Revision summary
The clash is leakage control versus a paper-poor woman who is clearly destitute. Enrolling with a blank file, or sending her away, both fail. Read the scheme’s inquiry and certificate substitutes; verify neighbours and revenue facts this week. Use separate interim humanitarian funds, food and shelter so she is not hungry during the process. Help her obtain Aadhaar and simplified KYC, record a speaking order, and make the route public so it is not a private favour.
Model answer
Introduction
The scheme exists for women like her. The file asks for papers she does not have. Blind enrolment is lawlessness. Blind refusal is cruelty. A rational officer uses the purpose of the rule, not a photocopy as a god.
Body
Stakeholders
- The old, illiterate, destitute woman in front of you.
- Other eligible women who waited in the queue with papers, and ineligible claimants who would copy a back door.
- The government that funded the scheme and wrote eligibility rules against leakage.
- Local verification machinery: panchayat, anganwadi, police station, revenue inspector.
- You as the implementing officer, bound by both Conduct Rules and Article 21 dignity.
Values and the dilemma
- Compassion and non-maleficence versus integrity, equality and the rule of law.
- The dilemma is real: Section-and-form versus a person who will otherwise sleep hungry.
- It is not a licence to invent a private scheme. It is a duty to use every lawful door the scheme already hides in footnotes: inquiry, provisional relief, and help to obtain documents.
Options
- Option 1: Enrol her today with a blank file.
- Merit: immediate relief.
- Demerit: you break the rule, invite a raid of false cases, and may later see her struck off with recovery she cannot pay.
- Option 2: Send her away until she brings papers.
- Merit: literal compliance.
- Demerit: an illiterate destitute woman cannot conjure a birth certificate; this is cruelty dressed as regularity.
- Option 3: Temporary humane support plus a time-bound, recorded local inquiry that creates the missing proof under the scheme’s own verification clause, then regular enrolment.
(a)–(b) Rational resolution and reasons
- Read the scheme. Most old-age and destitute-women schemes allow local inquiry, a certificate from a gazetted officer or sarpanch, and self-declaration with witnesses, precisely because the poorest are paper-poor. Use that clause; do not wait for a passport.
- Order a same-week field verification: neighbours, anganwadi, ration dealer, and revenue records of “no land”. Put photographs and signed witness statements on the file.
- Meanwhile, do not leave her on the road. Use lawful interim doors: the Chief Minister’s or District Red Cross / poor-patient / contingency relief fund; a one-time assistance order with reasons; food through the National Food Security Act, 2013 if a household can be constituted; night shelter. This is not “the scheme without papers”; it is a different, recorded humanitarian window.
- Help her get documents: Aadhaar enrolment camp, age certificate by medical board if the scheme allows, residence certificate, and opening of a bank or post-office account with simplified KYC for the low-risk poor.
- If the scheme is National Social Assistance Programme / State widow or destitute pension, follow its “no rejection for want of a document that the State can itself create” spirit. Many State orders already say inquiry can substitute.
- Equality: publish that this inquiry route exists, so that the next woman is not a secret favour. A private exception is unfair to the queue; a public procedure is justice.
- Integrity: you never ask a tout’s fee; you never enrol a person whom inquiry shows is not destitute.
- Record reasons: “literal documents absent; statutory purpose met by verification dated …; interim relief from … until pension port opens.” A speaking order protects you and her.
- If higher rules truly forbid any substitute, send a written proposal for a government order creating an “undocumented destitute” category, and still use interim relief today. You do not sit on the woman while Delhi answers.
- Reasons this is rational: it honours the object of the scheme (support the destitute old woman), honours anti-leakage (inquiry, not a wink), honours equality (a replicable process), and honours humanity (no empty-handed refusal).
What you will not do
- Forge her age or borrow another woman’s Aadhaar.
- Make her a bonded client of a middleman.
Flow diagram
flowchart TD WOM[Destitute woman no papers] --> DIL[Rules versus cruelty] DIL --> INQ[Same-week field inquiry] DIL --> INT[Interim food shelter fund] INQ --> DOC[Create lawful proof] DOC --> ENR[Enrol in scheme] INT --> ENR
Conclusion
The rational path is not fake papers and not a slammed window. Verify her destitution on the ground, open every lawful interim relief, help her obtain identity, and enrol through the scheme’s inquiry substitute. Compassion with a file is still the rule of law.
