UPSC Mains 2016 GS4 Q9 — Whistleblowing Case Study
A fresh engineering graduate gets a job in a prestigious chemical industry. She likes the work. The salary is also good. However, after a few months she accidentally discovers that a highly toxic waste is being secretly discharged into a river nearby. This is causing health problems to the villagers downstream who depend on the river for their water needs. She is perturbed and mentions her concern to her colleagues who have been with the company for longer periods. They advise her to keep quite as anyone who mentions the topic is summarily dismissed. She cannot risk losing her job as she is the sole bread-winner for her family and has to support her ailing parents and siblings. At first, she thinks that if her seniors are keeping quiet, why should she stick out her neck. But her conscience pricks her to do something to save the river and the people who depend upon it. At heart she feels that the advice of silence given by her friends is not correct though she cannot give reasons for it. She thinks you are a wise person and seeks your advice. (a) What arguments can you advance to show her that keeping quiet is not morally right ? (b) What course of action would you advise her to adopt and why ? (250 words) 20
Question Decoded — examiner's intent
- Directive verbs
- advanceshowadopt
- Scope keywords
- highly toxic wastesecretly dischargedsole bread-winnerconscience pricksnot morally rightcourse of action
- Implicit sub-parts
- Identification of specific ethical dilemmas and stakeholders involved.
- Refutation of the 'Bystander Effect' and the 'superior orders' defense.
- Categorical Imperative analysis: What if every employee kept quiet about toxic leaks?
- A phased strategy for internal reporting versus external whistleblowing.
- Safeguarding the family's survival while pursuing the ethical path.
- Common pitfalls
- Advising immediate resignation without suggesting mechanisms to secure financial stability first.
- Ignoring the 'sole bread-winner' constraint and sounding overly idealistic or impractical.
- Failing to mention specific laws like the Whistle Blowers Protection Act or environmental regulations.
- Neglecting to address the colleagues' fear of summary dismissal as a systemic corporate culture issue.
- Dimensions required
- Virtue EthicsEnvironmental EthicsProfessional EthicsDeontological DutyUtilitarianism vs. Individual Rights
- Marks allocation hint
Allocate approximately 100 words to Part (a) focusing on moral arguments like the 'Silence is Complicity' principle. Use the remaining 150 words for Part (b) to provide a pragmatic, step-by-step action plan that balances her duty to her family with her duty to the public, including gathering evidence and exploring anonymous reporting.
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