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Ethics Case Study 7: Moral Dilemma | INSIGHTS

INSIGHTS
BY INSIGHT S | OCT OBER 3 , 2 0 1 3 3 :3 8 PM

Ethics Case Study 7: Moral Dilemma

Et hics Case St udy 7 : Moral Dilemma
Rajiv is an IAS aspirant. He studied in two prem ier institutions and worked for a while in an IT com pany . He quit the job and
started preparing for the civ il serv ices exam s. In his first attem pt he wrote m ains but could not qualify for the personality test. In
next two attem pts, howev er, he gav e interv iews but fate had it that his nam e did not appear in the final list. In all three attem pts
he had scored less in Mains and in two interv iews his score was av erage if not bad.
Com ing under General Merit, Rajiv had only four attem pts to get into IAS. For the last attem pt, he decided to take a break of one
y ear and prepare extrem ely well giv ing no chance to fate. By then he had spent fiv e y ears just for preparing for this exam with no
job in hand.

He did prepare well and easily sailed through the Prelim inary and Mains exam . For his final interv iew, Rajiv , prepared him self
v ery well. He read widely . He contacted his peers and well wishers, talked to them extensiv ely and took feedback on his body
language and com m unication skills. He took m ock tests at prom inent institutions and got a v ery positiv e feedback.His confidence
was at an all tim e high. By the tim e interv iew call letter cam e, Rajiv was fully ready to face his final test to realize the dream of
becom ing an IAS officer.
On the prev ious day of his interv iew, Rajiv talked to his parents, girlfriend and teachers and sought their wishes. He had a sound
sleep too.
His interv iew was scheduled in the second session i.e in the afternoon. On the day of his interv iew, in the m orning Rajiv was calm ,
com posed and had a friendly chat with fellow aspirants who had stay ed together in a friends room .
He had his lunch and left room in his bike half an hour before the scheduled tim e of his appearance at UPSC office.
Rajiv was riding his bike with lots of thoughts in his m ind. The road was alm ost em pty . As he was riding, just in front of him , a
speeding bike collided with the road div ider. Seeing this, Rajiv stopped his bike for a m inute and went near the accident scene. A
m an, cry ing with pain, was ly ing in a pool of blood and a girl child, around 5 y ear old, was ly ing unconscious next to the m an. Rajiv
looked around for help, but two or three cars sped away without stopping by .
Rajiv had to be at UPSC office in 1 0 m inutes. If not he would forev er lose his dream of becom ing an IAS officer.
In this situation, what should Rajiv do? Justify y our answer.

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48 responses to Ethics Case Study 7: Moral Dilemma

Akand Sitra
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 3 :52 pm
Oh m y god. This question is just beautiful. And two ethics questions in one day ? Nice.
Dilem m a in a civ il serv ants life is v ery com m on. In this scenario, it is the dilem m a between Sav ing a life and Achiev ing a
dream . By becom ing an IAS officer, he can sav e hundreds of liv es ev ery week. He can im pact thousands of people with his
policies. But, if he leav es the dy ing m an on the road and goes on to becom e an IAS officer. He will repent it for the rest of his life.
But, if he stay s on the road, sav ing this m ans life and takes him to the hospital and takes care of him . He will be ruining his
whole life. He needs to act som ewhere in the m iddle.
Since, he has ten m ore m inutes on his hand to reach the office. And all the form alities in the UPSC office m ight take upto an
hour. Also, his interv iew is in the afternoon, so he has m ore than two hours with him . He should utilize these two hours to the
m axim um . He should call an am bulance first. This m ight take atleast half an hour. Then, stay with the dy ing m an till then, till
local by passers m ake a group. Make sure he gets on to the am bulance, and then run to the UPSC office. After his interv iew is
done (Takes half an hour), he can go back to the hospital to check on the father and his daughter. So, this way , he would hav e
done both him self and the m an a fav our.
Reply

DD
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 4 :1 0 pm
Its a dilem m a between hum anity and Rajiv s long cherished dream . Morally they both are topm ost priority and in the giv en
situation one cannot be done by abandoning the other.
Rajiv s first action should be to call am bulance on the accident site and police also. If the am bulance or police arriv es
im m ediately he m ay hand ov er the responsibility to them as he cant do m uch afterwards and should rush for his interv iew. In
case the am bulance and police inform him about their delay in arriv al then instead of waiting he should try to take help from
nearby people and m ake the father-daughter duo to reach the nearby hospital by an autorickshaw or som eones four-wheeler.
Rajiv after arranging there suitable m eans for reaching to hospital should rush to UPSC. In case he reaches there late he should
not be discouraged rather explain the whole circum stances which caused the delay . There is huge probability that they will
allow him for interv iew as they require those personnel who are actually public serv ant.
Reply

