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What is meant by conflict of interest? Illustrate with examples, the difference between the actual and potential conflicts of interest. (150 words) [UPSC 2018]
Conflict of Interest Definition: A conflict of interest arises when an individual’s personal interests or relationships interfere with their professional duties, leading to a potential or actual compromise in their impartiality and decision-making. Actual Conflict of Interest Definition: An actual cRead more
Conflict of Interest
Definition: A conflict of interest arises when an individual’s personal interests or relationships interfere with their professional duties, leading to a potential or actual compromise in their impartiality and decision-making.
Actual Conflict of Interest
Definition: An actual conflict of interest occurs when a personal interest directly influences or impacts a person’s professional judgment or actions.
Example: A government official responsible for awarding contracts is also a shareholder in a company bidding for those contracts. This direct involvement in both the decision-making process and the personal financial stake constitutes an actual conflict of interest.
Potential Conflict of Interest
Definition: A potential conflict of interest arises when a situation could lead to a conflict of interest in the future, even if it has not yet impacted the individual’s professional duties.
Example: An official in charge of regulatory oversight accepts invitations to conferences hosted by companies they might later regulate. Although there is no immediate influence, the future possibility of personal bias or favoritism presents a potential conflict of interest.
Conclusion: Understanding both actual and potential conflicts of interest is crucial for maintaining integrity and impartiality in professional roles.
See lessWhat is meant by 'crisis of conscience'? How does it manifest itself in the public domain? (150 words) [UPSC 2019]
Understanding 'Crisis of Conscience' Crisis of Conscience refers to a situation where an individual's ethical beliefs and moral values come into conflict with their actions or responsibilities. It often involves a deep internal struggle about doing what is right versus what is convenient or expectedRead more
Understanding ‘Crisis of Conscience’
Crisis of Conscience refers to a situation where an individual’s ethical beliefs and moral values come into conflict with their actions or responsibilities. It often involves a deep internal struggle about doing what is right versus what is convenient or expected.
Manifestation in the Public Domain
Conclusion
A crisis of conscience is a profound ethical dilemma where personal values conflict with external demands. In the public domain, it manifests through actions like whistleblowing, judicial recusal, and moral stands in public disputes, reflecting the struggle between personal integrity and societal pressures.
See lessBesides domain knowledge, a public official needs innovativeness and creativity of a high order as well, while resolving ethical dilemmas. Discuss with suitable example. (150 words) [UPSC 2021]
Innovativeness and Creativity in Resolving Ethical Dilemmas Domain Knowledge alone is insufficient for public officials when addressing ethical dilemmas; innovativness and creativity are crucial. Example 1: COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution During the COVID-19 pandemic, officials faced the ethical dilemRead more
Innovativeness and Creativity in Resolving Ethical Dilemmas
Domain Knowledge alone is insufficient for public officials when addressing ethical dilemmas; innovativness and creativity are crucial.
Example 1: COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution
During the COVID-19 pandemic, officials faced the ethical dilemma of equitable vaccine distribution. Standard procedures might have led to delays or unequal access. Creative solutions included innovative distribution models like leveraging technology for real-time tracking and prioritizing high-risk populations using data analytics. For instance, the “CoWIN” platform in India used digital tools to manage vaccine rollouts efficiently, showing how creativity in approach ensured fair distribution and reduced logistical issues.
Example 2: Environmental Policy Making
Addressing climate change involves ethical dilemmas around balancing economic growth and environmental protection. For example, the “Swachh Bharat Mission” incorporated innovative waste management solutions, such as converting waste into energy, rather than just focusing on traditional waste disposal. This creative approach not only addressed sanitation issues but also contributed to sustainable energy solutions.
In both cases, applying domain knowledge creatively led to effective solutions, illustrating the need for innovation in resolving ethical dilemmas.
See lessWhat are the various types of ethical dilemmas faced by a civil servant in India? Highlight the key elements of strategies used to resolve these dilemmas.
