Revision summary
Rohit’s options are full release, partial trade, forceful dispersal, patient extraction with dialogue, mediation, or freeze. Dilemmas include law versus crowd safety, prize incentive, women used as a ring, and tribal trust versus past killings. The justified course is to keep all ten, refuse a siege bargain, and de-escalate with women police, a local mediator and a planned corridor. Firing into the ring would lose the district; release would teach that a crowd can open a jail. Precautions: women in the first line, no trophy video, medics, no collective punishment, watch for a second ambush.
Model answer
Introduction
The naxalite map has shrunk, but pockets remain. Rohit, SP (Special Operations), has just overpowered ten hard-core cadres and their automatic weapons. Two carry a ten-lakh prize. More than five hundred tribal women now surround the village and demand release. If he does not release, the crowd may explode. If he does release, the State’s word and the dead of earlier years become a joke. This is force, gender, tribe and law in one afternoon.
Body
(a) Options available to Rohit
First, he can release all ten to buy the road out, which saves his team today and returns rifles to the forest tomorrow. Second, he can release the eight and keep the two prize cadres, a bargain that still teaches the crowd that a siege works. Third, he can order a forceful dispersal with lathi and perhaps fire, which may open a corridor and may leave women dead on a success story. Fourth, he can hold the arrests, move the prisoners in a tight box toward a pre-planned LZ or road, call additional force to a perimeter not through the women, open a loudspeaker and a woman officer’s channel, and wait the crowd’s hunger and night while not humiliating anyone. Fifth, he can invite a trusted local mediator — a teacher, a priest, an elected tribal woman — to explain that the men will face a court, not a forest execution. Sixth, he can freeze, which hands the clock to the loudest. The live options are three, four and five; one and two are capitulation dressed as tribal sensitivity.
(b) Ethical dilemmas
Duty to law (arrest of persons with automatic weapons) versus duty to life of five hundred women and of his own constables. Unique role of SP (Special Operations) versus replaceable tactical pride. Prize money as a perverse incentive to hold at any human cost. Women as a human shield — some voluntary, some pushed by the party — versus seeing every woman as a combatant. Tribal historical wound (CRPF camp, fake encounter memory, lost land) versus the two prize men who may have killed a teacher. Transparency versus operational security. Gandhi’s talisman (the poorest woman in the ring) versus Kautilya’s need to not let a siege become constitution. Integrity of means: a secret release to look like an escape would be a lie.
(c) Most appropriate option
The appropriate course is to keep every arrested person in custody, not to fire into the ring, to extract along a prepared corridor with shield and patience, to put women police and a local woman interlocutor in front, to film the prisoners’ safety so a rumour of torture cannot ignite the night, and to ask the District Magistrate to own the civil face (food, a promise of fair trial, no collective punishment of the village). Why. Release rewards the tactic and endangers the next patrol. A massacre of women loses the district for a decade and fails distinction. Patience plus lawful custody honours both the dead of the past and the living women who are not the rifles. Prize money is not a moral reason to kill; it is a reason not to trade. Aristotle’s courage is the mean between rash fire and cowardly release.
(d) Extra precautions with women protesters
Assume presence of children and pregnant women. Women police in the first line; male hands off except to prevent a weapon. No sexualised abuse, no filming of faces for trophy. Lathi only as last shield, not as a lesson. Water, shade, a medic. Do not cut the village’s water as collective punishment. Loudspeaker in the local language. Watch for a second ambush using the crowd as cover. Body-worn cameras if they exist, for the police as much as for the crowd. Separate any armed male who infiltrates the ring. After extraction: no revenge search that burns a house; record injuries; let the DM hold a mahila sabha. International humanitarian distinction is not only a war law; it is why a republic does not win a village by breaking its women.
Flow diagram
flowchart TD CAP[Ten in custody] --> D[Dilemma] W[500 tribal women] --> D D --> HOLD[Keep arrests] D --> NO[No release no massacre] HOLD --> DE[Women police mediator corridor]
Conclusion
Rohit should not trade the ten for a quiet road, and he should not clear the ring with fire. Hold the arrests, talk through women officers and a local mediator, extract with patience, and leave the village unpunished. The women are a crowd with a history, not a free-fire target.
Quick related
Students also ask
-
Case study. Sneha is a Senior Manager working for a big reputed hospital chain in a mid-sized city. She has been made in-charge of procurement for a new super speciality centre. She notices that her brother, who is a well-known supplier in this domain, has also sent his expression of interest. Since the hospital is privately owned, it is not mandatory for her to select only the lower bidder. Her brother's company has been facing financial difficulties and a big supply order will help him recover. Allocating the contract to her brother might bring charges of favouritism. (a) What should be Sneha's course of action? (b) How would she justify what she chooses to do? (c) In this case, how is medical ethics compromised with vested personal interest?