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Reply

Shantan
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 4 :2 0 pm
He m ust im m ediately call for an am bulance or a PCR v an citing the em ergency and identify ing the exact location. He m ust
start going and on the way , on seeing the crowd, m ust scream for help, tell them briefly about the accident spot and the
situation and request them to attend to them until Am bulance or PCR v an turns up. He m ust be on his way and reach Dholpur
House on tim e.
He m ust try to m aintain his calm and try to focus his m ind on the interv iew and giv e his best. After his interv iew, he can
inquire about the hospital they are adm itted to and v isit them .
Reply

champakali
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 4 :4 2 pm
Since the m an is injured and girl is unconscious, first thing to do is to get the m an and the girl to the side of the road away from
danger. Rajeev should then inform police regarding the accident. He should also check m obile phone of the v ictim and inform
the m entioned em ergency contact in any . After that he should try to prov ide necessary first aid to those injured. This would not
take m ore than a few m inutes. If som e other people stop by at the accident site during this tim e to help the v ictim s, Rajeev can
leav e for his interv iew and m ake it to UPSC office in tim e.
Howev er, if no one stops to help the v ictim s, Rajeev faces a dilem m a where on one hand is his dream of becom ing an IAS officer
which he has been working hard for, and on the other hand liv es of two accident v ictim s lie on a thread and they need urgent
m edical attention. The ethical thing to do at the m om ent would be to try to arrange for urgent m edical care for the v ictim s.
Rajeev should try to stop passing auto rickshaw and ask them to take the v ictim s to nearest m edical facility by offering to pay
the transportation fee.
If nothing works, Rajeev should try to take them to nearest hospital on his v ehicle in spite of knowing he m ight m iss the exam . In
any accident, early m edical care is at m ost tim es a critical factor in sav ing liv es and as the girl is unconscious and the m an is
bleeding, they m ight need urgent m edical care. Rajeev cannot possibly leav e them helpless to their fate. Any IAS officer needs to
be com passionate and em pathies with public, and as a aspiring candidate, ev en if Rajeev m isses his chance to be one, by doing
the right thing and taking them to hospital, he will know at least his conscience is clear.

Reply

neeraj
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 4 :4 3 pm
Rajiv has to choose between a carrer path he has chosen and is about to fullfil and helping people whom he doesnot know and
would die if not helped.
He should call 1 02 first and ask for am bulance serv ices. Also, he should call 1 00 and inform the police. Then he can go on his
way to appear for his interv iew.
Reply

neeraj
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 4 :58 pm
I think this question is not a good question because..
1 ) A guy who has been preparing for 5 y ears wont leav e only 3 0 m inutes before exam , Most guy s keep at least 1 -2 hour spare
tim e, so that they reach 1 -2 hours in adv ance at the interv iew center. So, its basically guy s fault if he faces this problem .
2 ) No inform ation has been prov ided about the tim e taken from accident site to the interv iew. 1 0 m in left for interv iew
m eans, ev en if he gets stuck in a traffic jam , he loses his interv iew.
3 ) I think if such an accident takes place, it is natural for people to gather around the spot.
Reply

neeraj
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 5:1 0 pm
I think, m ore than explaining what he did to reach this spot,(like talking to gf/parents/friends etc.) u should prov ide
m ore details. Any way s its a m oral dillem a.
Reply

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raghusharmag
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 5:1 1 pm
pls insight sir rev iew m y answer & suggest area of im prov em ent it will be of great help
Reply

neeraj
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 5:08 pm
Oh. I forgot to explain m y decision.
I think, sav ing three life is im portant. But If Rajiv becom es an IAS officer he can sav e m any m ore liv es, liv es of people who
are starv ed, of elderly , of widows and from m any natural calam ities like floods etc. Gita say s that good of the collectiv e
ov errides the good of the indiv idual.
Also, the m an bleeding is cry ing with pain, that m eans he has not lost m uch blood, and can surv iv e. The girl child is
unconscious, that m eans she is not dead. So, she had m uch chance of recov ery as well. The accident took place in front of
Rajiv so calling am bulance would be the best option as they hav e tim e. Also Police m ust be inform ed to take proper legal
action.
Reply

