GS Paper IV — Q7
Vijay was Deputy Commissioner of remote district of Hilly Northern State of the country for the last two years. In the month of…
Vijay was Deputy Commissioner of remote district of Hilly Northern State of the country for the last two years. In the month of August heavy rains lashed the complete state followed by cloud burst in the upper reaches of the said district. The damage was very heavy in the complete state especially in the affected district. The complete road network and telecommunication were disrupted and the buildings were damaged extensively. People's houses have been destroyed and they were forced to stay in open. More than 200 people have been killed and about 5000 were badly injured. The Civil Administration under Vijay got activated and started conducting rescue and relief operations. Temporary shelter camps and hospitals were established to provide shelter and medical facilities to the homeless and injured people. Helicopter services were pressed in, for evacuating sick and old people from remote areas. Vijay got a message from his hometown in Kerala that his mother was seriously sick. After two days Vijay received the unfortunate message that his mother has expired. Vijay has no close relative except one elder sister who was US citizen and staying there for last several years. In the meantime, the situation in the affected district deteriorated further due to resumption of heavy rains after a gap of five days. At the same time, continuous messages were coming on his mobile from his hometown to reach at the earliest for performing last rites of his mother.
What are the options available with Vijay?
What are the ethical dilemma being faced by Vijay?
Critically evaluate and examine each of these options identified by Vijay.
Which of the options, do you think, would be most appropriate for Vijay to adopt and why?
हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें
विजय पिछले दो वर्षों से देश के पहाड़ी उत्तरी राज्य के सुदूर जिले के डिप्टी कमिश्नर थे। अगस्त महीने में पूरे राज्य में भारी बारिश हुई और इसके बाद उक्त जिले के ऊपरी इलाकों में बादल फट गए। पूरे राज्य में विशेष कर प्रभावित जिले में बहुत भारी क्षति हुई। पूरा सड़क नेटवर्क और दूरसंचार बाधित हो गया। इमारतें बड़े पैमाने पर क्षतिग्रस्त हो गईं। लोगों के घर नष्ट हो गए और वे खुले में रहने को मजबूर हुए। 200 से अधिक लोग मारे गए और लगभग 5000 लोग बुरी तरह घायल हो गए। विजय के नेतृत्व में नागरिक प्रशासन सक्रिय हो गया और बचाव तथा राहत अभियान शुरू हो गया। बेघर और घायल लोगों को आश्रय एवं चिकित्सा सुविधाएं प्रदान करने के लिए अस्थायी आश्रय शिविर तथा अस्पताल स्थापित किए गए। दूरदराज के इलाकों से बीमार और बुजुर्ग लोगों को निकालने के लिए हेलीकॉप्टर सेवाएं शुरू की गईं। विजय को अपने गृहनगर केरल से संदेश मिला कि उनकी मां गंभीर रूप से बीमार हैं। दो दिन बाद विजय को दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण संदेश मिला कि उनकी मां की मृत्यु हो गई है। विजय का एक बड़ी बहन के अलावा कोई करीबी रिश्तेदार न था। उनकी बड़ी बहन अमेरिकी नागरिक थीं और पिछले कई वर्षों से वहीं रह रही थीं। इस बीच पांच दिनों के अंतराल के बाद फिर से शुरू हुई भारी बारिश के कारण प्रभावित जिले में स्थिति और खराब हो गई। वहीं, उनके मोबाइल पर अपने गृहनगर से मां का अंतिम संस्कार करने के लिए जल्द से जल्द पहुंचने के लगातार संदेश आ रहे थे।
विजय के पास कौन से विकल्प उपलब्ध हैं?
विजय को किन नैतिक दुविधाओं का सामना करना पड़ रहा है?
विजय द्वारा पहचाने गए प्रत्येक विकल्प का आलोचनात्मक मूल्यांकन और परीक्षण कीजिए।
आपके अनुसार विजय के लिए कौन सा विकल्प अपनाना सबसे उपयुक्त होगा और क्यों?
Model answer
Drafted with AI by UPSC Answer Check against this question's marking rubric, to the 250-word length. UPSC does not publish answers for Mains — this is one way to score well, not an official key. How we build rubrics and answers.
Vijay, as Deputy Commissioner (District Magistrate) and Chairperson of the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, faces a clash between his filial duty and the life-and-death duty of leading relief in a district with over 200 dead, about 5,000 injured and heavy rain resuming.
(a) Options Available
- Hand over charge to the Additional District Magistrate and leave at once for Kerala.
- Stay and lead the response; have relatives or community members in Kerala perform the last rites, join virtually, and travel once the crisis eases.
- Have his mother's body preserved in a mortuary until his sister arrives from the US or the situation stabilises.
- Make a rapid 24–36 hour trip, leaving a crisis committee in command.
(b) Ethical Dilemmas
- Public duty versus filial obligation: kartavya and lok sangraha against matru rna and the son's role in antim sanskar.
- Consequences versus personal duty: the welfare of thousands (utilitarian reasoning) against a deeply felt duty to a parent.
