GS Paper IV — Q11
Rajapuram is a border district. Jhara and Biru, its two major communities, are in continual conflict with each other. The social…
Rajapuram is a border district. Jhara and Biru, its two major communities, are in continual conflict with each other. The social fabric is fractured and demands mending.
Ethnic tensions between the two communities have erupted into violence resulting in a large number of deaths. The stated causes are conflicting land claims, uneven resource allocation and inadequate political representation in government bodies. Separate relief camps had to be created for the two communities. The situation is volatile and appears to be getting out of control.
Rajan has been appointed the District Magistrate (DM) of Rajapuram and tasked to quickly get the situation under control. His immediate tasks include restoring administrative authority, reopening the highway and initiating peace talks. On taking over his appointment, Rajan realized that the inter-community rivalry had even seeped into the local administration and police. With functional neutrality being the immediate casualty, it had made both communities distrustful of the government. The neighbouring country could utilize the opportunity to spur insurgent activity and further aggravate the situation. Rajan favoured a controlled approach starting with opening the highway to restore food and medical supplies. He toyed with the idea of requisitioning CRPF units to help restore administrative control.
Discuss the ethical issues that need to be addressed in this case.
What are the options open to Rajan? Which option would ensure protection of his non-partisan image without compromising ethics? (Answer in 250 words) 20 marks
हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें
राजपुरम एक सीमावर्ती जिला है। यहाँ के दो प्रमुख समुदाय, झारा और बिरू, लगातार एक–दूसरे से संघर्षरत रहते हैं। यहाँ का सामाजिक ताना–बाना टूट चुका है और उसे सुधारने की आवश्यकता है।
दोनों समुदायों के बीच जातीय तनाव हिंसा में तब्दील हो गया है, जिसके परिणामस्वरूप बड़ी संख्या में लोगों की मौत हुई है। इसके कारणों में भूमि पर विवादित दावे, संसाधनों का असमान आवंटन और सरकारी निकायों में अपर्याप्त राजनीतिक प्रतिनिधित्व शामिल हैं। दोनों समुदायों के लिए अलग–अलग राहत शिविर स्थापित करने पड़े हैं। स्थिति अस्थिर है और नियंत्रण से बाहर होती दिख रही है।
राजन को राजपुरम का जिला मजिस्ट्रेट (डीएम) नियुक्त किया गया है और उन्हें स्थिति को जल्द से जल्द नियंत्रण में लाने का कार्य सौंपा गया है। उनके तात्कालिक कार्यों में प्रशासनिक अधिकार बहाल करना, राजमार्ग को फिर से खोलना और शांति वार्ता शुरू करना शामिल है। पदभार ग्रहण करने पर राजन ने महसूस किया कि अंतर–सामुदायिक प्रतिद्वंद्विता स्थानीय प्रशासन और पुलिस में भी घुस चुकी है। कार्यात्मक तटस्थता के सबसे पहले समाप्त हो जाने से दोनों समुदाय सरकार पर अविश्वास करने लगे हैं। पड़ोसी देश इस अवसर का लाभ उठाकर उग्रवादी गतिविधियों को बढ़ावा दे सकता है और स्थिति को और बिगाड़ सकता है। राजन ऐसे नियंत्रित दृष्टिकोण के पक्ष में थे जिसकी शुरुआत खाद्य और चिकित्सा आपूर्ति बहाल करने के लिए राजमार्ग खोलने से हो। उन्होंने प्रशासनिक नियंत्रण बहाल करने में सहायता के लिए सीआरपीएफ इकाइयों को बुलाने के विचार पर भी विचार किया।
इस मामले में जिन नैतिक मुद्दों पर ध्यान देने की आवश्यकता है, उन पर चर्चा कीजिए।
राजन के सामने क्या–क्या विकल्प उपलब्ध हैं? कौन सा विकल्प नैतिकता से समझौता किए बिना उनकी निष्पक्ष छवि की रक्षा सुनिश्चित करेगा? (उत्तर 250 शब्दों में दीजिए)
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.