champakali
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 4 :4 6 pm
*em pathize^^ instead of em pathies (dam n autospellcheck)
Reply

raghusharmag
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 5:08 pm
3 .1 0.2 01 3 :
7 .Rajiv :
The present situation tests beneficence, nonm aleficence & need to satisfy self am bition. Rajiv , if leav es, will v iolate the
beneficence(doing good of others) and m aleficence. As on departure it will autom atically led to harm for accident v ictim s. And if
decided against leav ing than his self am bition will be shattered.
The situation dem ands the decision m aking skills & m oral strength of Rajiv .
Rajiv should depart from place if he m anages to do below action.
He should im m ediately call nearest police station,nearest hospital or close relativ e of of v ictim or his friend to m ake som e
im m ediate arrangem ent. Also he can gather inform ation about any hospital in path to his UPSC rout. And he should drop the
v ictim s to enroute hospital, considering one was conscious & other was child, through his bike , if the connection with police or
hospital or any other arrangem ent in v ain.
Howev er if abov e action are not open to Rajiv , than he should im m ediately contact to UPSC office explaining situation & asking
for both help & perm ission for late. If failed to gather approv al than he should not go considering m oral obligation of two persons
life is m uch m ore than his IAS(jobs) am bition. He can pursue other civ il serv ices related job or work through NGO in future to
m eet am bition of serv ing people. As IAS is ultim ately dedicated for serv ing public.
Reply

Aditya Jha
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 6 :2 4 pm
Good answer Raghu.
Reply

SREEJESH
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 1 0:3 7 pm
Really a gud 1 !!

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Really a gud 1 !!

Ethics Case Study 7: Moral Dilemma | INSIGHTS

Reply

raghusharmag
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 1 1 :1 0 pm
thks adity a & sreejesh
Reply

INSIGHTS
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 1 0:57 pm
Balanced approach. Good answer. But I feel y ou should giv e one solid course of action he should take instead of giv ing so
m any possibilities.
Reply

raghusharmag
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 1 1 :09 pm
thks sir will keep that in m ind
Reply

ashok
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 5:3 1 pm
Many great seers and leaders hav e stood by such a hanging-sword-on-conscience dilem m a. Abrahim ev en sacrificed his only son
Issac on the com m and of God or in other words com m and of his inner v oice or conscience. Rajiv will also do the sam e believ ing
his IAS interv iew as his only son. He has to firm ly believ e that no force or authority will be able to punish him for such a noble
cause. But he will deploy all his intelligence before the culm ination of final either-or contingency . As we know ev en if he is the
first to be interv iewed he gets enough tim e in docum ent exam ination and wait for the final call. So he has got around an hour in
hand. In the next 50 m inutes,keeping 1 0 m inutes for journey , he will m ake calls to health serv ices,police,relativ es of the
patients if he gets from their cellphone. He will v ery assertiv ely ask som e v ehicle or auto wala to stop their and find atleast one
v olunteer to accom pany him . Since the area near Shahjahan road has good m edical facilities the v ehicle or auto can take them
there in 2 0 m inutes only . While being in the v ehicle and after inform ing som e responsible custodians of the injured ones about
the accident, Rajiv will sim ultaneously call at UPSC and get connected to som e senior lev el official and narrate the ev ent. Ev en
such official m ay be requested and expected to help Rajiv out as UPSC stands for uholding such v alues. He can ev en take a m obile
v ideo clipping of the ev ent for future ev idence purposes in case he has to m ov e higher authorities or courts. Rajiv has to keep full
faith in his course of choice. He will not get punished for this noble act. By the tim e he reports to UPSC he m ay be in tim e and in
case he is slightly late then he can refer through the offficer to whom he spoke. It m ay be expected that UPSC will interv iew
Rajiv m ay be a little late sam e ev ening but will not be denied.
Reply

neeraj
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 6 :05 pm
why dont u think that he will not be denied interv iew?? what if it gets too late taking them to hospital and caring for them ??
suppose it takes 3 -4 hours.. what then??
Reply

neeraj
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 6 :06 pm
also what is the phone num ber to contact the UPSC officials.. do they giv e u any phone num ber to contact in case of
em ergency ?? Also it seem s u know a lot about area in Delhi.. lol.. just kdding
Reply

neeraj
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 6 :1 4 pm

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also is it ethical to m ake a v ideo of a person who is in pain and m ay die for ur selfish gain of getting in an interv iew??

