SECTION B : ANSWERS TO CASE STUDIES

9. 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 ftrst, she thinks that if her seniors are keeping quiet, why she

should 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 marks) Ans. (i) Discharging toxic waste in a river which is a source of drinking water for villagers will injure their health. But the villagers are unaware of it since the poisonous effluents

are discharged secretively. When she knows that an act is harming innocent people, she has to inform them. She has become privy to an immoral act harming villagers.

It becomes her moral duty to alert the villagers

(ii) If one becomes cognizant of an illegality, especially within an organization one is working, it becomes her legal duty to inform the authorities. Otherwise, one will be colluding, though not directly, in an illegal act.

(iii) At a minimum, the villagers have to be tipped off so that they can at least take preventive steps to protect their health.

(b) As she cannot afford to lose her job, she has to tread cautiously and indirectly. She can ask a reliable acquaintance to approach local authorities to test the river water quality. He/she should not bring her name into the matter. As a measure of abundant caution, he/she may in turn request another person or group to approach authorities for testing the river water quality. To stay in the background, she should not sign any applications or fill in any forms.

She can also discreetly find out if the villagers are suffering from any water-pollution related diseases. The local PHC can be alerted through third parties about the source of pollution. PHC will get the water tested. Authorities will force the company to stop dumping toxic waste. (254 words)

10. Land needed for mining, dams and other large-scale projects is acquired mostly from Adivasis, hill dwellers and rural communities. The displaced persons are paid monetary compensation as per the legal provisions. However, the payment is often tardy. In any case, it cannot sustain the displaced families for long. These people do not possess marketable skills to engage in some other occupation. They end up as low paid migrant laborers. Moreover, the beneftt of development goes to industries, industrialists and urban communities whereas the costs are passed on to these poor helpless people. This unjust distribution of costs and beneftts is unethical.

Suppose you have been entrusted with the task of drafting a better compensation-cum-rehabilitation policy for such displaced persons, how

would you approach the problem and what would be the main elements of your suggested policy? (250 words, 20 marks)

Ans. The difficulties of project-affected persons can be solved by helping them with liberal and enlightened policies. In former times, authorities tended to ignore the economic, social and cultural disruption which the displaced groups and families faced due to construction of large projects. They were insensitive to the rehabilitation of the displaced groups. It is now recognized, after many agitations against large projects, that the displaced groups should be enabled to transition easily to a new life in a new, congenial setting.

The required measures consist of the following:

• Cash compensation for relocation in new habitation.

• Creation in such habitations of infrastructure and social amenities for civic life.

• These are house site plots, internal roads, drainage, schools, hospital, drinking water supply, places of worship and the like.

• Depending on their preference houses can be built for them or they can be given money for construction on their own.

• As far as possible, they can be shifted to the new location together as a social group so as to preserve their existing family and social ties.

• One adult member of the family can be given employment in project activities.

• Alternatively, a perennial annual income stream should be created with the help of organizations such as LIC.

• Sincere attempt should be made to reproduce in the new location the characteristic cultural symbols of theirformer habitation.

• The authorities should ensure in the new location harmonious relations between the newly settled people and the old residents. (252 words)

11. Suppose you are an offtcer 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 beneftts of the scheme. However, she has no documents to show that she fulftls the eligibility criteria. But after meeting her and listening to her you feel that she certainly needs support. Your enquiries 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 violation of rules. But denying her the support would be cruel and inhuman.

(a) Can you think of a rational way to resolve thisdilemma?

(b) Give your reasons for it. (250 words, 20 marks)

Ans. (a) The social service scheme is intended to help old and destitute women. The scheme guidelines specify the documents which the applicants have to produce for verifying their eligibility. As the applicant is unable to produce any documents, an officer has

to decide the case on other evidence. The inquiries of the officer have shown that the applicant is destitute andlivinginindigent circumstances. Shetherefore deserves help on the merits of her case. The officer has to use the evidence and findings of his inquiries to help her. Although she may not have documents like proof of residence or BPL income certificate, the facts which emerged during the inquiries can be documented. Evidence of witnesses residing nearby and who know about her can be recorded. He can record the reasons for departing from the prescribed documentation requirements in her case.