- Service code versus conscience: Rule 3(1) of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968 requires absolute integrity and devotion to duty at all times.
- Grief versus judgement: bereavement strains the calm, rational decision-making a crisis leader needs.
(c) Critical Evaluation
- Option 1 gives emotional closure but leaves a leadership vacuum at the peak of the crisis, demoralises rescue teams and sets a poor precedent.
- Option 2 protects lives and continuity of command; its costs are personal anguish and possible social criticism.
- Option 3 lets both children attend, but prolonged preservation is culturally sensitive and the district's recovery timeline is uncertain.
- Option 4 looks balanced but is impractical: roads and communications are cut, transit may take days, and he could be stranded, away from both duties.
(d) Most Appropriate Option
Option 2, with Option 3 as a fallback if the family prefers to wait for his sister. The right to life of citizens (Article 21) and the DDMA's statutory role (Sections 25 and 30 of the DM Act) make his presence decisive during active rescue. The rites can be performed by relatives with his virtual participation, and he can travel for the post-cremation ceremonies once the district moves to the rehabilitation phase. He should inform the State Government, keep the ADM briefed as back-up, and seek support for his own grief afterwards. Serving the living in their hour of need is the truest tribute he can pay his mother.
How this answer will be evaluated
Framework: GS4 Ethical Dilemma Framework (Crux, Stakeholders, Dilemmas, Options, Course of Action)
What earns full marks: Balanced analysis of duties with a clear, actionable course of action prioritizing public trust.
Evaluation rubric
Each sub-part is marked on its own, against the marks and word limit printed on the paper.
- (a) List the distinct courses of action available to Vijay.
enumerate— list the items in order → one line each → no commentary
Must cover
- Stay and lead relief operations
- Leave immediately for the last rites, handing over charge
- Delegate command to the ADM/crisis team and make a short trip
- Stay now; have the rites performed by relatives or delay them, and travel later
Loses marks
- Vague options like 'do the right thing'
- Missing the option to delegate
Earns more
- Option of having the body preserved until his sister arrives
- Option of seeking the State Government's guidance on leave
Extra mark
- Identifying the easy-but-wrong option of leaving without arranging command
- (b) Identify the ethical dilemmas Vijay faces.
discuss— intro → 3-4 dimensions → example → balanced close
Must cover
- Duty to the public (relief) vs duty to family (last rites)
- Personal grief vs professional responsibility and clear judgement
- Service rules and oath vs personal and cultural obligations
Loses marks
- Preaching instead of identifying the dilemma
- Ignoring the professional duty
Earns more
- Duty to the Constitution and right to life of victims
- Victims as the silent stakeholders
Extra mark
- Concept of choosing the higher duty (lok sangraha, 'right vs right')
- (c) Critically evaluate each option identified.
critically evaluate— positives → negatives/limits → conditions/safeguards → conclusion
Must cover
- Evaluate staying (merits and costs)
- Evaluate leaving (filial duty vs leadership vacuum)
- Evaluate delegating or a short trip (balance vs practical risk with roads cut)
- Consequences for public trust and team morale
Loses marks
- Repeating options without evaluation
- Ignoring the deteriorating situation
Earns more
- Factor in the deteriorating situation and resumed rains
- Weigh the urgency of rites against the urgency of rescue
Extra mark
- Reference to DDMA role under the Disaster Management Act, 2005
- (d) Choose the most appropriate option and justify it.
justify— claim → 3-4 reasons → evidence → conclusion
Must cover
- Clear choice of option
- Justification based on public interest and the higher duty
- Action plan: immediate, short-term and later steps (informing government, back-up command, travel later)
- Close on public trust or institutional integrity
Loses marks
- Conclusion repeating the introduction
- Choosing to leave without robust justification
Earns more
- Specific mechanism for delegation/back-up
- Handling personal grief (virtual participation, support later)
Extra mark
- One short, accurate quote on duty
What "Critically evaluate" is asking you to do
Judge how well something has performed against the standard it set for itself — its stated aim, mandate or promise — and commit to a verdict. Name the yardstick before you judge; an unanchored judgement reads as opinion. “Critically” is not a section added at the end: name the yardstick you are judging by — the evidence, the stated objective, a constitutional principle, a rival explanation — and let a verdict close each part of the body. Where the question quotes a claim, that verdict must land on the claim itself, accepted, qualified or rejected, and not on the theme in general.
Structure that answers it
Name the yardstick — stated aim, mandate or benchmark → performance against it → shortfall against it → why the gap exists → verdict
Where marks are lost
Merits in one paragraph, demerits in the next, and a conclusion calling for a balanced and holistic approach. That is a survey with the judgement left out and it holds the answer in the middle band. The opposite error is reading “critically” as permission to attack — and with the odd pairings, critically describe or critically explain, the exposition still carries most of the marks, the judgement being a layer on it rather than a substitute for it.
Practice this exact question
Write your answer and it is marked point by point against the model answer above — what you covered, what you missed, what you got wrong.
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