Next question in the 2024 paper (Q10). View answer →
-
If the two prize men will certainly escape later from jail, should he release to save lives now?
A leaky jail is a separate reform. Trading them in the field teaches the next five hundred women to surround the next arrest.
-
Can he use tear smoke?
As a last, wind-aware, medically backed tool to open a corridor, possibly. As a punishment of a tribal village, no.
PYQ trend
When UPSC asked this
Related PYQs from other years, newest first. Open a question to read it.
-
2024 · Q7 · GS IV · 20 marks
Case study. There is a technological company named ABC Incorporated which is the second largest worldwide, situated in the Third World. You are the Chief Executive Officer and the majority shareholder of this company. The fast technological improvements have raised worries among environmental activists, regulatory authorities, and the general public over the sustainability of this scenario. You confront substantial issues about the business's environmental footprint. In 2023, your organization had a significant increase of 48% in greenhouse gas emissions compared to the levels recorded in 2019. The significant rise in energy consumption is mainly due to the surging energy requirements of your data centers, fuelled by the exponential expansion of Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI-powered services need much more computational resources and electrical energy compared to conventional online activities, notwithstanding their notable gains. Although there is already a commitment and goal to achieve net zero emissions by 2030, the challenge of lowering emissions seems overwhelming as the integration of AI continues to increase. (a) What is your immediate response to the challenges posed in the above case? (b) Discuss the ethical issues involved in the above case. (c) Your company has been identified to be penalized by technological giants. What logical and ethical arguments will you put forth to convince about its necessity? (d) Being a conscientious being, what measures would you adopt to maintain balance between AI innovation and environment footprint? -
2024 · Q8 · GS IV · 20 marks
Case study. Raman is a senior IPS officer and has recently been posted as D.G. of a state. Among the various issues and problems/challenges which needed his immediate attention, the issue relating to recruitment of unemployed youth by an unknown terrorist group, was a matter of grave concern. Unemployment was relatively high in the state. A new terrorist group has emerged at the global level and launched a massive drive to recruit young unemployed people, with special focus on a particular community. Discrete inquiries through the Cyber Cell revealed that good numbers of unemployed youth are very active on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, spending 6-8 hours each day, showing sympathy and endorsing messages from contact persons of that global terrorist group. (a) What are the options available to Raman to tackle the above situation? (b) What measures would you suggest for strengthening the existing set-up to ensure that such groups do not succeed in penetrating and vitiating the atmosphere in the state? (c) In the above scenario, what action plan would you advise for enhancing the intelligence gathering mechanism of the police force? -
2024 · Q10 · GS IV · 20 marks
Case study. Sneha is a Senior Manager working for a big reputed hospital chain in a mid-sized city. She has been made in-charge of procurement for a new super speciality centre. She notices that her brother, who is a well-known supplier in this domain, has also sent his expression of interest. Since the hospital is privately owned, it is not mandatory for her to select only the lower bidder. Her brother's company has been facing financial difficulties and a big supply order will help him recover. Allocating the contract to her brother might bring charges of favouritism. (a) What should be Sneha's course of action? (b) How would she justify what she chooses to do? (c) In this case, how is medical ethics compromised with vested personal interest? -
2024 · Q11 · GS IV · 20 marks
Case study. With the summer heat being exceptionally severe, the district has been facing severe water shortage. The District Collector has taken strict measures for stopping the over-exploitation of groundwater. Farmers are agitated that they are not being allowed to irrigate their crops while big industries located near the river are drawing huge amounts of water. The farmers allege that the administration is anti-farmer and corrupt. The industry cannot be closed as this would result in a large number of workers being unemployed. (a) Discuss all options available to the District Collector as a District Magistrate. (b) What suitable actions can be taken in view of mutually compatible interests of the stakeholders? (c) What are the potential administrative and ethical dilemmas for the District Collector? -
2024 · Q12 · GS IV · 20 marks
Case study. Dr. Srinivasan is a senior scientist working for a reputed biotechnology company. He is heading a research team working on a new drug aimed at treating a rapidly spreading viral infectious disease. There is huge pressure to expedite the trials. Senior team members suggest shortcuts: manipulating data to exclude some negative outcomes, foregoing informed consent, and using compounds already patented by a rival company. Dr. Srinivasan is not comfortable taking such shortcuts, at the same time he realises meeting the targets is impossible without using these means. (a) What would you do in such a situation? (b) Examine your options and consequences in the light of the ethical questions involved. (c) How can data ethics and drug ethics save humanity at large in such a scenario? -
2023 · Q7 · GS IV · 20 marks