Quick related
Students also ask
-
Case study. You are a young, aspiring and sincere employee in a Government office working as an assistant to the director of your department. Since you have joined recently, you need to lean and progress. Luckily your superior is very kind and ready to train you for your job. He is a very intelligent and well-informed person having knowledge of various departments. In short, you respect your boss and are looking forward to lean a lot from him. Since you have good tuning with the boss, he started depending on you. One day due to ill health he invited you at his place for finishing some urgent work. You reached his house and before you could ring the bell you heard shouting noises. You waited for a while. After entering the house the boss greeted you and explained the work. But you were constantly disturbed by the crying of a woman. At last, you inquired with the boss but his answer did not satisfy you. Next day, you were compelled to inquire further in the office and found out that his behavior is very bad at home with his wife. He also beats up bit wife. His wife is not well educated and is a simple woman in comparison to her husband. you see that though your boss is a nice person in the office, he is engaged in domestic violence at home. In such a situation, you are left with the following options. Analyse each option with its consequences. (a) Just ignore thinking about it because it is their personal matter. (b) Repost the case to the appropriate authority. (c) Your own innovative approach towards situation.
Next question on this syllabus topic (2016 · Q14). View answer →
-
Is field inquiry itself a violation of the scheme?
Only if the scheme forbids it. Most destitute-women schemes expect local inquiry because the target group is undocumented. Read the order; do not invent a ban.
-
What if inquiry shows she has a supporting son?
Then she may fail destitution. Compassion is not a duty to fake eligibility. Point her to other services and still treat her civilly.
PYQ trend
When UPSC asked this
Related PYQs from other years, newest first. Open a question to read it.
-
2016 · Q9 · GS IV · 20 marks
Case study. ABC Ltd. is a large transnational company having diversified business activities with a huge shareholder base. The company is continuously expanding the generating employment. The company, in its expansion and diversification programme, decides to establish a new plant at Vikaspuri, an area which is underdeveloped. The new plant is designed to use energy efficient technology that will help the company to save production cost by 20%. The company's decision goes well with the Government policy of attracting investment to develop such underdeveloped regions. The government has also announced tax holiday for five years for the companies that invest in underdeveloped areas. However, the new plant may bring chaos for the inhabitants of Vikaspuri region, which is otherwise tranquil. The new plant may result in increased cost of living, aliens migrating to the region, disturbing the social and economic order. The company sensing the possible protest tried to educate the people of Vikaspuri region and public in general that how its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy would help overcome the likely difficulties of the residents of Vikaspuri region. In spite of this the protests begin and some of the residents decided to approach the judiciary as their plea before the Government did not yield any result. (a) Identify the issues involved in the case. (b) What can be suggested to satisfy the company's goal and to address the residents' concern? -
2016 · Q10 · GS IV · 20 marks
Case study. Saraswati was a successful IT professional in USA. Moved by patriotic sense of doing something for the country she returned to India. Together with some other like-minded friends, she formed an NGO to build a school for a poor rural community. The objective of the school was to provide the best quality modern education at a nominal cost. She soon discovered that she has to seek permission from a number of Government agencies. The rules and procedures were quite confusing and cumbersome. What frustrated her most were delays, callous attitude of officials and constant demand for bribes. Her experience and the experience of many others like her have deterred people from taking up social service projects. A measure of Government control over voluntary social work is necessary. But it should not be exercised in a coercive a corrupt manner. What measures can you suggest to ensure that due control is exercised but well meaning, honest NGO efforts are not thwarted? -
2016 · Q11 · GS IV · 20 marks
Case study. A fresh engineering graduate gets a job in a prestigious chemical industry. She likes the work. The salary is also good. However, after a few months she accidentally discovers that a highly toxic waste is being secretly discharged into a river nearby. This is causing health problems to the villagers downstream who depend on the river for their water needs. She is perturbed and mentions her concern to her colleagues who have been with the company for longer periods. They advise her to keep quite as anyone who mentions the topic is summarily dismissed. She cannot risk losing her job as she is the sole beard-winner for her family and has to support her ailing parents and siblings. At first, she thinks that if her seniors are keeping quiet, why should she stick out her neck. But her conscience pricks her to do something to save the river and the people who depend upon it. At heart she feels that the advice of silence given by her friends is not correct though she cannot give reasons for it. She thinks you are a wise person and seeks your advice. (a) What arguments can you advance to show her that keeping quiet is not morally right? (b) What course of action would you advice her to adopt and why? -
2016 · Q12 · GS IV · 20 marks
Case study. Land needed for mining, dams and other largescale projects is acquired mostly from Adivasis, hill dwellers and rural communities. The displaced persons are paid monetary compensation as per the legal provisions. However, the payment is often tardy. In any case, it cannot sustain the displaced families for long. These people do not possess marketable skills to engage in some other accusation. They end up as low paid migrant laborers. Moreover, the development goes to industries, industrialists and urban communities whereas the costs are passed on to these poor helpless people. This unjust distribution of costs and benefits is unethical. Suppose you have been entrusted with the task of drafting a better compensation-cum-rehabilitation policy for such displaced persons, how would you approach the problem and what would be the main elements of your suggested policy? -
