Ethics in International Relations

 

India's Vision for a Peaceful Neighborhood

Just War Theory

Child Labour in Extreme Backward Area

 Rampura, a remote district inhabited by a tribal population, is marked by extreme backwardness and abject (extreme) poverty. Agriculture is the mainstay of the local population, though it is subsistence due to the very small landholdings. There is insignificant industrial or mining activity. Even the targeted welfare programs have inadequately benefited the tribal population. In this restrictive scenario, the youth has begun to migrate to other states to supplement the family income.

Plight of minor girls is that their parents are persuaded by labour contractors to send them to work in the Bt Cotton farms of a nearby state. The soft fingers of the minor girls are well suited for plucking the cotton.

The inadequate living and working conditions in these farms have caused serious health issues for the minor girls.

NGOs in the districts of domicile and the cotton farms appear to be compromised and have not effectively espoused the twin issues of child labour and development of the area.

You are appointed as the District Collector of Rampura.

a)      Identify the ethical issues involved.

b)      Which specific steps will you initiate to ameliorate the conditions of minor girls of your district and to improve the overall economic scenario in the district (250 words)

Key points

Ethical Issues

·         Administrative apathy and lack of political will: Failure to address tribal backwardness, poverty and inadequate implementation of welfare schemes.

·         Lack of proactive governance: Absence of timely interventions to prevent distress migration and exploitation.

·         Distributive injustice: Unequal access to livelihood opportunities, education, healthcare and basic amenities.

·         Child labour and exploitation: Employment of minor girls violates their dignity, rights and legal protections.

·         Violation of human dignity: Treating children as instruments of economic gain rather than individuals with intrinsic worth (Against Kantian ethics).

·         Corruption: Failure of officials to discharge their responsibilities effectively.

·         Compromised civil society: Failure of NGOs to uphold accountability and protect vulnerable communities.

Steps - Minor Girls

·          Rescue and rehabilitation

·          Provision of healthcare

·          Implementation of Right to Education

·          Vocational training + Skill development

·          Consult - Bachpan Bachao Andholan – Kailash Satyarthi

·          Effective implementation of Child labour law

·          SABLA – Adolescent girls – Nutrition and Skills

Steps - Overall Economic Scenario

·          Stakeholders - NGOs, SHGs, Media, Local/religious leaders

·          NGO – Regulation and motivation; positive collaboration

·          Political will – persuasion; reports; generates funds;

·          Modernization of Agriculture – Irrigation; method; transport; price; marketing;

·          Welfare Schemes – Meeting with employees; motivation; steps

·          Industries – Agri-based; small scale; food processing; labour intensive; Ease of doing;

·          Employment - MGNREGA; Self employment, Skill development

Rescue Order in a Disaster

 There is a disaster-prone State having frequent landslides, forest fires, cloudbursts, flash floods and earthquakes, etc. Some of these are seasonal and often unpredictable. The magnitude of the disaster is always unanticipated. During one of the seasons, a cloudburst caused devastating floods and landslides leading to high casualties. There was major damage to infrastructure like roads, bridges and power generating units. This led to more than 100000 pilgrims, tourists and other locals trapped across different routes and locations.

The people trapped in your area of responsibility included senior citizens, patients in hospitals, women and children, hikers, tourists, ruling party’s regional president along with his family, additional chief secretary of the neighboring State and prisoners in jail.

As a civil services officer of the State, what would be the order in which you would rescue these people and why? Give justifications.

* Not a Model Answer

As a civil services officer, my primary responsibility is to save as many lives as possible in a disaster situation.

·         Right to life

·         Urgency

·         Vulnerability

·         Utilitarianism

·         Dedication to Public Service

The order in which I would rescue the people is as follows:

Patients in Hospital

·         Physical vulnerable – medical condition

·         Psychological distress – Sudden disruption of medical services

·         Critically ill patients – first priority

Senior Citizens, Women and Children

·         SC – Limited mobility

·         Women – Pregnant women, Lactating mothers – Special attention

·         Children – May not understand the seriousness of the issue

Tourist

·         Not familiar with local geography

·         May not know the local disaster-management mechanisms

·         Athithi Devo bhava

·         No discrimination – Domestic or international

Prisoners

·         Arrange additional force – Secure location

·         Right to life

·         No discrimination – Trial or convict, serious crimes or Minor crimes

Additional Chief Secretary

·         Administrative experience, communication networks and knowledge of DM Mechanisms

·         If not facing immediate threat – delay

Regional President

·         Access to local networks and resources

·         Regional president and family members – As per vulnerability and urgency

Hikers

·         Physical fit, well trained with survival techniques

·         Comparative less priority

These priorities are based on the urgency of the situation, vulnerability of the individuals, and availability of resources. However, the situation may change dynamically, and the priorities may need to be revised accordingly. As a civil services officer, it is my duty to ensure that the rescue operations are conducted efficiently and effectively to save as many lives as possible.