Reply

ashok
October 4 , 2 01 3 at 1 0:3 2 am
hehe no i just guessed that good hospitals should be around that aream y basis for this extrem e stand is purely on ethical
source.rajiv has to act logically and with due diligence till end but he has to keep him self prepared for ev en such a
situation where if he has to m ake a choice between his ias interv iew and sav ing life then he should decide in first thought
itself that he will let the interv iew gofollowing the traditions of great sacrificei feel that is the real contingency in this
question bcoz not m any facts are giv enhospitals auto am bulance these all are our assum ptions..further if rajiv does
som ething half way and com es for interv iew then he m ay becom e IAS but he will continue to lov e his job m ore than
any thinghe m ay face sam e dilem m a 2 m arow..and let people die for sav ing his job..he will still hold the fear of loosing
IAS and in situations like com m unal riots som etim es the district adm inistration keeps m um bcoz v ery v iolent and
powerful forces are in operation around u,which m ay threaten u to rem ain m um or u will be punished and m ay ev en
loose y our jobi feel all those IAS IPS officers let com m unal v iolence happen just to sav e their jobs and positions in the
powerful world which they found dearer than any thing including the liv es of innocent peopleand y a that v ideo clipping
point should be excludedalthough i m eant that rajiv shoud take pic of the hospital gate etc and not v ictim s to show it to
upsc or court he asked for but point taken it should be excluded as it is not the dem and of the quesion and it is v ery easy
to talk to higher officials in UPSC through landline num ber i hav e done it m any tim es..ev en upsc instructions so say ,one
can readlets sum upi think the real thing under scrutiny here is that if rajiv is ready to m ake the highest sacrifice like
Abraham or notrest Insight Sir m ay throw som e lightbcoz it m ay be likely that taking extrem e stand m ay sound not
good from exam ination point of v iewelse in exam ination of life one ought to be like that only and i wish i need be
corrected here for exam purposessir please giv e y our com m entsany way thanks for responding adity a
Reply

prerna
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 5:53 pm
Rajiv should im m ediately call an am bulance. An m eanwhile m ake a phone call to UPSC office and explain the situation and ask
for perm ission for com ing late.
If am bulance does not com e, Rajiv should call any of his friends or relativ es who could help the v ictim s.
If nothing works then Rajiv should take them to the hospital adm it them and take som e certificate of there adm ission and check
if there is any identity proof or any phone contacts with the v ictim s of the accident and should call them and inform them the
details.
He should take that certificate of adm ission as a proof to UPSC and should conv ince them about the incident and his actions. As
sav ing a life is m ore im portant than any thing, and this v alue is a m ust in each of the civ il serv ice aspirant.
Reply

neeraj
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 6 :01 pm
Prerna.. is asking for certificate practical? ev en if u take them to hospital and ev en if the doctors decide to help them will
they hav e tim e to giv e u a certificate???
Reply

neeraj
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 5:59 pm

Insights I hav e one question.. I know the m oral thing to do was to help the kid and the m an.. but is that practical???
What should i write.. m y own opinion or what the exam iner want m e to write.. i dont think any one practical would leav e
his/her interv iew esp when its his/her last attem pt..
What do u think should i write.. its not a m atter of what i will do .. we are being judged by what we write and not what we do ? so
m ost of them will write that they will help and let the exam go.. but that is not practical and ev ery one knows that..

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Should I write that i should help the kid and the m an and prov e that i am m orally superior to other people or write what is
practical?? What do u think the exam iner wants??
Reply

Aditya Jha
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 6 :2 1 pm
Read m y answer, i hope it addresses y our concerns.
Reply

neeraj
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 6 :58 pm
to som e extent..
Reply

dryogeshd
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 6 :2 5 pm
Think about the entire thing Neeraj. This question is intended to m ake y ou think, if y ou write som ething and do som ething
else, isnt that double standard? doesnt that m ean y ou are an im m oral person? What would y ou rather be? an Im m oral IAS
officer or a m oral hum an being? These ty pes of questions are intended to m ake y ou look deep inside y ou, y ou are not just
preparing for IAS exam s, it is not just about writing an answer what the exam iners want, it is about looking inside y ourself
and realizing what y ou actually think and do in such circum stances. It is about what practical step y ou should take to be a
m oral person than what y ou wish to write on a paper.
Reply

