature. This world doesn't just belong to humans. As the most evolved species, it is the duty of humans to take care of the animals.
Dr Singh's participation as lead investigator is inappropriate.
Ethics of medical trial suggest that the lead investigator must not only be highly knowledgeable but also independent.
Dr Singh has money invested in this firm & hence, he can't be taken as an independent person as he has direct pecuniary benefit in the success of the trial.
Dr. Singh may be only interested in the welfare of the patients but as it said, "Caeson's wife must be above all suspicion".
There are a few other teams available doing this work. Thus it is not like Dr Singh is the only option.
Dr. Singh has a direct conflict of interest here. He is invested in this firm. If the trial becomes successful, the shares of the firm would rise & give good returns to Dr. Singh. Also, as a lead investigator, he would be much better known & will likely experience an increase in referals if the trials succeed. Thus, both for his practice & his financial investment, success of trial would be helpful. In this scenario, conciously or sub-conciously, Dr. Singh may wish to see the trial as a success & hence lose the objective eye which is must for a lead investigator. The conflict of interest could be mitigated by → Not participating in the study, or → Divesting the investments in the firm.
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In this case, while the conflict of interest of success of trial resulting into an increase in referrals for Dr Singh would have remained intact but the conflict of interest of success of trial resulting into better return on investments would have not been there initially.
But as the company offers him stock as a form of compensation, again the same Conflict of Interest would have arisen. In fact, in this case, this is an act of bribery on the part of the firm to its potential lead investigator. Dr Singh would have felt obliged to return the favour to the firm & again lost his objective eye.
Thus, the importance of lead investigator being independent cannot be emphasised more. Both Dr. Singh & the firm must follow this principle. That is what is in the long-term interests of patients as well as medical research.