Questions
Case Study: You are an IPS officer who has a great record of upholding rule of law and ensuring justice. You are recently transferred to a city facing the problem of rising number of Covid-19 cases and casualties on a daily basis. The situation has gone out of hand and to tackle the challenge of pandemic, a lockdown is imposed in the city to slow down the spread of the infection. Strict rules and regulation were brought into action in the view of the seriousness of the situation. However, shops and businesses dealing with essential items like fruits, vegetables, dairy products and medicine are allowed to remain open. Wearing a mask and maintaining social distancing have been declared to be mandatory. Penal consequences have been prescribed for those who fail to comply with the mandatory guidelines. You and your team are taking strict measures against law breakers and to create an effective deterrent, the fine for not wearing a mask in public has been increased in the city. Temples, mosques and other religious places have been closed. Digital tools are being promoted to fill in for the need to congregate for religious rituals and prayers. Malls, gyms, salons and cinema halls have also been shut. Special functions such as marriages are allowed only after obtaining due permission, which is given for a limited number of guests and limited duration of time. One day, you got information that a marriage is taking place in contravention of all the containment norms related to pandemic. It has a guest list running into hundreds of people but has the administrative permission for only fifty guests. With attendees not wearing masks or following other pandemic related guidelines, the event has potential to turn into a super spreader event for the infection. The wedding is of the ruling party MLAs niece. When you tried to take action against the violations taking place in the marriage, political pressure was created on you. You then approached your seniors for aid in controlling the situation and taking action. Your seniors suggested to you that you should avoid taking any action. You are told that the MLA is a very powerful man with huge political backing.
In this situation, answer the following:
a. Identify various stakeholders in this case study and discuss ethical issues that you are faced with.
b. What is the most suitable course of action amongst the options that are available to you?
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Model Solutions
Case Study: You are an IPS officer who has a great record of upholding rule of law and ensuring justice. You are recently transferred to a city facing the problem of rising number of Covid-19 cases and casualties on a daily basis. The situation has gone out of hand and to tackle the challenge of pandemic, a lockdown is imposed in the city to slow down the spread of the infection. Strict rules and regulation were brought into action in the view of the seriousness of the situation. However, shops and businesses dealing with essential items like fruits, vegetables, dairy products and medicine are allowed to remain open. Wearing a mask and maintaining social distancing have been declared to be mandatory. Penal consequences have been prescribed for those who fail to comply with the mandatory guidelines. You and your team are taking strict measures against law breakers and to create an effective deterrent, the fine for not wearing a mask in public has been increased in the city. Temples, mosques and other religious places have been closed. Digital tools are being promoted to fill in for the need to congregate for religious rituals and prayers. Malls, gyms, salons and cinema halls have also been shut. Special functions such as marriages are allowed only after obtaining due permission, which is given for a limited number of guests and limited duration of time. One day, you got information that a marriage is taking place in contravention of all the containment norms related to pandemic. It has a guest list running into hundreds of people but has the administrative permission for only fifty guests. With attendees not wearing masks or following other pandemic related guidelines, the event has potential to turn into a super spreader event for the infection. The wedding is of the ruling party MLAs niece. When you tried to take action against the violations taking place in the marriage, political pressure was created on you. You then approached your seniors for aid in controlling the situation and taking action. Your seniors suggested to you that you should avoid taking any action. You are told that the MLA is a very powerful man with huge political backing.
In this situation, answer the following:
a. Identify various stakeholders in this case study and discuss ethical issues that you are faced with.
b. What is the most suitable course of action amongst the options that are available to you?
Model Structure
Introduction:
- Professional integrity of a civil service often comes under conflict due to real or apparent threats to personal and professional well-being.
- The work-ethics of a civil servant demand him to render selfless service in public interest. The given case presents a similar conflict.
Main Body:
- Various stakeholders in the case whose interests are under threat:
- Common public has a threat against public health, safety and economic well being.
- Medical staff who are already overburdened, may face additional inflow of patients creating new sets of challenges for them.
- My subordinates can have their professional and personal well-being at stake due to personal and professional retribution from political class.
- Senior officials have professional accountability as well as professional well-being at stake.
- Family of bride and bride-groom has their cultural values and personal happiness under threat.
- I have a threat against my professional integrity, professional wellbeing and personal reputation.
- Ethical Issues in the case:
- Conflict between my professional integrity & responsibility and professional well-being.
- Conflict between public interest of health, safety and economic distress due to pandemic and self-interests of happiness and pleasure through celebration.
- Conflict between traditional values of festivities and congregation in marriage and modern outlook.
- Conflict between cultural freedom and common good.
Available Choices:
- Acting for my personal well-being: This would involve not taking action against the marriage event and its organizers.
2. Acting in public interest: This would involve taking action for violation of containment norms.
Conclusion:
- Acting in public interest would be the optimum choice. It is in line with my duty to ensure rule of law. It delivers justice to the worst-off sections who have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
- It also offers an opportunity for me to display my professional competence, such as through delivering public good in face of adverse situations and challenging circumstances. Threats from the political class would need to be managed by the political class with maturity. Professional wellbeing and public interest would, thus, be on the same page.