Aditya Jha
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 6 :1 9 pm
Case study 7 :
Rajiv should tread a balanced path. Neither should he com prom ise on his career nor the v ictim s of the accident.
He should first call the Delhi city am bulance or em ergency helpline to pick up the v ictim s, as he him self would not be able to
carry them on the bike. Meanwhile, he should call one of his friends, explain them the situation quickly , and ask them to be
there at the em ergency spot.
If the am bulance arriv es in tim e so that he can reach UPSCs office, he should do so. Here, he m ust inform his friend to take care
of the v ictim s. Otherwise, he should wait at the spot waiting for the am bulance. It is natural that he would get late for the
interv iew.
keeping this in m ind, he should go to the hospital with the v ictim s and request for a proof of the accident from the hospital
authorities explaining his dilem m a, so that he can attend the interv iew. Then, he should quickly leav e for the interv iew, while
keeping his friend incharge of the situation.
He should show the letter/proof to the authorities at UPSC inform ing them of his inability to m ake it on tim e and a genuine
reason for the sam e. UPSC respects honesty and duty , and this should help him attend the interv iew.
If Rav i would hav e left the v ictim s, there was ev ery chance that they would hav e died. Thus, he should recognize his m oral duty
as a responsible citizen. Victim s of any accident could hav e be any one, ev en fam ily m em bers. He should keep in m ind that
ev ery life is v aluable and m ust be respected.
Reply

Vijay Pateriya
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 8:06 pm
I think its a case of crossing word lim itif that was 2 00 words
Reply

INSIGHTS

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INSIGHTS
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 9 :1 9 pm
Except introduction, y our answer is right in all respects. In the introduction y ou can not m ention that he should tread a
balanced path. His utm ost duty will be to sav e the liv es in front of him . He becom ing an IAS officer is uncertain and its m ore
uncertain if he would sav e m ore liv es as an officer later. Here he should, without second thought follow the principle of
utilitarianism i.e, m axim izing happiness and reducing suffering. Sav ing he m an cry ing for help before him and a little girl
fighting between life and death should be the param ount concern at that m om ent. If accident v ictim s are taken to hospital
within the golden hour, there is a m axim um chance of sav ing them .
He can think about giv ing interv iew once he is satisfied that he has done his m oral best. My point is, m entioning about
treading a balanced path in the introduction giv es a false idea. To sav e liv es, he should be ready to com prom ise his career
too. I am sure, as y ou are also, UPSC will giv e him a chance to giv e his interv iew if he prov es them why he was late.
Reply

Aditya Jha
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 1 0:3 3 pm
Sure Insights. I should not hav e introduced like that. Thank y ou so m uch for y our consistent guidance.
Reply

Mohit
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 6 :4 9 pm
The approach of Rajiv should be to balance both the issues of ensuring m edical help to the v ictim s and reaching UPSC office in 1 0
m ins.
As Rajiv is him self riding a bike, he cannot take 2 m ore people to a hospital on his bike. Also, since the road is em pty and no car
has stopped till then, he has to call for help. So the first thing Rajiv should do is call an am bulance to the accident spot. After
that, he should lift the m an and his daughter cautiously to the side of the road so they are at least out of harm s way from
another v ehicle on the m iddle of road. Then he should im m ediately try to wash away the m ans wound with water (if he is
arry ing a bottle) and try to tie a clean handkerchief on the bleeding spot. Since the daughter is unconscious, it is best to wait for
am bulance to arriv e and take no adv enture on his own.

Hav ing taken all these steps, Rajiv should now decide if should wait for am bulance to arriv e and then leav e for UPSC office or
leav e im m ediately for interv iew. Just waiting for an am bulance would not serv e any practical purpose as he cant lessen the
pain of the pain neither can he do any thing about the unconscious daughter. Also, this is his last chance of becom ing an IAS
officer and there is no guarantee that UPSC panel will accept his reasons for com ing late for the interv iew. So, it would be best for
him to leav e the spot being conv inced m orally that he had done all he could do in his power to sav e the accident v ictim s.
Reply