(b) The basic point here is that the applicant merits help. She fulfils the criteria for receiving help under the scheme. The problem is that she is unable to produce the documents to support her claims. In schemes meant for such indigent persons, the requirements of supporting evidence need not to be rigorously enforced. Hard evidence and legal documentation are essential only in high value transactions and in decisions governed by strict legal provisions. In helping the applicant, the officer is acting in good faith. He will be relying on alternative or second best evidence. Social service schemes have both end objectives and procedural rules. In genuine cases, procedure can be sacrificed for end objectives. (256 words)

12. You are a young, aspiring and sincere employee in a Government offtce working as an assistant to the director of your department. Since you have joined recently, you need to learn and progress. Luckily your superior is very kind and ready to train you for your job. He is a very intelligent and well- informed person having knowledge of various departments. In short, you respect your boss and are looking forward to lean a lot from him.

Since you have good tuning with the boss, he started depending on you. One day due to ill health he invited you at his place for ftnishing some urgent work.

You reached his house and before you could ring the bell you heard shouting noises. You waited for a while. After entering the house the boss greeted you and explained the work. But you were constantly disturbed by the crying of a woman. At last, you inquired with the boss but his answer did not satisfy you.

Next day, you were compelled to inquire further in the offtce and found out that his behavior is very bad at home with his wife. He also beats up his wife. His wife is not well educated and is a simple woman in comparison to her husband. You see that though your boss is a nice person in the offtce, he is engaged in domestic violence at home.

In such a situation, you are left with the following options. Analyse each option with its consequences.

(a) Just ignore thinking about it because it is their personal matter.

(b) Report the case to the appropriate authority.

Ans. (a) The first option has some merit. If he is beating his wife, either she or her close relatives have to complain to police. In this case, the employee has heard a loud quarrel, and not actually seen his boss beating his wife. The subsequent crying of the lady could be the emotional fallout of her quarrel with her husband. In short, the employee has not witnessed an incident of domestic violence. Nevertheless, the episode is troubling. The boss whom he respects may be an unsavoury character at home. The employees will be mentally troubled. But it is an affair between married couple.

(b) The employee can report the incident to police. But he saw no physical violence. Police will need primary evidence. He can report to the disciplinary authority in office. But again he will be unable to substantiate anything. He will also be inviting the enmity of his boss.

(c) Directly pleading with his boss not to ill-treat his wife will not work. An indirect way of influencing his boss could be to tell an imaginary story of a lady who suffered from domestic violence, and suddenly committed suicide. He can embellish the story with how her husband landed in a police station, and how the police ill-treated and made life hell for him. He can add how the husband in the story failed to realize the risks of domestic violence and ruined his promising career. He can add that from his short experience he realized that government officers are good family men. This may set the boss thinking. (258 words)

13. ABC Ltd is a large transnational company having diversifted business activities with a huge shareholder base. The company is continuously expanding and generating employment. The company, in its expansion and diversiftcation programme, decides to establish a new plant at Vikaspuri, an area which is underdeveloped. The new plant is designed to use energy efftcient technology that will help the company to save production cost by 20%. The company’s decision goes well with the Government policy of attracting investment to develop such underdeveloped regions. The government has also announced tax holiday for ftve years for the companies that invest in underdeveloped areas. However, the new plant may bring chaos for the inhabitants of Vikaspuri region, which is otherwise tranquil. The new plant may result in increased cost of living, aliens migrating to the region, disturbing the social and economic order. The company sensing the possible protest tried to educate the people of Vikaspuri region and public in general how its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy would help overcome the likely difftculties of the residents of Vikaspuri region. In spite of this the protests begin and some of the residents decided to approach the judiciary as their plea before the Government did not yield any result.

