SECTION A
1.
(a) Owing
to paucity of time, a university professor generates a Ph.D. evaluation report using Artificial
Intelligence and submits it with some modifications. Discuss this from the
perspective of accountability and integrity.
(b) A
business house is working on a project that could displace a forest community from their habitat. As the
administrative officer of that district, what ethical challenges are you likely
to face?
2.
(a)
An endangered tribe has developed a severe
skeletal deformity. A university researcher has identified a mineral
supplement as a possible remedy,
though clinical trials are yet to be conducted. Should the District Magistrate
(DM) use this research on the tribe? Discuss from the perspective of medical
and administrative ethics.
(b)
Discuss how national security can
be balanced with concerns of human rights.
3.
a)
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar had cautioned that
employing civil disobedience within
a constitutional democracy equates to endorsing ‘anarchy’. How should modern
democracies navigate the ethical
dilemmas posed by civil disobedience movements that aim to promote social
justice against genuine concerns?
b)
In what ways can an Indian Administrative Officer apply
Gandhi’s notion of ‘trusteeship’ to ensure fairness in governance?
c)
Shakespeare in Henry IV
says, “The arms are fair when the intent of bearing them is just”. What ethical implications does this
have in governance?
4.
(a) Citing
the serious adverse effects of long-term medication, a doctor convinces the
family of a female patient for surgery. This led the patient to reluctantly consent for the surgery, though her
original choice was to opt for medication. Explain the concepts of paternalism
and beneficence by analysing the doctor’s action.
(b) Efficiency is doing things right, while
effectiveness is doing the right
thing. How do you strike a balance between the two to enhance productivity?
5.
a)
Usually schools, working in remote areas, do not fully
comply with government regulations. However, if the rules are enforced
strictly, it would lead to most schools closing down. How should an
administrator strike a balance between enforcement of rules and
educational rights of children?
b)
In international
relations, ethical considerations
are often subjugated to the strategic interests of nation-states. Discuss this
from an ethical perspective.
6.
a)
On the request of his Personal Assistant (PA), the
District Magistrate (DM) stops the transfer of a schoolteacher who takes private tuition for his daughter diagnosed
with learning disability. In this context, discuss the aspects of empathy
versus compliance with rules.
b)
Some moral philosophers argue that spending some of
your resources—without significantly affecting your financial stability—to help other people who badly suffer
is our moral duty and not merely a matter of charity. Justify
this claim by explaining the distinction between duty and charity.
SECTION B
7. Lata, a
mother of two children, was admitted to a hospital for acute abdominal pain. Her sister-in-law,
Sujatha, accompanied her. Dr. Mansi examined Lata and recommended a diagnostic
laparoscopy. Lata’s consent was taken to conduct the medical procedure under
general anesthesia.
During the laparoscopy, Dr. Mansi’s team discovered a tumor in Lata’s
uterus. A closer examination suggested that the tumor could be malignant.
One option before Dr. Mansi was to extract a sample for biopsy. In that
case, if the tumor was malignant, Lata would have to undergo
another surgery for removal of the uterus. An alternative was to remove the
uterus immediately. Dr. Mansi had to take a quick decision.
As Lata was under general anesthesia, Dr. Mansi explained the situation to
Sujatha. Sujatha agreed with Dr. Mansi’s recommendations for a hysterectomy, wherein Lata’s uterus
would be removed to avoid the risk and pain of undergoing another surgery. Dr.
Mansi removed Lata’s uterus after receiving Sujatha’s consent in writing. Lata
was informed of this the next day. She was very upset and felt betrayed, as she
had not consented to the removal of her uterus.
Lata complained to the police who tried to convince her that Dr. Mansi had
acted with good intention to help a patient. Sujatha was of the same opinion,
however, Lata was not convinced and decided to approach the court.
(a) Discuss
the ethical issues involved in this case.
(b) Discuss
the moral conduct of the doctor in this situation.
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8. Ravi is a
senior police officer with vast experience in riot control and cyber-policing.
Since one year, he has been the Superintendent of Police (SP) of a district
with a history of frequent rioting.
Last year, Ravi had sought installation of an AI-enabled software for predictive policing. This system has been
operational for approximately six months. This system employs advanced
algorithms for capturing the biometric data of persons in a crowd and swiftly
relating it to a data library. This has enabled the police to identify the
persons involved in various crimes.
The system has identified an immigrant and low-income neighbourhood as a
centre for gang violence and drug trafficking. Aided by this AI analysis, the
local police has focused its patrolling, preventive detentions and establishing
checkpoints. Consequently, public order and law enforcement has visibly
improved.
Last week, some community leaders, civil rights lawyers and human rights
activists visited Ravi’s office. They submitted a memorandum that the new
system is faulty as it is based on incorrect historical data caused by social
biases and discriminatory policing. The memorandum also alleges that the
increased surveillance has created a climate of tension amongst residents. This
feeling is aggravated by the fact that the residents are not aware of the data
noted against their names.
(c) What
are the ethical issues including biases involved in the use of AI in
data-driven policing?
(d) Place
yourself in Ravi’s role and discuss the alternatives available. Justify the
action that optimises compliance with ethics.
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9. Seema is
a senior bureaucrat with a reputation of honesty and professional efficiency.
She has recently been posted as the District Collector (DC) to Surinder Nagar,
where a large industrial area is being established.