Dusky
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 8:4 1 pm
Very Well Expressed.. I liked y our answer..
Reply

dr NAVEEN
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 7 :1 1 pm
Rajiv ought to help those v ictim s.The question arises that what is the ultim ate aim of this hum an life-attaining pleasure or self
actualization
Becom ing an IAS officer is not the end in itself,it is also the m ean to achiev e the end i.e.self realization
Hedonistic v iew holds that if we dont help those v ictim s and go for the interv iew,it would giv e us pleasure.Pleasure is only the
gratification of lowerself. Gita tells us that the suprem e good which is the higherself could be achiev ed only through perform ing
our duties without considering its results.The duty of hum an being is to help others who are in need.Hum anity is the v irtue.
Here our conscience guides us that the best m oral action would be helping those v ictim s.This conscience also dev elops when we
think that if I was there,the other person ought to help us.The agony and pain of the v ictim s com pel our conscience to help those
v ictim s
If we consider the consequences of this action,Rajiv could not reach in tim e for the interv iew.He could not be selected but it is
possible that if he reached in tim e,he m ight not hav e been selected.

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(personal experience)
REv iew insights and friends
.
Reply

Aditya Jha
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 8:4 2 pm
Hi Dr. Nav een,
I respect y our point of v iew. I hold sim ilar v iews on m any issues, especially those related to hedonism and Gita.
But, y our answer say s that becom ing IAS (going for the interv iew) is achiev ing pleasure. I strongly disagree with it
personally . It is m uch higher v alue than pleasure. What about those other liv es he could hav e sav ed by designing better road
safety policies? What about those hungry souls it could hav e fed? When Arjuna was told by Krishna to fight the Kaurav as
and ev en to kill them , it was based on this wider notion of duty and v irtue. Howev er, there can be no doubt about sav ing a
life, i hav e reserv ations on the argum ents forwarded by y ou regarding the pleasure in IAS.
We can discuss at lengths on this, i request y ou to confine it here itself. It is just m y personal opinion.
The answer is well written.
Reply

dr NAVEEN
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 9 :1 9 pm
thanx adity a for y our feedback
Reply

Dusky
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 7 :2 1 pm
# FACTS
- For Rajiv , this is the last attem pt after dev oting 5 full y ears into preparation
- On the day of his interv iew, accident took place on an alm ost em pty road
- Hardly 1 0m ins are left for him to reach UPSC office
# ETHICAL DILEMMA
- Ethical Egoism v /s Consequentialism
The form er aim s towards m axim ization of self benefits, the latter on the other hand works towards the consequence of the action
which should teleologically be good for all.
# CHOICES
(1 ) Be a rational m an and leav e the v ictim s there itself.
(2 ) Keep self interest at bay considering the need of the hour and try best to help those v ictim s.
# APPROACH
This untoward situation has placed Rajiv in a com plex ethical dilem m a where in he has to choose between 2 com prom ising
alternativ es. Here the confusion is between the consequence of the action and inner conscience. Considering m y self in Rajiv s
shoes, m y m oral conscience would definitely not allow m e to to leav e those bleeding souls to them selv es. Thus, I would elim inate
choice (1 ) considering it too em pirical rather than em otional (hum ane and considerate). Being present there, it is m y m oral
duty to take care of the surv iv ors and at the sam e tim e inform police about the m ishap. My im m ediate step would be to dial
public utility num bers for reporting the incident to police and arranging an am bulance as hardly any one was there to take
them to a nearby hospital (Bike does not serv e the purpose here). On confirm ation of their arriv al to that place, I would then
proceed towards m y destination.
Being punctual should be a priority for an officer to set an exam ple for the society . But considering the dem and of the situation,
serv ing the needy should be the topm ost consideration. I am sure the interv iew conducting staff would take cognizance of the
sam e with the proofs of the num bers dialed by m e and allow m e to giv e the personality test.
Reply

Dusky
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 8:4 9 pm
Insights and friends, Kindly Rev iew m y answer..

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Reply

INSIGHTS
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 8:53 pm
Your answer is the best one so far in term s of flow, argum ent and logic all conv incing and good.
Instead of directly starting with facts, giv e a sm all introduction. It com pletes y our answers.
Reply

Dusky
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 1 0:2 1 pm

Thank y ou for such encouraging words!! It fills a sense of satisfaction..