(a) Identify the issues involved in the case

(b) What can be suggested to satisfy the company’s goal and to address the residents’ concern? (300 words, 25 marks)

Ans. (a) Economic development of backward regions is obviously desirable. While benefiting a region in many ways, development brings in its train problems for residents. The life style of the local residents will change. There may also be demographic changes and alterations in social composition due to entry of new residents. Many temporary workers coming into the area can create tensions. Local ladies may be troubled. The old residents tend to know one another, and the male residents will be respectful towards neighbouring families. The new immigrants may have no such feelings. The peaceful and quiet atmosphere may be disturbed with heavy vehicular traffic. There will be crowding, and unplanned growth in the habitation.

Notwithstanding these problems, the imperatives of economic development cannot be ignored. Economic growth will increase incomes, create jobs and improve labour skills. The company wants to locate in the area for availing of economic incentives and reducing costs. A method has to be found for resolving the conflict between the establishment of industry and the consequent likely disturbance to local residents. One way out could be to locate the factory at a distance from the present habitation in an industrial zone. The traffic originating and exiting the factory can be routed onto a new road, to prevent congestion on existing roads. It can create its own self-contained township. In this way, it will not create extra pressure on existing civic facilities.

(b) The factory should promise to be an enlightened corporate citizen. It can create harmonious relations with local residents and enrich their social life. It can organize cultural events, celebrate festivals, help senior citizens, and contribute to education and local charities. It should be sensitive to the concerns of the local population and quickly remove any irritants. The local people should feel that it will be improving their life. In these ways, the industry can assuage the local sentiments and win them over. (316 words)

14. Saraswati was a successful IT professional in USA. Moved by the patriotic sense of doing something for the country she returned to India. Together with some other like-minded friends, she formed an NGO to build a school for a poor rural community.

The objective of the school was to provide the best quality modern education at a nominal cost. She soon discovered that she has to seek permission from a number of Government agencies. The rules and procedures were quite confusing and cumbersome. What frustrated her most were the delays, callous attitude of offtcials and constant demand of bribes. Her experience and the experience of many others like her have deterred people from taking up social service projects.

Ameasure of Government controlover voluntary social work is necessary. But it should not be exercised in a coercive or corrupt manner. What measures can you suggest to ensure that due control is exercised but well meaning, honest NGO efforts are not thwarted? (300 words, 25 marks)

Ans. There has been a mushroom growth of NGOs. The expression ‘civil service groups’ has become, ‘an honorific term’---with its very mention supposed to create ‘a feel good emotion’ if not outright reverence. Many NGOs are reputed. But others simply aim at grabbing government grants. Some individuals have become free riders on the backs of NGOs. CAG has questioned the propriety of Government funding such NGOs. Many NGOs are also externally funded as a means of running dubious agendas in our country. Though there are bad eggs, NGOs should not be throttled. Many individuals create NGOs, as mentioned in this case, out of good will and genuine idealism.

Inthis case, Saraswati could facetwo distinct procedural hurdles: (i) forregistration of NGO; and (ii) recognition to school. Both cover regulations. For registering and/or recognizing institutions, procedures should be simplified if they seek no government grants. If they are self-funded, stringent regulations are unnecessary. However, a school has to be run properly following an acceptable curriculum, with trained teachers and minimum facilities likebuildings,playgrounds and labs. Regulation should coverthese broad criteria together with managerial autonomy. Approvals should be given promptly.

Even if public grants are given, NGOs should be lightly regulated. Regulations may cover the following:

• Registration after verifying the credentials of the promoters

• Objects and the manner of working for them

• Organizationalset up includingproceduresforelecting a governing bodyand executive committee

• Procedure and rules for carrying out the work

• Disclosure of sources of funds

• Suitable mechanisms for budget, accounts and audit

• Hiring required qualified personnel

• Rendering accounts to government for grants received

• Publishing annual reports about work done

• Ensuring Transparency, integrity and propriety in working

• Staying out of contentious political matters

Subject to these, NGOs should be allowed autonomy. (308 words)