Revision summary
The ethical issues are conflict of interest, insider land information and a minister’s plea for a nephew. Leaking the alignment would let the son steal a public price jump. Favouring the nephew would be cronyism. Subash should refuse both, warn his son, recuse from related tenders, and record the minister’s request to the Chief Secretary. Discretion that hides a family trade is not professionalism.
Model answer
Introduction
Subash is a trusted PWD Secretary. His son wants the secret alignment of a coming road so that he can buy land cheap. The Minister wants care for a nephew’s infrastructure firm. This is a textbook of conflict of interest, insider information, and political pressure. Competence without probity is how a good officer becomes a family broker.
Body
(a) Ethical issues
- Conflict of interest: Subash’s private family wealth is tied to a public secret. Misuse of official information (a Conduct Rules and, at the extreme, a criminal line) if he speaks the alignment. Fairness: other citizens cannot buy that land. Independence: the Minister’s nephew is a second conflict — crony access. Integrity versus loyalty: loyalty to a minister is constitutional, not personal. Emotional pressure from a son is still not a defence. Appearance of bias even if he later “does it discreetly” — justice must be seen.
(b) Options
He can leak to the son and favour the nephew. He can leak to the son and resist the nephew. He can tell neither and record the minister’s request in a confidential file to the Chief Secretary. He can recuse from the alignment decision and from tender committees. He can ask for a transfer. He can warn the son in writing that any bid using inside knowledge will be reported. He can become a whistle if a tender is already being tailored.
(c) Most appropriate
- The right bundle is: do not share the location with the son; tell the son, once, firmly, that the request is unethical and possibly illegal; treat the nephew as any other bidder under transparency of DPR and tender; reduce to writing the minister’s “take care” remark and seek written orders if the minister insists on a name; recuse from evaluation if the nephew bids; inform the Chief Secretary so the State, not Subash’s memory, holds the risk. If the minister punishes him, that is the cost of integrity, which Vivekananda would still call strength.
Kautilya listed temptations of office. The son’s plea is the softest and worst, because love launders a crime. The most appropriate option is silence on the map, sunlight on the tender, and a file that can go to a court.
Flow diagram
flowchart TD SON[Son wants map] --> NO[No insider] NEP[Nephew firm] --> EQ[Equal tender] MIN[Minister pressure] --> FIL[Note to CS]
Conclusion
Subash must not feed his son the alignment and must not tailor the project for the minister’s nephew. He should recuse where family or the nephew appears, record pressure, and keep the tender open. Love and loyalty are not licences to loot a road.
Quick related
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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?
Next question on this syllabus topic (2025 · Q10). View answer →
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What if the son already heard a rumour in the market?
Rumour is not a father’s confirmation. Subash still must not add the official map.
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Is recusal cowardice?
It is a standard integrity tool when a relative’s firm is in the field. Staying to ‘control’ the nephew is usually a self-story.
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Q12 · UPSC Mains 2025 · GS IV · 20 marks
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Ethics Case Studies
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Q11 · UPSC Mains 2025 · GS IV · 20 marks
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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.
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