Case Study As the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in a metropolitan city, you oversee the implementation of an AI-based Facial Recognition System (FRS) designed to track criminals and prevent crimes. The system, installed across public spaces, has been instrumental in reducing theft, identifying suspects, and solving pending cases. However, concerns have emerged regarding false positives, privacy violations, and potential biases in the AI’s algorithm. Recently, the system flagged Ravi, a 22-year-old college student, for allegedly being present at a protest that turned violent. Based on the AI-generated report, Ravi was briefly detained for questioning, despite his insistence that he was not involved. His family and civil society groups argue that he was misidentified due to a technical error in the AI system. Investigations reveal that multiple individuals from marginalized backgrounds have been disproportionately flagged, raising concerns about bias in AI-driven policing. The city’s administration is now divided. Some officials advocate for pausing the AI project for an independent review, citing privacy concerns and wrongful detentions. Others argue that the benefits outweigh the risks and that AI errors can be rectified over time. Meanwhile, public outrage over Ravi’s case is growing, and the police department's credibility is at stake. Questions: A. How can law enforcement balance the benefits of AI-driven facial recognition with concerns over false positives, privacy violations, and algorithmic bias? B. What ethical principles should guide law enforcement in deploying AI tools, particularly in ensuring non-discrimination and protecting marginalized communities? C. What legal, procedural, and technological safeguards should be implemented to ensure AI-driven policing remains transparent, fair, and accountable?

Case Study Aarav is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer serving as the District Magistrate (DM) of a remote district. His wife, Meera, is a doctor working in a government hospital. They have a six-year-old daughter, who is primarily cared for by grandparents and a domestic help due to the demanding nature of their jobs. One evening, Aarav is about to leave the office after a long day when he receives an urgent call from the Chief Secretary. A major industrial accident has occurred in a factory on the outskirts of the district, causing severe casualties. His immediate presence is required to oversee rescue operations and coordinate with disaster management teams. At the same time, he receives another call—this time from his wife—informing him that their daughter has suddenly fallen ill and needs immediate medical attention. His presence at home would provide emotional support to his family, especially as Meera has an emergency surgery scheduled at the hospital. Aarav is torn between his professional duty, which demands immediate action to manage a crisis affecting many lives, and his moral responsibility as a husband and father. He must decide where his priority lies in this situation. Questions: (a) Identify and discuss the ethical dilemmas involved in this case. (b) If you were in Aarav’s place, how would you handle this situation? (c) In light of this case, discuss the importance of institutional mechanisms in ensuring a better work-life balance for civil servants.

Case Study A woman was in a live-in relationship with her male partner. She complained to the police of sexual harassment and rape continously for the last five years on the pretext of marriage by her partner. The police on prima facie investigation found out that the allegation is false and the couple was living happily until some internal feud developed that led to these baseless allegations. The woman complained to the State Commission for Women and alleged that she did not get justice from the police and they were biased against her due to a patriarchal mindset. She demands justice from the Women Commission. You are the chairperson of the State Commission for Women. (a) What steps will you take in such a situation? (b) Do you think that live-in relationships are against Indian culture and traditional values?

Case Study: You are a senior surgeon in a prestigious hospital in Bengaluru, known for its state-of-the-art facilities and high-profile patient base. During a routine audit of the hospital’s procurement and billing practices, you uncover a troubling scenario-the hospital’s administration is involved in a practice where certain high-cost medical supplies and treatments are being marked up exorbitantly, even though alternative, more affordable options are available. The hospital has entered into a partnership with several suppliers, ensuring that these high-cost supplies are purchased exclusively, despite their high price and limited effectiveness compared to other alternatives.As the chairperson of the Ethical Medical Practitioners Association, you are deeply concerned about the implications of these practices on patient care and financial sustainability. However, some senior doctors in your hospital, who are benefiting from kickbacks provided by the suppliers, urge you to remain silent about the issue to avoid disrupting hospital operations and to preserve their personal benefits. They argue that the inflated prices are helping to maintain the hospital’s high profit margins, which are crucial for its survival and continued growth. Questions: (a) Identify the main stakeholders and ethical issues involved. (b) Analyze the potential consequences of exposing the unethical practices for both the hospital and the healthcare system. (c) What actions would you take in this situation, and what ethical principles would guide your decision-making process?

Case Study You are a district collector of a drought-prone area where farmers are suffering from crop failure and debt. You have been allocated funds by the state government to provide relief measures such as food grains distribution, loan waivers and employment generation schemes. However, you find out that some local politicians and officials are involved in diverting these funds for their personal gains. They have also threatened some honest staff members who tried to expose their corruption. You have evidence against these corrupt people but you also know that they have strong political connections and influence in the area. Q. What will you do in this situation?

Suppose you are an officer-in-charge of implementing a social service scheme to provide support to old and destitute women. An old and illiterate woman comes to you to avail the benefits of the scheme. However, she has no documents to show that she fulfils the eligibility criteria. But after meeting her and listening to her you feel that she certainly needs support. Your enquirers also show that she is really destitute and living in a pitiable condition. You are in a dilemma as to what to do. Putting her under the scheme without necessary documents would clearly be a violation of rules. But denying her the support would be cruel and inhuman. Can you think of a rational way to resolve this dilemma? Give your reasons for it.

Case Study There is a disaster-prone state having frequent landslides, forest fires, cloudbursts, flash floods and earthquakes, etc. Some of these are seasonal and often unpredictable. The magnitude of the disaster is always unanticipated. During one of the seasons a cloudburst caused devastating floods and landslides leading to high causalities. There was major damage to infrastructure like roads, bridges and power generating units. This led to more than a lakh pilgrims, tourists and other locals trapped across different routes and locations. The people trapped in your area of responsibility includes senior citizens, patients in hospitals, women and children, hikers, tourists, ruling party’s regional president along with his family, additional chief secretary of the neighboring state and prisoners in jail. As a civil services officer of the state, what would be the order in which you would rescue these people and why? Give justifications.