2016 · Q14 · GS IV · 20 marks
Case study. You are a young, aspiring and sincere employee in a Government office working as an assistant to the director of your department. Since you have joined recently, you need to lean and progress. Luckily your superior is very kind and ready to train you for your job. He is a very intelligent and well-informed person having knowledge of various departments. In short, you respect your boss and are looking forward to lean a lot from him. Since you have good tuning with the boss, he started depending on you. One day due to ill health he invited you at his place for finishing some urgent work. You reached his house and before you could ring the bell you heard shouting noises. You waited for a while. After entering the house the boss greeted you and explained the work. But you were constantly disturbed by the crying of a woman. At last, you inquired with the boss but his answer did not satisfy you. Next day, you were compelled to inquire further in the office and found out that his behavior is very bad at home with his wife. He also beats up bit wife. His wife is not well educated and is a simple woman in comparison to her husband. you see that though your boss is a nice person in the office, he is engaged in domestic violence at home. In such a situation, you are left with the following options. Analyse each option with its consequences. (a) Just ignore thinking about it because it is their personal matter. (b) Repost the case to the appropriate authority. (c) Your own innovative approach towards situation. -
2015 · Q9 · GS IV · 20 marks
Case study. One of the scientists working in the R & D laboratory of a major pharmaceutical company discovers that one of the company's best selling veterinary drugs, B has the potential to cure a currently incurable liver disease that is prevalent in tribal areas. However, developing a variant of the drug suitable for human beings entailed a lot of research and development having a huge expenditure to the extent of f 50 crores. It was unlikely that the company would recover the costs as the disease was rampant only in poverty-stricken area having very little market otherwise. If you were the CEO, then- (a) identify the various actions that you could take; (b) evaluate the pros and cons of each of your actions. -
2015 · Q10 · GS IV · 20 marks
Case study. 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 neighbouring 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. -
2015 · Q11 · GS IV · 20 marks
Case study. You are heading a district administration in a particular department. Your senior officer calls you from the State Headquarters and tells you that a plot in Rampur village is to have a building constructed on it for a school. A visit is scheduled during which he will visit the site along with the chief engineer and the senior architect. He wants you to check out all the papers relating to it and to ensure that the visit is properly arranged. You examine the file which relates to the period before you joined the department. The land was acquired from the local Panchayat at a nominal cost and the papers show that clearance certificates are available from the two of the three authorities who have to certify the site's suitability. There is no certification by the architect available on file. You decide to visit Rampur to ensure that all is in order as stated on file. When you visit Rampur, you find that the plot under reference is part of Thakurgarh Fort and that the walls, ramparts, etc., are running across it. The fort is well away from the main village, therefore a school here will be a serious inconvenience for the children. However, the area near the village has potential to expand into a larger residential area. The development charges on the existing plot, at the fort, will be very high and the question of heritage site has not been addressed. Moreover, the Sarpanch, at the time of acquisition of the land, was a relative of your predecessor. The whole transaction appears to have been done with some vested interest. (a) List the likely vested interests of the concerned parties. (b) Some of the options for action available to you are listed below. Discuss the merits and demerits of each of the options: You can await the visit of the superior officer and let him take a decision. You can seek his advice in writing or on phone. You can consult your predecessor/colleagues, etc., and then decide what to do. You can find out if any alternate plot can be got in exchange and then send a comprehensive written report. Can you suggest any other option with proper justification?
More from this topic
Q12 · UPSC Mains 2025 · GS IV · 20 marks
Case study. Ashok is Divisional Commissioner of one of the border districts of the North East State. A few years back, Military has taken over the neighbouring country after overthrowing the elected civil government. Civil war situation is prevailing in the country especially in last two years. However, internal situation further deteriorated due to rebel groups taking over control of certain populated areas near own border. Due to intense fight between military and rebel groups, civilian casualties has increased manifold in recent past. In the meantime, in one night Ashok got information from the local police guarding the border check post that there are about 200-250 people mainly women and children trying to cross over to our side of the border. There are also about 10 soldiers with their weapons in military uniform part of this group who wants to cross over. Women and Children are also crying and begging for help. A few of them are injured and bleeding profusely need immediate medical care. Ashok tried to contact Home Secretary of the State but failed to do so due to poor connectivity mainly due to inclement weather. (a) What are the options available with Ashok to cope with the situation?(b) What are the ethical and legal dilemmas being faced by Ashok?(c) Which of the options, do you think would be more appropriate for Ashok to adopt and why?(d) In the present situation, what are the extra precautionary measures to be taken by the Border Guarding Police in dealing with soldiers in uniform?
Ethics Case Studies
Options range from pushing everyone back to opening the gate to armed men; both extremes fail. The dilemma is non-refoulement and medical duty versus sovereignty and the risk of a ruse. The better path is triage and shelter for civilians, especially women and children, and separate internment of disarmed soldiers pending the Centre. Border police should keep distance, seal weapons, separate camps, and avoid humiliation or leaks. Waiting for a dead phone while a child bleeds is not caution; it is omission.
