Case Study Pawan is working as an officer in the State Government for the last ten years. As a part of routine transfer, he was posted to another department. He joined in a new office along with five other colleagues. The head of the office was a senior officer conversant with the functioning of the office. As a part of general inquiry, Pawan gathered that his senior officer carries the reputation of being difficult and insensitive person having his own disturbed family life. Initially, all seemed to go well. However, after some time Pawan felt that the senior officer was belittling him and at times unreasonable. Whatever suggestions given or views expressed by Pawan in the meetings were summarily rejected and the senior officer would express displeasure in the presence of others. It became a pattern of boss’ style of functioning to show him in bad light highlighting his shortcomings and humiliating publicly. It became apparent that though there were no serious work-related problems/shortcomings, the senior officer was always on one pretext or the other and would scold and shout at him. The continuous harassment and public criticism of Pawan resulted in loss of confidence, self-esteem and equanimity. Pawan realised that his relation with his senior officer was becoming more toxic and due to this, he felt perpetually tensed, anxious and stressed. His mind was occupied with negativity and caused him mental torture, anguish and agony. Eventually, it badly affected his personal and family life. He was no longer joyous, happy and contented even at home. Rather without any reason he would lose his temper with his wife and other family members. The family environment was no longer pleasant and congenial. His wife who was always supportive to him also became a victim of his negativity and hostile behaviour. Due to harassment and humiliation suffered by him in the office, comfort and happiness virtually vanished from his life. Thus, it damaged his physical and mental health. (a) What are the options available with Pawan to cope with the situation? (b) What approach Pawan should adopt for bringing peace, tranquility and congenial environment in the office and home? (c) As an outsider, what are your suggestions for both boss and subordinate to overcome this situation and for improving the work performance, mental and emotional hygiene? (d) In the above scenario, what type of training would you suggest for officers at various levels in the government offices?

Case Study Your friend Ritwik hails from a village whose surrounding areas were submerged due to floods during the monsoon last year. Government assisted the affected people by giving them cash doles to purchase household goods, seeds to replant crop and cash to compensate for loss of standing crop. Ritwik had his house site on high ground and suffered no loss of personal effects. Luckily, his agricultural land being relatively far away from the flooded river escaped the ravages of the flood. Normally, government machinery is unable to thoroughly assess the damage suffered by each individual family. As a result, people take advantage by making extravagant and often fictitious claims. Ritwik has made false claims like others in the village. As a close friend of Ritwik, what do you think about his action? Is it a right thing to do? what would be your appropriate response to Ritwik’s conduct?

In the religious land of India, there exists the exploitative custom of sexual slavery known as the Jogini system (a local variation of the Devadasi system) which involves marrying young girls to a deity. This social evil has resisted the legal measures aimed at curbing it till date, despite having been prohibited as per the Devadasi (Prohibition of Dedication) Act. You are posted as a District Magistrate and you get to know about such practice taking place in the area of your jurisdiction. Two Dalit girls have been confined and being prepared for dedication to God as devadasis. The children are forced into becoming Devadasis by their own parents because girls are their only source of income in most cases. In a society where a girl child is often considered a liability, turning them into Devadasis is how patriarchy works to transform them into assets. You also get to know of child prostitution being practiced in the name of Devadasi. (a) What course of action will you take in such a scenario? (b) What are the issues involved in banning the practice of Devadasi system, in spite of the laws already present against it?

Case Study Dr. Sharma, a senior scientist at a renowned biotechnology company, leads a research team developing a drug to treat a rapidly spreading variant of a new viral infectious disease. With cases increasing worldwide and in India, there's immense pressure on Dr. Sharma's team to expedite the drug trials. The company seeks to capitalize on the significant market potential and gain a first-mover advantage. During a team meeting, senior members propose shortcuts to accelerate the clinical trials and secure quick approvals. These include manipulating data to exclude negative outcomes and selectively report positive results, bypassing informed consent procedures, and using patented compounds from a rival company instead of developing their own. Dr. Sharma feels uncomfortable with these shortcuts but realizes that meeting the targets is impossible without employing such means. She now faces a difficult decision that pits scientific integrity and patient safety against market pressures and the urgent need for a treatment. 1. Who are the stakeholders involved in this situation? 2. What are the ethical dilemmas faced by Dr. Sharma? 3. What course of action should Dr. Sharma take in this scenario?

Maruti is working as deputy secretary in Uttar Pradesh’s revenue department, dealing with grants of government land for various purposes. As land has become very scarce and very expensive, such grants have to be carefully made. The government has formulated a policy for the grant of its land for public purposes. The Government’s policy has been that government lands can be granted for purposes such as public educational institutions, hostels, hospitals, charitable institutions, government offices and rural infrastructure. Further, land could be given to private parties in a few cases for institutions that undertake programmes of education, health and skill up-gradation for weaker sections of society. One day a proposal for granting land to a cultural centre proposed in a prime urban location reached Maruti’s desk. The centre was not proposed by the state culture department, but by a private group. As Maruti was reading the file, he received a phone call from the Revenue minister’s private secretary that the person who wants to set up the centre is closely related to a prominent central leader of the ruling political establishment. The private secretary added that the proposal was cleared by the lower levels in the department and that Maruti should also endorse it positively. Maruti saw that the proposal could not be cleared under the government’s policy. The lower level staff justified the proposal since the official policy resolution contained a residual phrase that grants can be made for “other public purposes as may be decided by the government”. Maruti feared that the grant of valuable land to a private person with political connections could lead to controversy. In this situation, what should be the correct course of action and why?

Case Study You are a government employee working in the Ministry of Finance. You are responsible for reviewing and approving financial transactions. One day, you receive a request for approval to transfer a large sum of money to a foreign bank account. The request is made by a senior official in your ministry. You are suspicious of the request and ask the official to explain why the money is being transferred. The official tells you that the money is for a secret project that is being carried out by the government. You are not satisfied with this explanation and ask the official to provide you with more information. The official refuses to provide you with any further information and tells you that you must approve the transfer of the money, or you will be fired. Q. What should you do in this situation?

Case Study You are posted as the District Magistrate in a rural district of India with a significant population belonging to various caste groups. Despite legal provisions and affirmative action policies, instances of caste discrimination are prevalent in the district. Recently, a group of Dalit students from a government school in a predominantly upper-caste village have approached you, complaining of discrimination and harassment by their upper-caste classmates and teachers. The students allege that they are often made to sit separately, are not allowed to use the common water source and face verbal abuse from their peers and teachers. They also claim that their grades are intentionally marked lower than those of their upper-caste counterparts. Upon investigation, you find that the allegations are substantiated, and there is a deep-seated bias against the Dalit students in the school. The school management, dominated by upper-caste members, is reluctant to address the issue, citing "tradition" and "social norms." As the District Magistrate, how would you approach this situation ethically and effectively to address the caste discrimination in the school? What steps would you take to ensure justice for the Dalit students and promote a more inclusive and equitable environment in the school?