Ethical Issues Involved
Collapse of functional neutrality: Ethnic loyalties in the administration and police have destroyed impartiality; a partisan state becomes a party to the conflict, not its arbiter.
Justice and equity: The violence stems from land claims, unequal resources and under-representation. A "negative peace" imposed by force, without addressing these or prosecuting the killings irrespective of community, would be an ethical failure.
Humanitarian duty: Article 21 requires protecting life and supplying both relief camps without discrimination.
Security versus legitimacy: Cross-border exploitation demands swift stabilisation, but security must not become a pretext for overreach.
Options Open to Rajan
Option 1: Force-first. CRPF clears the highway. Merit: quick control. Demerit: seen as oppressive; hardens resistance.
Option 2: Dialogue-first. Merit: shows respect. Demerit: supplies stay choked, the state looks weak and insurgents exploit delay.
Option 3: Calibrated sequence (recommended). Neutrality is shown through conduct, not publicity: First, requisition central forces through the state government only to secure the highway and prevent violence, using minimum force and, where needed, prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS (formerly Section 144 CrPC). Second, deliver relief equally and visibly to both Jhara and Biru camps. Third, move partisan officials out of sensitive posts, deploy mixed teams, and register FIRs for the killings regardless of community. Fourth, form a District Peace Council with equal representation, including women, to route land and representation disputes to institutional mechanisms.
This restores trust in the state and denies the neighbouring country an opening.
How this answer will be evaluated
Framework: GS4 Ethical Dilemma & Decision Making
What earns full marks: Identifies nuanced ethical conflicts and provides a balanced, non-partisan course of action.
Evaluation rubric
Each sub-part is marked on its own, against the marks and word limit printed on the paper.
- (a) Discuss the ethical issues that need to be addressed in the Rajapuram case.
discuss— intro → 3-4 dimensions → example → balanced close
Must cover
- Collapse of functional neutrality and impartiality in the local administration and police
- Ethical dilemma of using force (CRPF) vs. peaceful resolution
- Distributive justice: land, resource and representation grievances, and justice for the killings
- Humanitarian duty to protect life and supply both relief camps without discrimination
Loses marks
- Listing values without linking them to the specific case
- Ignoring the 'neighbouring country' threat in ethical analysis
Earns more
- Identification of 'distrust of government' as an ethical issue
- Reference to national security vs. local legitimacy
- Negative peace (order by force) vs. positive peace (addressing root causes)
Extra mark
- Reference to utilitarian calculus regarding CRPF deployment
- Mention of the most vulnerable stakeholders (camp residents, women, children)
- (b) State the options open to Rajan and identify the one that protects his non-partisan image without compromising ethics. · 250 words
justify— claim → 3-4 reasons → evidence → conclusion
Must cover
- List options (force-first, dialogue-first, calibrated sequence) with merits and demerits
- Justify the 'controlled approach' (opening the highway first for food and medicine)
- Explain how the chosen option protects the non-partisan image (equal relief, neutral forces, removing partisan officials)
- Show that the choice does not compromise ethics (minimum force, rule of law, justice irrespective of community)
Loses marks
- Choosing a partisan option (favoring Jhara or Biru)
- Ignoring the 'neighbouring country' factor in the solution
Earns more
- Proposing a phased action plan (immediate/short/long term)
- Suggesting independent inquiry into police/admin bias
- Balancing 'restoring authority' with 'initiating peace talks'
Extra mark
- Citing a precedent of border-district conflict management
- Mentioning legal provisions: BNSS s.163 prohibitory orders, BNSS ss.148-149 on dispersal (formerly CrPC ss.144, 129-130)
What "Discuss" is asking you to do
Lay the issue out from more than one side — how it arose, what is claimed for it, what is held against it, and where it now stands. UPSC attaches discuss to broad topics with several live dimensions, so coverage of the dimensions earns more than the strength of your opinion.
Structure that answers it
Set the issue up → the case as it is made → the case against → the dimension both sides leave out → where the balance now lies
Where marks are lost
Listing facts with no thread between them, or arguing one side throughout and calling it a discussion.
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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