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01 Aug 2025
GS Paper 4
Case Studies
Day 41: You are the District Collector of a semi-urban district in eastern India. Six months ago, a key road bridge over a river was inaugurated with great fanfare. Built under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) and co-funded by the state government, it was projected as a symbol of rural connectivity and development.
Yesterday, the bridge collapsed after heavy rainfall, killing 17 people, including schoolchildren in a bus and farmers heading to a weekly market. Preliminary investigation reveals that substandard materials were used, the construction was rushed before elections, and safety norms were overlooked. The contract was awarded to a politically connected contractor who has executed several other infrastructure projects in the district.
As the head of district administration, you had signed off on the completion report, based on the reports submitted by the Public Works Department (PWD) and third-party quality audits. Civil society organizations and media are now questioning the role of the administration in approving an unsafe structure. Families of the victims are demanding accountability and compensation. A judicial inquiry has been announced by the state government.
You now face intense scrutiny, both as a public servant responsible for oversight and as a representative of the state ensuring justice, transparency, and institutional trust.
A. What are the ethical issues involved in this case?
B. How would you respond immediately to the crisis?
C. Which constitutional values and professional codes of conduct should guide your decisions in this moment of institutional crisis?
D. What reforms would you suggest to prevent such tragedies in future infrastructure development? (250 words)
Approach :
- Briefly introduce the situation to establish context.
- Identify the ethical dilemmas involved.
- Mention your immediate course of action.
- Discuss the guiding constitutional values and professional codes of conduct.
- Suggest reforms to prevent such tragedies in the future.
- Conclude with a quote from a moral thinker or ethical theory.
Introduction:
The collapse of a newly inaugurated bridge, resulting in the tragic death of 17 individuals, raises profound ethical, administrative, and constitutional concerns. As the District Collector, one's responsibility extends beyond procedural approval to ensuring that development serves public welfare and adheres to the highest standards of integrity and justice
Body:
A.Ethical Issues Involved
- Negligence and Dereliction of Duty: The administration’s approval of substandard construction reflects inadequate due diligence and oversight.
- Conflict of Interest: The involvement of a politically connected contractor suggests ethical compromise in procurement processes.
- Delegated Responsibility vs. Moral Responsibility: Signing off based on departmental and third-party reports raises questions on the moral accountability of higher officials.
- Loss of Public Trust: Institutional credibility is compromised, diminishing citizen confidence in governance.
- Delayed Justice and Victim Compensation: The ethical imperative is to respond quickly and sensitively to affected families.
B.Immediate Crisis Response
As District Collector, I would:
- Initiate Emergency Relief: Activate disaster response units to rescue survivors, provide medical aid, and ensure dignified treatment of victims.
- Support Victims' Families: Personally visit grieving families, offer condolences, arrange ex-gratia compensation, and assure long-term support.
- Administrative Measures:
- Suspend the PWD officials and blacklist the contractor.
- Request the state government for an immediate, independent technical inquiry.
- Fully cooperate with the judicial probe and disclose all documentation.
- Ensure Transparency: Conduct a press briefing accepting administrative lapse and outline corrective measures being undertaken.
C.Guiding Constitutional Values and Professional Ethics
- Right to Life (Article 21): The incident violates this fundamental right; hence, safeguarding human lives must be the topmost priority.
- Equality before Law (Article 14): No individual or contractor must be above scrutiny.
- Integrity and Accountability (All India Services Conduct Rules): Accepting moral responsibility is integral to ethical governance.
- Empathy and Compassion: Essential in managing the grief of affected families.
- Transparency: Vital to restoring institutional faith.
D.Systemic Reforms to Prevent Future Tragedies
- Reform Tendering Mechanism: Ensure e-tendering, independent scrutiny, and depoliticized procurement processes.
- Strengthen Audit Mechanisms: Engage credible third-party agencies with public disclosures of quality reports.
- Real-Time Monitoring: Use drones, geo-tagging, and remote sensing for progress and quality tracking.
- Whistleblower Protection: Create safe channels for ethical dissent within the system.
- Ethics Training and Vigilance: Regular workshops for engineers, contractors, and administrative officers on integrity in public service.
Conclusion :
The collapse of the bridge is not merely a structural failure but a moral one—reflecting gaps in oversight, accountability, and ethical governance. As custodians of public trust, civil servants must ensure that development projects prioritize human safety, transparency, and justice over political expediency.
As John Rawls observed, “Justice is the first virtue of social institutions.” Upholding this principle ensures that governance remains anchored in fairness and the protection of every citizen’s dignity.