Reply

Vijay Pateriya
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 7 :59 pm
In this case dilem m a is whether he should wait and act to sav e the liv es of the two who m et accident or to leav e them to their
fate and m ov e towards his aim .For any hum an,the v alues and the duties he inherited for being a hum an m ust be prior to
personal aim and so perform ed.
No doubt the m an has giv en his all while preparing for the job,gathered all his energies till the last m om ent and now he is just
inches away he is in this dilem m a, whereas he still has little tim e to reach the office further its an em pty road,seem s he is the
only one there who could lend help;surely if he leav es the liv es of the two is in hanging.no doubt the only option av ailable is to
help them its the prim e job assigned being a hum an if he leav es them like this it prov es his selfishness atleast.First of all call
am bulance,inform police now he could think of way s.To m e one option m ight be to call his friend to whose room he stay ed so that
if possible he could com e and take the charge,second if not possible for friend then he should wait for police or am bulance and
him self pay his hum anitarian duties.
In the course if he gets late to reach then he m ight narrate the whole incident before the officials attending him at the office and
request them to giv e him a chance to proov e his m erit.
Reply

swapnil vadnere
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 1 1 :2 6 pm
Many tim es, person com e across ethical dilem m a.person trap in the confusion between the consequence of action and inner
conscience.Here rajiv is facing the sam e situation.
Hum an life is the m ost precious and sav ing it is m ore im portant than any other thing. No one should m ake excuses in the
situation where to sav e the hum an life is utm ost im portance. Rajiv s utm ost duty is to sav e the m an cry ing for help and a little
girl fighting between life and death. In this case, Rajiv should be ready to com prom ise with his career too.
The first thing rajiv should do is that to call police and am bulance. Just by calling the police and am bulance, Rajiv should not
leav e that place.Rendering im m ediate help after accident is v ery im portant.It is the m oral duty of the Rajiv to m ov e both the
injured persons to the side of the road and stand there with them . On confirm ation of arriv al of am bulance or police, Rajiv can
then proceeds toward his destination.
Being punctual should be a priority for an officer. But considering the dem and of the situation, serv ing the needy should be the
topm ost priority .Upsc will giv e Rajiv a chance to giv e his interv iew if he prov es them why he was late.
Reply

Nitish
October 3 , 2 01 3 at 1 1 :3 6 pm
Dilem m a faced by Rajiv : whether to sav e the injured or to sav e his last chance of becom ing an IAS officer for which he had put
so m uch effort.
Options inv olv ed:

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1 . Ignore the accident, and go to UPSC.
2 . Take the injured to hospital, and say goodby e to IAS
3 . Persuade others to take the injured to hospital.

First option and second one are not feasible. In first case, to ignore an unconscious 5 y ear child and her injured father would
display stone-heartedness and lack of care for others.
Second option m eans sacrificing the m uch cherished goal, for which Rajiv has put so m uch effort. After putting 5 long y ears day
and night hardwork, and m issing the opportunity at the last m om ent will cause lot of pain. It m ight becom e difficult for him to
lead a stable and peaceful life for then onwards.
Third one is the m ost optim al solution. He m ight giv e away his bike(he can go to UPSC by auto!), m obile, m oney etc. to any one
who take the injured to hospital. He can also place his bike in the m iddle of the road and block it, so atleast som e one in car who
hears and sees the pain of the injured m ight be m ov ed to help them .
Reply

Sayan Gupta
October 4 , 2 01 3 at 1 2 :1 3 pm
The question What should Rajiv do? actually im plies What is the right decision Rajiv needs to take?. On a personal note, I
think there isnt any
right or wrong decision what really m atters is whether Rajiv is clear to him self about his decision. If he is ok with helping the
m an and m issing
his interv iew, so be it. Or else if he decides to giv e priority to his interv iew the key to achiev ing his dream and not help the
m an ev en then there
is no problem . The thing that m atters is not to let that decision haunt him in the future. Best of both worlds approach would be
ideal for him , but it
totally depends on that particular situation he is in what are the options av ailable to him at that m om ent. I believ e on paper it
isnt that difficult to ponder ov er thousand possibilities about what should or shouldnt be done, but a real situation like this
offers y ou v ery less tim e, and at that m om ent being clear to y ourself and not to regret about that decision in future is what that
is really im portant.
Reply

