UPSC Mains 2023 GS4 Q16 — Work-Life Balance Ethics
At 9 pm on Saturday evening, Rashika, a Joint Secretary, was still engrossed in her work in her office... (a) Discuss the ethical issues involved in this case. (b) Briefly describe at least four laws that have been enacted by the Government with respect to providing a healthy, safe and equitable working environment for women. (c) Imagine you are in a similar situation. What suggestions would you make to mitigate such working conditions? (Answer in 250 words)
Question Decoded — examiner's intent
- Directive verbs
- DiscussBriefly describeImaginemake
- Scope keywords
- ethical issueshealthy, safe and equitable working environmentmitigate such working conditionswomenJoint Secretary
- Implicit sub-parts
- Analyzing the conflict between professional excellence/commitment and personal well-being/safety.
- Evaluating organizational culture and the 'always-on' expectation in high-ranking civil services.
- Identifying systemic gaps in physical security vs. psychological security for female employees.
- Categorizing legal protections into safety, health, and equal opportunity/pay frameworks.
- Common pitfalls
- Spending too many words on the laws (Part B) and neglecting the ethical dilemmas (Part A).
- Failing to address the specific '9 pm' and 'Joint Secretary' context, treating it as a generic workplace issue rather than a senior leadership one.
- Providing suggestions that are purely personal (e.g., 'leave early') rather than structural or institutional reforms.
- Overlooking the 'equitable' aspect of the prompt, focusing only on 'safety' while ignoring gender-neutral work-life balance.
- Dimensions required
- EthicalLegal/StatutoryInstitutional/OrganizationalSocio-psychologicalAdministrative
- Marks allocation hint
Allocate approximately 75 words to Part (a) to identify at least 3-4 distinct ethical dilemmas. Dedicate 60 words to Part (b) for a concise list of laws. Reserve the remaining 115 words for Part (c) to provide actionable, multifaceted suggestions, as this is where the candidate's personal judgment and problem-solving skills are tested.
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