Ethics: July 2025 UPSC Current Affairs | UPSC Mains: Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude PDF Download

Case Study 1: The Corrupt Tender Process

You are a mid-level civil servant in the Public Works Department, responsible for overseeing the tender process for a major infrastructure project in your district. A close relative of a powerful local politician approaches you privately, offering a substantial bribe to manipulate the bidding in favor of their company, which is technically unqualified. Awarding the contract to them could lead to substandard work, endangering public safety and wasting taxpayer money. However, refusing might invite political backlash, potentially derailing your career and leading to transfers or harassment. The project is crucial for the district's development, and delays could harm the local economy.
In such circumstances, would it be right to accept the bribe and favor the relative's company?
(a) Identify the moral dilemma faced by you.
(b) Analyse your role and duties as a responsible civil servant, also suggest your course of action.
Ans: (a) The moral dilemma revolves around the conflict between personal gain and professional integrity versus public interest and ethical governance. On one hand, accepting the bribe could secure short-term benefits like career stability and financial rewards, but it undermines the principles of fairness, transparency, and accountability in public administration. On the other, rejecting it upholds ethical standards but risks personal and professional repercussions, such as retaliation from influential figures, highlighting the tension between self-preservation and duty to society.
(b) As a responsible civil servant, your primary role is to act as a custodian of public resources, ensuring impartiality, efficiency, and adherence to laws like the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and the Code of Conduct for Civil Servants. Your duties include conducting fair tender processes, preventing malpractices, and prioritizing public welfare over personal or political pressures. The course of action should be to firmly reject the bribe, document the approach for evidence, report it to higher authorities or the Anti-Corruption Bureau, and proceed with a transparent evaluation of bids. This aligns with ethical theories like deontology, emphasizing duty-bound actions, and promotes long-term trust in governance.

Case Study 2: The Compromised Medical Ethics

You are a senior doctor in a government hospital, facing a severe shortage of beds and resources during a health crisis. A wealthy businessman offers a large donation to the hospital in exchange for prioritizing his family member's treatment over other critical patients on the waiting list, including those from economically weaker sections. Accepting could improve hospital facilities for many in the long run, but it violates the principle of equitable healthcare. Refusing might mean losing the donation, exacerbating resource constraints, while your career could benefit from the association with the donor.
In such circumstances, would it be right to prioritize the businessman's family for the donation?
(a) Identify the moral dilemma faced by you.
(b) Analyse your role and duties as a responsible doctor, also suggest your course of action.
Ans: (a) The moral dilemma lies in balancing utilitarian benefits—where the donation could enhance overall hospital capacity and save more lives indirectly—against the deontological imperative of justice and equality in medical care. Prioritizing based on wealth erodes the ethical foundation of public health services, potentially leading to discrimination, but rejecting it might perpetuate resource scarcity, affecting vulnerable patients and highlighting the clash between immediate equity and long-term welfare.

(b) As a responsible doctor, your role is guided by the Hippocratic Oath and regulations like the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002, emphasizing non-discrimination, patient welfare, and resource allocation based on medical need rather than influence. Your duties include maintaining impartiality, advocating for systemic improvements, and reporting unethical offers. The suggested course of action is to decline the conditional donation, inform hospital administration for transparent handling, explore alternative funding sources like government schemes, and adhere to triage protocols. This upholds virtue ethics by fostering integrity and ensures sustainable ethical practice in healthcare.

