IASbaba’s TLP – 2020 Phase 1 : UPSC Mains General Studies Questions[21st Feb,2020] – Day 100

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Hello Friends,

Welcome to IAS UPSC, TLP- 2020, Day 100. Questions are based on General Studies Paper 4, Ethics

Click on the links and then answer respective questions! 

1. Your best friend recommended your name to her company and you get selected for the position of Case Manager in the Legal Team. Your job is to ensure that the employees are adhering to the bond of employment that they agree to at the time of on-boarding that include confidentiality, non-disclosure, not taking any other employment while working with the company, adhering to notice period limit while leaving the organisation and so on. While everything was going great, the Senior HR Manager calls you and discloses something that shocks you. She tells you that your best friend is passing on vital confidential data to a rival company. The amount of revenue loss because of this breach is enormous and the senior management wants to take immediate action against your friend. However, they want solid proof against her. The HR Manager requests you create a fake Whattsapp profile and try gather some evidence from your friend. The Manager promises immediate promotion to you if you are able to gather solid actionable evidence against your friend. 

Do you see an ethical dilemma or conflict of interest here?  How would you manage this situation? What would be your immediate response to the HR Manager? Would you accept her offer of deny it straightaway? Will you talk to your friend regarding this? Discuss.

2. You are posted as the DCP of an urban district. There is a huge protest going on against a legislation passed by the Government. It has been a month since the protesters have jammed an important road connecting the main city with a neighbouring satellite city. Commuters have been complaining about the roadblock. However, since the protest is sensitive, no one is willing do do anything about it. One morning, you receive a disturbing news from the spot of protest. Your immediate subordinate gave orders to the stationed police personnel to disperse the crowd by lathi charging and tear gas. While the road was cleared within minutes, many protesters got injured. The media has assembled at the protest spot and demanding the resignation of top police officials for this brutality. Upon further enquiry, a lot more details are revealed. There was an ambulance carrying two severely injured people who had already lost of blood in a bike accident. The ambulance was trying to find a way to reach the hospital but the protesting crowd was not relenting. Your subordinate repeatedly requested the crowd to give way but no one moved. Finally, as a matter of last resort, he ordered lathi charge to disperse the crowd so that the ambulance finds a way. In doing so, he violated the protocol of taking orders from you first and then directing his juniors for any further action. This constitutes a disciplinary action. Moreover, his action is supposed to malign the police department even more.     

How do you read this situation? Was the officer right? Critically examine. Will it be prudent to take disciplinary action against the officer for saving the lives of injured people? Are his actions justified by the ends he wanted to achieve? Critically analyse.