GS4 · UPSC Mains

IAS , , , , - , , - , - , AXY, , - AXY - " " " " , , CBC, - , , , - - , "AXY" , : " , , CBC " - - CBC : " " , , AXY " " " " - (a) (Ethical Issues) ? (b) ? (Ethical Reasoning) (c) , ? 20 You are a senior IAS officer appointed as the Relief Commissioner of a state that has been hit by severe monsoon floods. Several districts are under water, thousands are displaced, and the Chief Minister has declared a state emergency. You are overseeing emergency coordination across districts. Relief materials - food, water, medicine, and tents - are limited, and logistics are strained. One particular district, AXY, has a strong media presence and politically sensitive, as a high-profile bye-election is due to take place there in a few weeks. The District Magistrate of AXY calls your office repeatedly, asking for an urgent increase in relief allocation, citing worsening conditions and "unavoidable political visibility." Meanwhile, another interior district - CBC - is worse hit on all official impact parameters: casualty numbers, infrastructure damage, and displacement. However, it is remote, under-reported, and lacks media or political visibility. The local Collector, a relatively junior officer, sends data-driven reports but makes no political noise. Your control room staff quietly suggests prioritizing AXY due to its visibility: "That's where our phones ring off the hook. If something goes wrong, the Commissioner's office won't ask about CBC." There is no clear guideline on prioritisation. Your logistics officer proposes splitting materials evenly - but that would undermine CBC's critical need. Your written mandate only says, "Ensure equitable and prompt distribution based on need and urgency." To complicate matters further, you receive a call from the Chief Minister's Office, "urging" that AXY's issues be given "immediate attention" - though no official order follows. Questions (a) What are the ethical issues and dilemmas you can identify in this situation? (b) What are the options available to you? Evaluate them in terms of ethical reasoning and governance impact. (c) What will be your course of action, and how will you justify it using principles of public service ethics? (Answer in 250 words)

20 marks · 250 words · 5 toppers answered this

GS4 · Case studies on the above issues GS4 · Public/civil service values & ethics in public administration — status & problems; ethical concerns & dilemmas; conflict of interest

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