Ethical Dilemmas in Civil Service
Question
Ms. X is a mid-level civil service official working in the urban development department of a major city. Recently, she was involved in approving a contract for a public infrastructure project - a new community park. During the approval process, she received a piece of confidential information indicating that one of the shortlisted contractors had a history of poor workmanship and allegations of corruption in other cities, though nothing had been legally proven. The Head of the Department, Mr. Y, advised her not to disclose this information to the project committee or the public because it could delay the project and damage the city's reputation. However, Ms. X believed that withholding such information compromised transparency and public trust . What amongst the following should Ms. X do now?
Select the answer using the code given below:
Options
1 and 2 only
3 only
2 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
Explanation
The correct answer is (b). In administrative ethics, handling unproven confidential allegations requires balancing transparency with due process and official confidentiality rules. Option 1 is incorrect because leaking unverified allegations to the general public violates official secrecy guidelines and risks defamation since the charges are not legally proven. Option 2 is incorrect because unilaterally removing a contractor based on unverified information violates fair bidding procedures and due process. Option 3 is the most balanced approach: sharing the information with an official oversight or review committee ensures the project is properly vetted while maintaining confidentiality rules until the facts are verified.
Question details
Year
2026
Paper
GS Paper 1
Question
Q78
Subject
Polity
Sub-topic
Executive & Administration
Type
Factual single
Difficulty
Easy
Nature
Static
Source hint
Standard Administrative Ethics Manuals
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