The new industrial area had caused many farmers to submit applications for change of land use
(CLU) to convert their farmlands into residential areas. There is an unusually large backlog of these applications
awaiting processing. Seema noticed that some applications had been approved selectively with no visible
chronological pattern. The case files showed a few complaints of some approvals
being subject to receipt of large bribes from the applicants.
On further fact-finding, Seema realized that a small group of touts were
controlling this illegal activity through some subordinate officials in the
Collectorate. This had created a fear in the other employees who were reluctant
to process any application. The resultant backlog has been piling up thereby
hindering local economic progress and causing public dissatisfaction.
Seema was faced with a major moral and administrative challenge of
dismantling this corruption network
without hampering daily administrative operations. An aggressive internal investigation
would result in institutional resistance and, possibly, a backlash from labour
unions. Conversely, ignoring this situation would encourage the wrongdoers and
unnecessarily continue this avoidable harassment to the populace.
(a) What
are the ethical issues involved in this case?
(b) Discuss
the options open to Seema. Identify the recommended option and justify it.
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10. Vikas is a government officer
with over a decade of service in public administration. He has recently moved
as the District Collector (DC) of Naipinura, a remote hilly district bordering
a forest. Due to Naipinura’s low levels of economic development, one of his
major duties is to ensure proper functioning of the public distribution system (PDS) amongst
the economically weaker sections (EWS).
During his on-site visits, Vikas was apprised of a typical administrative
challenge in operating the PDS. To prevent leakages, all distributors were
required to carry out real-time
biometric identification of the beneficiaries, whose fingerprints were
tallied with identity card records. This was creating problems as the operating
system sometimes rejected fingerprint
matching in the cases of growing children, manual labourers and senior
citizens. The problem was further compounded in periods of low WiFi connectivity. The distributors, in such cases, resorted to
personal discretion when they could identify the recipient.
Vikas had to address this problem on priority. Strictly adhering to
government regulations would ensure fiscal probity but would greatly trouble
the proposed beneficiary, i.e. EWS. It may even impinge on their fundamental
right to life as per Article 21 of the Constitution. Conversely, leaving the
resolution solely to the discretion of the distributors could lead to misuse
and leakages.
(a) What
are the options open to Vikas? How should he balance fiscal probity with
empathy towards the designated beneficiaries?
(b) Discuss
the ethics of using technology as a gatekeeper for welfare schemes.
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11. Rajapuram is a border district.
Jhara and Biru, its two major communities
are in continual conflict with each other. The social fabric is fractured
and demands immediate mending.
Ethnic tensions between the two communities have erupted into violence resulting in a large number of
deaths. The stated causes are conflicting land claims, uneven
resource allocation and inadequate political representation in government
bodies. Separate relief camps had to be created for the two communities. The
situation is volatile and appears to be getting out of control.
Rajan has been appointed as District Magistrate (DM) of Rajapuram and tasked
to quickly get the situation under control. His immediate tasks include
restoring administrative authority, reopening the highway and initiating peace
talks. On taking over his appointment, Rajan realized that the inter-community
rivalry had even seeped into the local administration and police. With
functional neutrality being the immediate casualty, it had made both
communities distrustful of the
government. The neighbouring country
could utilize the opportunity to spur insurgent activity and further aggravate
the situation.
Rajan favoured a controlled approach starting with opening the highway to
restore food and medical supplies. He toyed with the idea of requisitioning
CRPF units to help restore administrative control.
(a) Discuss
the ethical issues that need to be addressed in this case.
(b) What
are the options open to Rajan? Which option would ensure protection of his
non-partisan image without compromising ethics?
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12. Ajit has
been recently promoted as the Head of the Department of Weapon Sales (DWS) in
the Ministry of Defence Production (MDP). His charter of duties includes
international sales of weapons produced domestically by MDP.
In two recent wars, MDP weapons have performed admirably, resulting in many countries showing interest in
buying them, particularly long-range artillery and missiles. Country A and
country B have asked for these weapons. However, production constraints restrict DWS to accept only one purchase order.
Country A is a developing nation with
a sound technology base. MDP is planning R&D
collaboration with it for the next generation of weapons. It is not part of any security alliance and
needs weapons for protection from a troublesome neighbour. It seeks a large acquisition on a long-term loan.
Country B is also a developing
nation. Military strength is its
priority, with the military budget often ingressing into allocations for
human resources and infrastructure development. It is in security alliance with a superpower who has a large military base
there and periodically allots it financial grants. It is a member of an economic bloc with which the government is currently
negotiating a free trade agreement. It is not a signatory of NPT but possesses smaller nuclear weapons and
delivery systems. It supports some
guerilla forces abroad. It has sought a smaller acquisition and is prepared
to make some advance payment. It is
currently negotiating arms purchases from another nation too.
Ajit discussed this case with his counterparts in the related departments.
Therein, significant economic benefits, employment generation and stronger
diplomatic relations arising from this sale were highlighted. It was also
emphasized that refusing the deal could result in country B purchasing weapons
from some other supplier.
Ajit was aware that in arms sales, due diligence at each stage was pivotal
to ensure conformity to national policy and international treaties.
(a) Discuss
the options available to Ajit. Which option should he select and why?
(b) How
can Ajit balance nation’s economic and strategic interests with ethical
considerations?
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