The UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) examination is renowned as one of the most prestigious and challenging competitive exams in India. In the year 2020, the General Studies Paper 4, often referred to as GS 4, presented candidates with a diverse array of ethical dilemmas and situational questions. This paper aimed to evaluate the ethical and moral aptitude of aspiring civil servants, testing their ability to navigate complex issues with integrity and sound judgment. Through a series of case studies and theoretical inquiries, candidates were required to demonstrate their understanding of ethical principles and their practical application in governance and public administration. The UPSC GS 4 paper serves as a crucial benchmark for selecting individuals who possess not only the knowledge but also the ethical fortitude necessary to serve the nation with honesty, fairness, and dedication.
Q12. Migrant workers have always remained at the socio-economic margins of our society, silently serving as the instrumental labour force of urban economics. The pandemic has brought them into national focus.
On the announcement of a countrywide lockdown, a very large number of migrant workers decided to move back from their places of employment to their native villages. The non-availability of transport created its own problems. Added to this was the fear of starvation and inconvenience to their families. This caused, the migrant workers to demand wages and transport facilities for returning to their villages. Their mental agony was accentuated by multiple factors such as a sudden loss of livelihood, possibility of lack of food and inability to assist in harvesting their rabi crop due to not being able to reach home in time. Reports of inadequate response of some districts in providing the essential boarding and lodging arrangements along the way multiplied their fears.
You have learnt many lessons from this situation when you were tasked to oversee the functioning of the District Disaster Relief Force in your district.
In your opinion what ethical issues arose in the current migrant crisis? What do you understand by an ethical caregiving state? What assistance can the civil society render to mitigate the sufferings of migrants in similar situations?
(250 Words, 20 Marks)
Tag: Case Study
Answer:
Case Summary:
- Migrant workers are serving as the instrumental labour force of urban economics.
- Due to countrywide lockdown, a large number of migrant labour decided to move to native village. Moreover, non availability of transport,hunger and inconvenience to families makes them mentally stressed and forces them to demand wages and transport facilities.
- Their mental agony was accentuated by multiple factors. Also, lackadaisical response of some district authority multiplied their fear.
- And I was tasked to oversee the functioning of the district disaster relief force in your district.
Stakeholders in the Case:
- Migrant workers
- District Disaster Relief Force
- I, as an official, was tasked to oversee the functioning of the District Disaster Relief Force in my district.
- The government
- Society at large
Ethical issues that arose in the current migrant crisis:
While monitoring the District Disaster Relief Force, I witnessed certain ethical issues in fulfilling the responsibility of managing disasters.
- Conscience vs. administrative constraints: While monitoring disaster management authority, I had limited resources to be spent. This posed the challenges of caring well for elderly migrants especially those suffering from any disease. Assisting elder family members with physical care, emotional support, managing crises, maintaining connections with others, tested the conscience & decision–making of professionals.
- Selfish vs. selfless: Selfish means lacking consideration for other people and preoccupation with one’s own pleasure, profit or welfare, while selfless means having little or no concern for oneself, and helping society as a whole. Migrants in their barefoot long journeys witnessed both kinds of people in the society. While some helped the migrants on their way to home in a selfless approach, many others hardly showed any interest and took care of their family only.
Ethical Caregiving State:
- An ethical care-giving state is based on the idea of the ethics of care, i.e., care to all without any discrimination (on the grounds of sex, caste, religion, community, etc), care in time, care that is adequate, and care that comes without asking (which means, i being a suffering citizen should not ask for it repeatedly).
- It holds moral actions which center on interpersonal relationships and consider care or benevolence as a virtue.
- In present pandemic times, we may face a genuine caregiving crisis with more needy individuals and fewer available caregivers, and with growing costs of long-term care and fewer workers to support social programs.
- In this situation, the role of an ethical care-giving state is important. India is a welfare State, whose ideas are embodied upon rights and entitlements provided to all its citizens. The Constitution of India promises social justice, equality and fraternity.
Civil society can construct temporary health centers, rehabilitation centers, avail doctors & nurses, and other care giving professionals, to take care of migrants in their way. Also, civil society can provide direct financial assistance to migrants, providing them with essentials such as food & water and necessary medicines, arranging transportation facilities to their destination. Civil societies and many individuals took responsibility and were highly successful in helping migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic in India.
In case you still have your doubts, contact us on 9811333901.
For UPSC Prelims Resources, Click here
For Daily Updates and Study Material:
Join our Telegram Channel – Edukemy for IAS
- 1. Learn through Videos – here
- 2. Be Exam Ready by Practicing Daily MCQs – here
- 3. Daily Newsletter – Get all your Current Affairs Covered – here
- 4. Mains Answer Writing Practice – here