vipul
October 4 , 2 01 3 at 8:3 1 pm
In this situation, what should Rajiv do? Justify y our answer
Rajiv has been working hard for fiv e y ears and it is his last chance to fulfill his dream s. He wants to appear for the interv iew and
at the sam e tim e wants to help accident v ictim s. But the situation allows him to pursue only one activ ity . Rajiv is in dilem m a
but dilem m a seem s to be self-im posed.
Rajiv has no legal obligation to stop for the v ictim s. Rajiv m ight ev en be successful to fulfill his dream of becom ing an IAS officer.
But Rajiv act will be im m oral as sav ing two life is far m ore significant than a job interv iew in any kind of society . He will be
acting out of self-interest that does not relate to public serv ants qualities. Further,If Rajiv has m oral v alues then he will
definitely regret his im m oral act throughout his life.
If Rajiv stay s back to help the v ictim s then he is doing his m oral duty . Moral duties hav e nothing to do with our specific
situations. Good people should alway s inv olv e in m oral acts, no m atter what the consequences will be. Rajiv has kept his
m otiv ation lev el high despite the prev ious failures which signifies his com m itm ent to serv e for the society & nation. Ev en if he
m iss the interv iew, he has good education & prev ious experience to get a decent job if not the IAS. IAS is not the only m eans to
serv e the society & there are num erous platform s av ailable to pursue such interests.
If Rajiv intention is to help the society after becom ing an IAS, here is an opportunity for him to sav e the life of two persons.
Reply

cs
October 4 , 2 01 3 at 1 0:06 pm

rajiv has at stake his career and his dream job for which he has toiled for fiv e long y ears.but on the other hand the life of a m an
and his y oung daughter hang in balance.
rajiv should at once call the am bulance and also inform his friends with whom he was sharing the room .if possible he should
intim ate the near and dear ones of the casualties after finding the relev ant num bers from their m obile.
if rajiv knows first aid he can deliv er the sam e to the v ictim s of the accident.

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if rajiv knows first aid he can deliv er the sam e to the v ictim s of the accident.

thereafter he should proceed straight to the interv iew center.and if he arriv es late he should expalin the entire episode to the
concerned authorities.
Reply

ssreekanthreddy
October 5, 2 01 3 at 1 0:00 am
The dilem m a in the giv en question is between sav ing two liv es and fulfilling ones own dream . Howev er there is no need for
com prom ising on either of them . Sav ing the two v ictim s would require finding an am bulance or proper transport m eans and
joining them in an hospital which would not require m uch tim e giv en that the accident took place in the m iddle of a
m etropolitan city . Howev er this can m ake him a bit late for his interv iew and he m ight m iss his interv iew. But since he is
aspiring to becom e an adm inistrator and giv en his confidence lev els, he should be equipped enough to be able to conv ince the
board m em bers about his genuine reasons for getting delay ed to the interv iew.
Ev en if UPSC board does not get conv inced and he looses out on his dream , there are m ultiple other options through which he can
serv e the people. As he has prepared extensiv ely for the top lev el exam ination in the country , there is no doubt he can succeed in
other gov t serv ice related exam inations. But there is no second option in case of sav ing those liv es. The regret that he could hav e
sav ed them had he put effort would haunt him through out his life.
So I would suggest Rajiv to help the v ictim s get to hospital and giv e his contact num ber for future correspondence to hospital
staff. Before leav ing for interv iew he can also inform his friends if any av ailable to reach the hospital.
Reply

jp
October 7 , 2 01 3 at 9 :03 pm
Facts:
-this is final chance for his m uch awaited and well prepared interv iew
-he is a past IT em ploy ee and v ery capable guy
-seriously injured m an and girl need help, which m ight be life sav ing if prov ided in tim e
Possible actions:
-he just ignore scene and go to interv iew
-he get fully engrossed in helping and forget interv iew
-he help them , while ensuring that he som ehow appear at interv iew
My choice:
Since needy needs help and giv er wants his life not to destroy ed, a third party has to com e into scene. Its true that Rajiv has to
attend situation as a fellow hum an being, which brings in em pathy and helpfulness. But its also true that if Rajiv ignores his
interv iew than consequences for him are going to be bad, ranging from psy chological to social. He has to first find out location of
the place and inform am bulance serv ice at earliest giv ing details of the situation, in the m ean tim e he start first aid processes if
he knows them well. He can inform his friend too about the situation and request him to com e to site so that he can help him in
carry ing out activ ities and can takeov er his role. If his friend cant com e to site he should keep with them until they are
adm itted. Ev ery activ ity is bound to take tim e and surely exceed his 1 0 m inute lim it, thus he goes to appear but it is
interv iewers who has to decide his fate. Most probably they will consider him but in case he is rejected he can take consolation in
the fact that he has sav ed two life, one of them is child.Although risk inv olv ed is high but he was IT professional who is m ore
capable in life than helpless injured som eone.

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