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Q78·GS Paper 1 · Prelims 2026

Ethical Dilemmas in Civil Service

PolityExecutive & AdministrationFactual singleEasyStatic

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?

1Immediately disclose the information to the project committee and the public
2Recommend removing the contractor from the shortlist to protect the project's integrity
3Propose a 'limited disclosure' to an oversight committee, while keeping the information confidential from the public for the time being

Select the answer using the code given below:

Options

a

1 and 2 only

b

3 only

Answer
c

2 and 3 only

d

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.

Handling unproven allegations in public procurement requires balancing transparency with due process, which is best achieved through structured reporting to an official review committee.

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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