Case study. You are working as an executive in a nationalised bank for several years. One day one of your close colleagues tells you that her father is suffering from heart disease and needs surgery immediately to survive. She also tells you that she has no insurance and the operation will cost about Rs. 10 lakh. You are also aware of the fact that her husband is no more and that she is from a lower middle class family. You are empathetic about her situation. However, apart from expressing your sympathy, you do not have the resources to find her. A few weeks later, you ask her about the well-being of her father and she informs you about his successful surgery and that he is recovering. She then confides in you that the bank manager was kind enough to facilitate the release of Rs. 10 lakh from a dormant account of someone to pay for the operation with a promise that it should be confidential and be repaid at the earliest. She has already started paying it back and will continue to do so until it is all returned. -
2023 · Q8 · GS IV · 20 marks
Case study. A landslide occurred in the middle of the night on 20thJuly, 2023 in a remote mountain hamlet, approximately 60 kilometres from Uttarkashi. The landslide was caused by torrential rains and has resulted in large-scale destruction of property and life. You, as District Magistrate of that area, have rushed to the spot with a team of doctors, NGOs, media and police along with numerous support staff to oversee the rescue operations. A man came running to you with a request for urgent medical help for his pregnant wife who is in labour and is losing blood. You directed your medical team to examine his wife. They return and convey to you that this woman needs blood transfusion immediately. Upon enquiry, you come to know that a few blood collection bags and blood group test kits are available in the ambulance accompanying your team. Few people of your team have already volunteered to donate blood. Being a physician who has graduated from AIIMS, you know that blood for transfusion needs to be procured only through a recognized blood bank. Your team members are divided on this issue; some favour transfusion, while some others oppose it. The doctors in the team are ready to facilitate the delivery provided they are not penalized for transfusion. Now you are in a dilemma. Your professional training emphasizes on prioritising service to humanity and saving lives of individuals. -
2023 · Q9 · GS IV · 20 marks
Case study. At 9 pm on Saturday evening, Rashika, a Joint Secretary, was still engrossed in her work in her office. Her husband, Vikram, is an executive in an MNC and frequently out of town in connection with his work. Their two children aged 5 and 3 are looked after by their domestic helper. At 9:30 pm her superior, Mr. Suresh calls her and asks her to prepare a detailed note on an important matter to be discussed in a meeting in the Ministry. She realises that she will have to work on Sunday to finish the additional task given by her superior. She reflects on how she had looked forward to this posting and had worked long hours for months to achieve it. She had kept the welfare of people uppermost in discharging her duties. She feels that she has not done enough justice to her family and she has not fulfilled her duties in discharging essential social obligations. Even as recently as last month she had to leave her sick child in the nanny's care as she had to work in the office. Now, she feels that she must draw a line, beyond which her personal life should take precedence over her professional responsibilities. She thinks that there should be reasonable limits to the work ethics such as punctuality, hard work, dedication to duty and selfless service.
More from this paper
Q1(a) · UPSC Mains 2024 · GS IV · 10 marks
The application of Artificial Intelligence as a dependable source of input for administrative rational decision-making is a debatable issue. Critically examine the statement from the ethical point of view
Probity in Governance
AI can speed pattern-finding in administration, but it is ethically unsafe as an unreviewed verdict. Bias, opacity, privacy harm and an accountability gap mean the officer remains answerable. A dependable use is explainable input plus human review of high-stakes harm. Ethics that shapes action includes duty, consequence, virtue, rights, role and care. A professional framework turns those dimensions into stakeholders, reasons, records and appeal.
Q1(b) · UPSC Mains 2024 · GS IV · 10 marks
"Ethics encompasses several key dimensions that are crucial in guiding individuals and organizations towards morally responsible behaviour." Explain the key dimensions of ethics that influence human actions. Discuss how these dimensions shape ethical decision-making in the professional context.
Probity in Governance
AI can speed pattern-finding in administration, but it is ethically unsafe as an unreviewed verdict. Bias, opacity, privacy harm and an accountability gap mean the officer remains answerable. A dependable use is explainable input plus human review of high-stakes harm. Ethics that shapes action includes duty, consequence, virtue, rights, role and care. A professional framework turns those dimensions into stakeholders, reasons, records and appeal.
Q2(a) · UPSC Mains 2024 · GS IV · 10 marks
"It is not enough to talk about peace, one must believe in it; and it is not enough to believe in it, one must act upon it." In the present context, the major weapon industries of the developed nations are adversely influencing continuation of number of wars for their own self-interest, all around the world. What are the ethical considerations of the powerful nations in today's international arena to stop continuation of ongoing conflicts?
Ethics and Human Interface
The peace quote moves from speech to belief to costly work; a weapons industry that earns from continuation of war sits against that work. Powerful nations owe a duty not to sell into atrocity, to own civilian harm, and to prefer reconstruction when a settlement exists. Climate change is largely luxury and extractive greed billed as development. Protection of life needs real carbon budgets, just transition, commons care and honest files, not posters. Equilibrium is dignity without vanity: livelihood with a living river.
Toppers' copies
Toppers' copies for this question will be uploaded soon.