An ethical dilemma is a complex situation that often involves an apparent conflict between moral imperatives, in which to obey one would result in transgressing the other. Ethical dilemma arises because ethical standards are not codified, and disagreements about proper behaviour often occur. For civRead more
An ethical dilemma is a complex situation that often involves an apparent conflict between moral imperatives, in which to obey one would result in transgressing the other. Ethical dilemma arises because ethical standards are not codified, and disagreements about proper behaviour often occur. For civil servants, ethical dilemmas tend to arise from three critical relationships Le. civil servants and political office holders; civil servants and citizens; and intra-civil service (between ministries, departments and agencies of the state). These dilemmas could broadly fall into following categories:
A strategy to deal with ethical dilemmas must include following key elements:
See lessLaws promote social control by resolving basic value conflicts, settling individual disputes, even our rulers must follow. But, law does not always achieve its purpose and making rules that and can rather harm society. In this background, discuss the limitations and dysfunctions of law, with examples.
Law is a set of rules created and enforced by the State to regulate behaviour. Laws are created to maintain social order and peace in the society and provide protection to citizens. Laws act as a formal means of social control in the following ways: Resolving value conflicts: They provide rules andRead more
Law is a set of rules created and enforced by the State to regulate behaviour. Laws are created to maintain social order and peace in the society and provide protection to citizens.
Laws act as a formal means of social control in the following ways:
However, a law does not always achieve its purpose and can rather harm society. It can be used to repress individuals and limit their rights. For example, apartheid law, which was earlier prevalent in South Africa. Thus, a legal system, which has been established to maintain social control can sometimes mask the dysfunctional role of law.
The limitations and dysfunctions of law include:
The legal justice system of a country should continuously evaluate these limitations and dysfunctions and amend the existing laws and implement new ones, so that the purpose of promoting justice, fairness, and social well-being is served.
See lessDiscuss the ethical issues involved in the spending of public money by the government on advertisements? What measures would you suggest to address these issues?
The government expenditure on advertisements has been an issue of much interest, discussion and debate in India in the recent past. Following are some of the ethical issues involved in government's spending of public money on advertisements: Fulfilling personal or political interests: AdvertisementsRead more
The government expenditure on advertisements has been an issue of much interest, discussion and debate in India in the recent past.
Following are some of the ethical issues involved in government’s spending of public money on advertisements:
It is necessary to curtail these ethical issues while spending public money on advertisements and in this regard, following measures can be taken:
In light of these measures, governments can ensure that their advertisements serve the larger public interests, foster transparency and accountability, and maintain trust with the public.
See lessDue to the recent proliferation of social media, influencers have become important agents of change in society. Discuss with examples. Also, highlight the ethical issues involved.
A social media influencer is someone with significant influence over online followers. He/she is an individual who has built a large and active audience on online platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, etc. An influencer is someone who has developed a trustworthy online presence and can share hiRead more
A social media influencer is someone with significant influence over online followers. He/she is an individual who has built a large and active audience on online platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, etc. An influencer is someone who has developed a trustworthy online presence and can share his/her opinions, which will encourage his/her followers to make a decision.
Influencers have become an important agent of change in the society in the following ways:
The ethical issues involved in this regard are:
Though there are ethical issues involved due to the rise of social influencers, some influencers are also promoting positive environmental ethics, supporting noble causes, and bringing about positive changes in society. There is a need to bring about better regulations for the content posted on online platforms to ensure greater responsibility and accountability of social influencers.
See lessThough the internal control systems in India are impressive on paper, they have not worked well in curbing the issue of corruption in the administration. Comment. Also, discuss the various reasons for the same.
Answer: Internal control systems for curbing corruption are the mechanisms, laws, rules, and procedures, implemented to ensure the integrity of financial and accounting information, promote accountability and detect, punish and curtail corruption in the administration. The internal control systems iRead more
Answer: Internal control systems for curbing corruption are the mechanisms, laws, rules, and procedures, implemented to ensure the integrity of financial and accounting information, promote accountability and detect, punish and curtail corruption in the administration. The internal control systems in India are impressive on paper:
However, it has been observed that the combined efforts of all these anti-corruption measures have not been able to curb the rising stakes for corruption due to following reasons:
Thus, the need of the hour is to make the functioning of anti-corruption institutions independent, making their recommendations binding in nature, enabling effective communication and clear-cut procedural guidelines and establishing an independent institution to monitor the investigative process. Further, other systems/mechanisms of curbing corruption like the penalty rate, internal controls, external controls, and social control should effectively work in collaboration with each other.
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