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Practice Case Studies # 01
1.0 Case Study 1
Disobeying an informal order
Anand is working as a clerk in Collector's office. Due to staff shortage, Anand also performs the task of raising flag over the office building every morning and taking it down every evening, although it is not part of his official job description.
One day a criminal turned politician Puri dies. Years ago, Anand's best friend was murdered during a riot allegedly orchestrated by Madan Puri.
Nonetheless, State secretariat passes an order to all District collectors, to keep National flag at "half-mast" over their offices, to mourn the death of the Mr. Puri.
Anand sees this news on TV, gets angry with such mockery of our national flag. He decides not to go to office next morning and keeps the door key of rooftop with himself. He is confident, "no formal punishment can be given to me, because this was not part of my official duty. At most Collector sahib will reprimand me informally but I don't care because Puri killed my best friend."
Do you think Anand has made the right decision? Why? (250 words)
20 marks
1.1 Case Study 2
Returning unspent money
Mohan is running an NGO to help street children. He receives government grant of Rs.2 lakh rupees for a project to teach the "out of school" children, who work at tea-stalls, do boot-polishing etc. A year passes, but Mohan managed to utilize only 50,000 rupees from the grant. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't convince many poor children or their families to join his NGO's program.
As per the grant rules, Mohan has to return all the unspent money back to government by the end of March 31st. But his colleague Neeraj suggests following:
If we honestly return Rs.1.5 lakh back, then government officials will think we are amateur, ineffective NGOs and they'll substantially reduce our grant for next year or even worse- they'll not give us any project next time!
We should take help of CA Abhishek to manipulate our account books and show majority of the grant was utilized for education.
Many other NGOs do the same thing- there is no problem - nobody will raise any objection, as long as we give 20% of the grant to SDM in charge of this project.
Although it sounds unethical but we won't use this money for personal needs, we'll use it on street children only. Hence our act is fully ethical and moral.
What should Mohan do with the money? (250 words)
20 marks
1.2 Case Study 3
Misleading for good purpose
Vijay is the inspector in charge of Rampur Police station. The police station building is in dire need of repairs, but hasn't received any grants for years. One day, a cyclone hits a nearby area, damaging most of the houses and shops. Although Vijay's police station gets partially damaged, but most of the building remain intact . Government sends a disaster assessment team to ascertain the level of damage and pay relief money. The DSP Mr. Pravin, orders Vijay to do following:
Hire some laborers and destroy the remaining parts of your police station building.
When disaster assessment team comes, you tell them building collapsed by the cyclone, and ask them to give priority in funding after all police station is one the most important public offices in a town.
Should Vijay obey his boss's order? (250 words)
20 marks
1.3 Case Study 4
Private matter of Public employee?
Maanav is working as an under Secretary in the pension department. One day, his friend Subhash, an SBI PO, narrates following incident:
For last two years, a retired Government employee Mr.Ashok is giving away 30% of his monthly pension to Mrs.Nandini every month through cheque.
Mrs.Nandini happens to be the wife of a section officer in the pension office under Maanav
Maanav's friend feels that something is fishy- may be this is part of a large bribe scam where senior citizens are forced to pay money to clear their pension files from the Section officer and have to submit bribes in his wife's account.
Maanav visits Mr.Ashok's house but he is suffering from Alzheimer's disease, unable to give coherent answers. Frustrated Maanav directly confronts Nandini's husband. But he says "Mr.Ashok was a friend of my father. He has no relatives or children and my wife Nandini has been taking care of him like daughter since a long time. Therefore, Mr.Ashok gives us money out of good will, so we can send our son to an expensive IIT coaching class @Kota, Rajasthan. Besides this is a personal family matter and none of your damn business."
Do you think maanav nand made a blunder or was he merely performing an ethical duty? (250 words)
20 marks
1.4 Case Study 5
Political neutrality
Mr Madan, a civil society activist, has launched a mass-movement to change Prime-ministerial form of government to presidential form of government. Anand is an undersecretary in the PMO. Before joining civil service, he had done Ph.D on the demerits of presidential form of government. He is invited by a news channel for prime-time debate. The newschannel anchor, assures madan the following:
It'll be only an educational-intellectual debate among scholars.
No politicians from ruling or opposition party are invited in our show.
You're invited in your capacity as a scholar in political science and not as a bureaucrat.
Should madan accept the invitation for news-debate? (250 words)
20 marks
1.5 Case Study 6
To curtail the mounting fiscal deficit, the Finance Minister decides to merge agriculture ministry with forest ministry, coal ministry with oil ministry and reduce personnel in the central services by 30%. But the opposition party is hardly raising any objection -they are occupied with the onion price rise issue. Media is too busy covering some other trivial issues.
Tarun, an employee in the Cabinet secretariat feels both Opposition party and media have failed to perform their ethical duty to inform citizens about matters of public interest. Therefore, he starts writing anonymous blogs and tweets to inform public about the negative consequences of the Finance Minister's austerity measures. Is Tarun doing the right thing? (250 words)
20 marks
2.0 Case Study 7
After a year of intense training at LBSNAA, Anil has come to Mukherjee Nagar to meet his close friend Parul who is preparing for civil services. They visit a roadside tea shop to have a cup of tea.
A 10 year old boy, who was cleaning dishes until their arrival, brings both of them two glasses of tea on his master's order. Anil, accidentally touches the plate carrying tea glasses. Hot tea spills all over his shirt. The owner of the shop, seeing this, beats the boy to a pulp.
What would be your reaction as a human being? How would you react if you were in Anil's place? (250 words)
20 marks
2.1 Case Study 8
Radha was very proud of her father. He was a senior bureaucrat in the state and he was invited to every major functions in Radha's school and colleges. She used to feel like a star on such occasions. She boasted about her father in her friends' circle. It was not without reason as her father himself used to tell her his stories of honesty, integrity in administration from his personal experiences.
When Radha was in her final year of graduation, just before her final exams, her father was arrested on charges of corruption and was sent to jail. This became a major news in the state and severely affected Radha mentally.
She did not want to write her exams as she felt embarrassed to go to college. But her friends and mother convinced her to give exams as it was very important for her future. As soon as Radha entered college, Ramya her old adversary met her and started talking sarcastically about Radha's father that how an honest father got arrested and how Radha had come to write exams in spite of a major crisis in her family. Ramya wryly asked Radha if her father had gone to jail to deliver lecture about honesty and integrity.
One of Radha's close friends slapped Ramya there itself.
Radha was hurt by Ramya's comments and not able to control her emotions she rushed out of college crying loudly. That day she did not give her exam. Next day she committed suicide at her home.
In the above example, Radha, Ramya and Radha's friend who slapped Ramya all have displayed different shades of low emotional intelligence.
Analyze how each one of them would have behaved if they all had possessed high emotional intelligence? (250 words)
20 marks
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