 

Conscience as a Source of Ethical Guidance

 What is the role of conscience as a source of ethical guidance in public administration? Explain with examples where following one's conscience led to ethical governance despite legality and political pressures. 

 

·         Conscience – Is it right?

·         Public administration – is it legal?

·         Conscience in Public Administration – Is it legal? Is it in the public interest? Is it ethical?

Examples

·         Old woman without documents

·         Demolition of Slums

·         TN Seshan

·         Armstrong Pame

Limitations

·         Subjectivity

·         Bias

·         May be used to justify favoritism, violation of laws/rules/regulations

Conscience + Law of the land + Public Interest + Weaker Section

Ethics 2026 Section B

                                                    SECTION B

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.

Ethical Issues

·         Patient - Autonomy

·         Doctor – Beneficence

·         Doctor – Non-maleficence –To prevent future pain 

·         Beneficence does not automatically override autonomy

·         Paternalism – Only when it is necessary; To be extra careful when we are taking irreversible decisions

·         Trust in Healthcare professional

·         Informed Consent – Adequate information; what? Benefits? Risks? Alternatives?

·         Lata approached court – appropriate; Doctor – Opportunity to explain

Moral Conduct of the Doctor

Merits

·         Concern for the patient welfare

·         Consultation with a family member

·         Communication to Lata after Surgery

Demerits

·         Failure to respect Patient Autonomy

·         Consent to laparoscopy vs consent to hysterectomy

·         Relative’s Consent vs Patent’s consent

·         There was no emergency to take decision

Ethical Decision Making

·         Intention – Procedures - Consequences

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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.

Public Security and Human Rights

Ethical Issues – AI-driven Data Policing

·         AI systems learn patterns from trained data

·         Historical data vs Present Status

·         Security Measures vs Unjustified restrictions

·         Targets areas – More surveillance – More arrests – More bias

·         Unrestricted Surveillance and preventive detention – Affects individual liberty; climate of fear;

·         Transparency and Accountability - If we do not understand AI’s logic – How can we explain - Why has he been tracked? Why police deployment in such location?

·         Empathy and Compassion towards weaker section – immigrant and low-income area

Alternatives Discussion

Continue with the Present System

·         + Public order and law enforcement may improve

·         -  May violate privacy and undermine public trust

Immediate Discontinue Permanently

·         + Concern for the weaker section – Talisman

·         - Failure to use the technology (AI)

Recommended Course of Action

·         AI – Assistant vs Boss

·         Training to the stakeholders - Purpose of technology and its limitations

·         Effective GRM

·         Community Engagement

·         Objectivity and Impartality

AI –To be used to strengthen policing not to replace human judgement

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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.

Ethical Issues

·         Unusually Large backlogs – Lack of transparency and accountability

·         Bribes – Official power - Public interest vs Personal benefit;

·         Selective approval – Partiality and Abuse of discretionary power

·         A small group of touts controlling - Lack of respect/fear towards to legal consequences

·         Some employees are afraid to process application – Fear of consequences – Lack of Professional Integrity

Available Options

·         Ignore the corruption and Clear the backlogs

·         Aggressive investigation and strict action

·         Conduct a confidential, evidence – based investigation while maintaining essential services

Recommended Option and Justification

·         Empathy – Farmers and applicants

·         Objectivity – Facts and evidences; Time-bound enquiry

·         Impartiality - Seriousness of allegations and appropriate disciplinary action

·         Justice - Protect honest employees – Retaliation from touts

·         Dedicated team to review the pending applications – Realistic deadlines

·         Transparency – Awareness and Digital tracking

Individual Responsibility and Institutional Reforms

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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.

 

Conflict between Procedural Compliance vs Substantive Justice

Available Options

·         Enforce bio-metric authentication without exceptions

·         Allow distributors complete discretion

·         Improve technological and administrative infrastructure

Balance Fiscal Probity with Empathy

·         Consultation and coordination with relevant departments

·         Providing staff training

·         Improving connectivity

·         Maintaining reliable equipment

·         Alternative authentication – Authorised records;

·         Maintain records of alternative authentication – open for scrutiny

Technology as a Gatekeeper for Welfare Schemes

Advantages

·         + Reduction of leakages (duplicate claims)

·         + Transparency – Easy to track

·         + Speed up the service delivery

·         + Limit opportunities for favoritism

Ethical Concerns

·         - Exclusion of genuine beneficiaries

·         - Procedural justice vs substantive justice

·         - Accountability (Who is responsible for exclusion)

·         - Digital Divide

Ethical Governance = Reliable technology and human oversight

Technology – Bridge (Citizens and entitlements) vs Barrier