Q11 · UPSC Mains 2025 · GS IV · 20 marks
Case study. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Program, MGNREGA was earlier known as National Rural Employment Scheme, NREGA. It is an Indian Social Welfare Program that aimed at fulfilling the 'Right to Work' provisions made in the Constitution. MGNREGA was launched in 2006 under Rural Employment Sector by the Ministry of Rural Development. Main objective of the program is to give legal guarantee of wage employment to the adult members of rural households who are willing to do unskilled manual labour work subject to a maximum of 100 days per year for every household. Every rural household has the right to register under the scheme, job card is issued to the registered, Job Card holder can seek employment; State Government shall pay 25% of minimum wage for the first 30 days as compensatory daily unemployment allowance to the families and of wage for remaining period of the year. MGNREGA work was undertaken by various Gram Panchayats. You have been appointed as an Administrator Incharge of the District. You have been given the responsibility of monitoring MGNREGA work undertaken by various Gram Panchayats. You are also given the authority to give technical sanctions to all MGNREGA works. In one of the Panchayats in your jurisdiction, you notice that your predecessor has mismanaged the Program in terms of: (i) Money not disbursed to actual job-seekers.(ii) Muster Rolls of the Labourers not properly maintained.(iii) Mismatch between the work done and payments made.(iv) Payments made to fictitious persons.(v) Job Cards were given without looking into the need of person.(vi) Mismanagement of funds and to the extent of siphoning of funds.(vii) Approved works that never existed. (a) What is your reaction to the above situation and how do you restore the proper functioning of MGNREGA Program in this regard?(b) What actions would you initiate, to solve the various issues listed above?(c) How would you deal with the above situation?
Ethics Case Studies
The first duty is to protect records, tell workers the truth, and stop further theft. Arrears must reach real job-seekers while ghosts, fake works and siphoned funds go to vigilance and the police. Job cards should be re-verified without stripping genuine households. The predecessor deserves due process, not a media hanging or a cover-up. Social audit, geotagging and a public dashboard keep the repair from rotting again.
Q10 · UPSC Mains 2025 · GS IV · 20 marks
Case study. Rajesh is a Group A officer with nine years of service. He is posted as Administrative Officer in an Oil Public Sector undertaking. As an Administrative Officer he is responsible for managing and coordinating various administrative tasks to ensure smooth functioning of office. He also manages office supplies, equipment etc. Rajesh is now sufficient senior and is expecting his next promotion in JAG (Junior Administrative Grade) in the next one or two years. He knows that promotion is based on examination of ACRs/Performance Appraisal of last few years (5 years or so) of an officer by a DPC (Departmental Promotion Committee) and an officer lacking requisite grading of ACRs may not be found fit for promotion. Consequences of losing promotion may entail financial and reputational loss and set-back for career progression. Though he also puts his best efforts in official discharge of his duties, yet he is unsure of assessment by his superior officer. He is now putting extra efforts so that he gets thumping report at the end of financial year. As Administrative Officer, Rajesh is regularly interacting with his immediate boss, who is his reporting officer for writing his ACR. One day he calls Rajesh and wants him to buy computer-related stationery on priority from a particular vendor. Rajesh instructs his office to initiate action for procuring these items. During the day, the dealing Assistant brings an estimate of Rupees Thirty Five Lakhs covering all stationery items from the same vendor. It is noticed that as per delegated financial powers, as provided in the GFR (General Financial Rules) as applicable in that Organisation, expenditure for office items exceeding Rupees Thirty Lakhs requires sanction of the next higher authority (boss in the present case). Rajesh knows that immediate superior would expect all these purchases should be done at his level and may not appreciate such lack of initiative on his part. During discussions with office, he learns that common practice of splitting of expenditure (where large order is divided into a series of smaller ones) is followed to avoid obtaining sanction from higher authority. This practice is against the rules and may come to the adverse notice of Audit. Rajesh is perturbed. He is unsure of taking decision in the matter. (a) What are the options available with Rajesh in the above situation?(b) What are the ethical issues involved in this case?(c) Which would be the most appropriate option for Rajesh and why?
Ethics Case Studies
Splitting ₹35 lakh into smaller bills to avoid the boss’s sanction is a GFR violation, even if it is a common trick. The ethical issues are career fear, a named vendor, and the habit of collective cheating. Rajesh’s options include splitting, lawful phasing, written illegal orders, or a proper sanction. The right choice is a single proposal to the competent authority and a competitive purchase. A promotion that needs a false indent is not worth the integrity it costs.
Toppers' copies
Toppers' copies for this question will be uploaded soon.