UPSC Mains 2023 GS4 Q15 — Disaster Management Ethics
A Iandslide occurred in the middle of the night on 20th July, 2023 in a remote mountain hamlet... (a) What are the ethical issues involved in this case ? (b) Evaluate the options available to you, being District Magistrate of the area. (Answer in 250 words)
Question Decoded — examiner's intent
- Directive verbs
- Evaluate
- Scope keywords
- remote mountain hamletethical issuesoptions availableDistrict Magistrate
- Implicit sub-parts
- Immediate humanitarian ethical dilemmas (Life vs. Risk to rescuers)
- Short-term administrative conflict (Resource allocation in remote areas)
- Long-term systemic ethics (Sustainable rehabilitation vs. Right to ancestral land)
- Identification of stakeholders affected (Victims, rescue teams, state, future generations)
- Common pitfalls
- Focusing too much on the technicalities of disaster management (NDRF protocols) instead of 'ethical' dilemmas.
- Ignoring the 'middle of the night' and 'remote' constraints, which heighten the risk to rescuers and necessitate a debate on utilitarianism.
- Failing to provide a 'preferred course of action' after evaluating the options.
- Neglecting the emotional and psychological trauma of the survivors in the ethical analysis.
- Dimensions required
- Utilitarianism vs. DeontologyAdministrative Ethics (Duty of Care)Environmental EthicsCrisis Leadership and EmpathySocial Justice (Vulnerability of remote hamlets)
- Marks allocation hint
Devote approximately 75 words to identifying the ethical issues, focusing on the conflict of values. Use the remaining 175 words to evaluate 3 distinct options (pro-con style) and conclude with a justified final recommendation as a DM. Ensure the evaluation specifically addresses the 'remote' and 'night' constraints mentioned in the prompt.
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