Case Study 3: The Whistleblower's Predicament

You are an honest police inspector who has uncovered evidence of widespread corruption within your department, involving senior officers siphoning funds from a community policing initiative. Reporting it could expose the racket, leading to reforms and justice, but it might invite threats to your safety, ostracism from colleagues, and stunted career growth. Keeping silent preserves your position and personal security but allows the corruption to continue, eroding public trust in law enforcement and harming community welfare.
In such circumstances, would it be right to remain silent about the corruption?
(a) Identify the moral dilemma faced by you.
(b) Analyse your role and duties as a responsible police officer, also suggest your course of action.
Ans: (a) The moral dilemma centers on the conflict between loyalty to the institution and personal safety versus the ethical obligation to truth and accountability. Silence protects immediate self-interest and departmental harmony but perpetuates injustice and moral erosion, while whistleblowing upholds righteousness at the cost of potential harm, embodying the tension between consequentialism (outcomes like safety) and principled action.
(b) As a responsible police officer, your role under the Police Act, 1861, and ethical guidelines involves upholding the rule of law, preventing corruption, and serving the public with integrity and impartiality. Duties include investigating malpractices, protecting public funds, and fostering transparency. The course of action should be to gather irrefutable evidence discreetly, report through protected channels like the Central Vigilance Commission or under the Whistle Blowers Protection Act, 2014, and seek support from trusted superiors or external agencies. This promotes ethical leadership and aligns with Gandhian principles of truth and non-compromise with evil, ultimately strengthening institutional integrity.

Case Study 4: The Environmental Clearance Dilemma

You are an environmental officer tasked with assessing a proposed industrial project in a ecologically sensitive area. The project promises significant job creation and economic growth for the region, backed by influential corporate lobbyists who subtly pressure you with offers of future consultations or favors. However, your analysis reveals it would cause irreversible damage to local biodiversity and water sources, affecting indigenous communities. Approving it could boost your reputation as development-friendly, aiding career advancement, but denying it might label you as obstructive, leading to professional isolation.
In such circumstances, would it be right to grant clearance despite the environmental risks?
(a) Identify the moral dilemma faced by you.
(b) Analyse your role and duties as a responsible environmental officer, also suggest your course of action.
Ans: (a) The moral dilemma arises from the tradeoff between economic development and sustainable environmental protection, pitting short-term societal benefits like employment against long-term ecological harm and intergenerational equity. Approval serves immediate utilitarian gains but violates stewardship principles, while denial upholds ethics at the risk of economic backlash, illustrating the conflict between progress and preservation.
(b) As a responsible environmental officer, your role under laws like the Environment Protection Act, 1986, involves safeguarding natural resources, conducting unbiased assessments, and prioritizing sustainability over vested interests. Duties include enforcing regulations, consulting stakeholders, and recommending alternatives. The suggested course of action is to deny clearance based on evidence, propose eco-friendly modifications, engage in public consultations, and escalate to higher authorities if pressured. This embodies environmental ethics, such as the precautionary principle, and ensures balanced development without compromising future generations' rights.

Case Study 5: The Academic Integrity Challenge

You are a principal of a government school where students from affluent and politically connected families have been caught cheating in board examinations using leaked papers provided by a corrupt staff member. Exposing this could lead to scandals, parental backlash, and potential funding cuts from influential donors, jeopardizing the school's operations and your position. However, ignoring it undermines educational fairness, demotivates honest students, and perpetuates inequality. Addressing it might inspire reforms but invite personal vendettas.
In such circumstances, would it be right to cover up the cheating incident?
(a) Identify the moral dilemma faced by you.
(b) Analyse your role and duties as a responsible educator, also suggest your course of action.
Ans: (a) The moral dilemma involves reconciling institutional stability and personal security with the pursuit of justice and meritocracy in education. Covering up maintains short-term harmony and resources but erodes moral values and equality, whereas exposure enforces accountability at the cost of immediate disruptions, highlighting the tension between pragmatism and ethical idealism.
(b) As a responsible educator, your role under the Right to Education Act, 2009, and ethical standards entails fostering a fair learning environment, promoting integrity, and protecting vulnerable students from discrimination. Duties include investigating irregularities, enforcing discipline, and modeling ethical behavior. The course of action should be to report the incident to the education board, conduct an internal inquiry, counsel involved parties, and implement preventive measures like stricter invigilation. This aligns with virtue ethics by cultivating honesty and contributes to building a just society through education.