Mains Practice Questions

Stakeholders Involved

• Bonded Labourers – Unskilled, migrant, and marginalised workers trapped in debt bondage; includes women and children.
• Children at Worksites – Victims of child labour, denied education, health, and childhood.
• Contractors / Employers – Owners and intermediaries benefiting economically from exploitative labour practices.
• District Magistrate (Suresh) – Constitutional authority, ethical leader, and guarantor of rights.
• Local Political Leaders & Business Interests – Actors exerting informal pressure to preserve economic and political interests.
• Social Activists / NGOs – Rights advocates bringing violations to light.
• Media – Public accountability mechanism highlighting administrative response.
• Wider Society & State – Stakeholders in rule of law, social justice, and inclusive development.

Q1. Identify the ethical issues involved in the case from the perspectives of bonded labourers, employers, and public authorities.

• Bonded Labourers’ Perspective: From the workers’ point of view, the core ethical issue is the loss of human dignity and freedom. Practices such as forced labour, debt bondage, confiscation of identity documents, long working hours, and physical intimidation deny workers the ability to make free choices about their lives and work.
  • These conditions directly violate Article 23 of the Constitution, which prohibits bonded and forced labour, and Article 21, which guarantees the right to live with dignity.
  • The problem is aggravated by structural injustices- poverty, caste marginalisation, migration, and lack of education—which leave workers with little bargaining power.
  • The involvement of children at worksites further deepens the ethical concern, as child labour traps families in an intergenerational cycle of poverty and exploitation.
    • As often attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, “A society is judged by how it treats its weakest members.”
• Employers’ / Contractors’ Perspective: From the contractors’ side, the ethical issue lies in moral rationalisation of exploitation. Coercive practices are justified as “voluntary employment” or accepted “local customs,” ignoring the unequal power relationship between employer and worker.
  • By prioritising profits and uninterrupted production over workers’ rights, employers place economic gain above ethical responsibility and legal compliance.
  • Such practices erode business ethics, create unfair competition for law-abiding employers, and undermine the long-term sustainability of local industries by normalising exploitation.
• Public Authority’s Perspective: For public authorities, the ethical dilemma arises from a failure of ethical governance. Weak enforcement of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976 reflects administrative apathy and neglect of constitutional duties.
  • Authorities often face a conflict between ethical responsibility and expediency, as pressure to protect local economic activity clashes with the obligation to uphold human rights and the rule of law.
  • Media exposure of inhuman conditions further highlights governance gaps and damages public trust.
    • As per the Indian administrative ethos, “Public office is a public trust,” and failure to act decisively amounts to a moral as well as institutional failure.

2. What options are available to Suresh in dealing with this situation? Critically evaluate each option.

Options Available to Suresh & Their Critical Evaluation

• Option 1: Ignore or Downplay the Allegations : One option before Suresh is to ignore the complaints or treat them as exaggerated.
  Merits: This may help avoid immediate political pressure, local unrest, and short-term disruption of economic activity.
  Demerits: Such inaction would amount to a clear violation of constitutional duties and labour laws. It would allow serious human rights abuses to continue, reflect moral cowardice, and expose the administration to legal and ethical accountability.
  • Hence, this option is ethically indefensible and administratively irresponsible.
• Option 2: Conduct a Limited or Symbolic Inquiry: Suresh may order a superficial inquiry to show that the administration has “taken note” of the issue.
  • Merits: This creates an appearance of action and may temporarily calm media attention, activists, and political stakeholders.
  • Demerits: A symbolic response fails to address the root problem of bonded labour, emboldens exploitative employers, and weakens the rule of law. Over time, such tokenism erodes public trust in governance.
    • Thus, this option is ethically inadequate and misleading.
• Option 3: Take Strict Legal Action without Rehabilitation: Another option is to strictly enforce the law by conducting raids, filing cases, and penalising contractors.
  • Merits: This sends a strong deterrent message, reasserts the authority of law, and demonstrates administrative seriousness.
  • Demerits: If legal action is not accompanied by rehabilitation, rescued workers may fall back into debt bondage due to poverty and lack of livelihood options. Sudden closures may also create economic and social instability.
    • Therefore, this option is necessary but incomplete.
• Option 4: Comprehensive Rights-Based Intervention : The most appropriate option is a balanced approach combining strict enforcement with rehabilitation and prevention.
  • Merits: This approach upholds constitutional morality, protects human dignity, and addresses root causes such as debt, migration, illiteracy, and lack of social security. It balances justice with social stability and strengthens long-term institutional credibility of the administration.
    • Hence, this option is ethically sound, humane, and administratively sustainable.

3. As the District Magistrate, what course of action should Suresh adopt to uphold constitutional values, human rights, and ethical governance? Justify your answer.

Recommended Course of Action for Suresh

Immediate Measures

• Rescue of Bonded Labourers: Where bonded labour is identified, immediate rescue must be carried out under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976.
  • This sends a clear signal of zero tolerance towards forced labour and restores the workers’ basic freedom and dignity.
• Registration of FIRs: FIRs should be promptly registered for offences related to bonded labour, child labour, physical abuse, and custodial violence.
  • This reinforces the rule of law and ensures accountability of contractors and intermediaries.
• Surprise Joint Inspections: Suresh should order surprise inspections involving labour officials, police, and credible NGOs to ensure an unbiased assessment of worksites.
  • Such unannounced visits prevent advance warnings to contractors and help uncover hidden practices like document confiscation and coercion.
• Protection Orders for Workers: To prevent retaliation or re-bondage, protection orders, safe shelters, and police monitoring should be arranged for rescued workers.
  • This safeguards vulnerable workers and encourages others to come forward without fear.

Long Term Measures:

• Issue Release Certificates and Compensation: Suresh should ensure that all rescued workers are issued Release Certificates without delay, formally ending their bonded status.
  • Timely payment of statutory compensation is essential to restore dignity and provide immediate financial security.
• Debt Extinguishment: All bonded debts must be legally declared null and void so that workers are not re-trapped by contractors.
  • This step is crucial to break the cycle of coercion and psychological dependence.
• Rehabilitation of Children: Children rescued from worksites should be enrolled in schools through Child Welfare Committees, with support from ICDS for nutrition, healthcare, and counselling.
  • Education-based rehabilitation prevents intergenerational exploitation.
• Linking Workers to Welfare Schemes: Rescued workers should be connected to MGNREGA, PDS, health insurance, and skill development schemes to ensure sustainable livelihoods.
  • Social security reduces vulnerability and prevents relapse into bonded labour.
• Activate Vigilance Committees: Suresh should activate and regularly monitor Vigilance Committees at district and block levels, as mandated under the Bonded Labour Act.
  • Involving local officials, NGOs, and community representatives will ensure continuous oversight of high-risk sectors.
• Awareness Campaigns on Labour Rights: Awareness drives in local languages should be conducted to inform workers about their legal rights, minimum wages, and grievance mechanisms.
  • Informed workers are less vulnerable to deception and coercion.
• Employer Sensitisation Programs:
  Regular sensitisation workshops should be organised for employers and contractors to promote ethical labour practices and legal compliance.
  • This helps shift attitudes from exploitation to responsibility and sustainable business conduct.
• Digitisation of Worker Records: Digitising worker records and identity documents can prevent their confiscation by contractors and improve transparency.
  • Such systems also enable better monitoring, portability of benefits, and accountability.

Conclusion:

This case demands moral courage over administrative convenience. By acting decisively yet compassionately, Suresh upholds constitutional values, restores human dignity, and reinforces citizens’ faith in governance. Such leadership transforms administration from rule enforcement into ethical statecraft.