← All questionsGS4 · 2022 · Case Studies — Public Sector ·Illegal Migration & Public-Service Integrity
QUESTION PYQ 17
GS4
20 marks

Ramesh is State Civil Services Officer who got the opportunity of getting posted to the capital of a border State after rendering 20 years of service. Ramesh’s mother has recently been detected cancer and has been admitted in the leading cancer hospital of the city. His two adolescent children have also got admission in one of the best public schools of the town. After settling down in his appointment as Director in the Home Department of the State, Ramesh got confidential report through intelligence sources that illegal migrants are infiltrating in the State from the neighbouring country. He decided to personally carry out surprise check of the border posts along with his Home Department team. To his surprise, he caught red-handed two families of 12 members infiltrated with the connivance of the security personnel at the border posts. On further inquiry and investigation, it was found that after the migrants from neighbouring country infiltrate, their documentation like Aadhaar Card, Ration Card and Voter Card are also forged and they are made to settle down in a particular area of the State. Ramesh prepared the detailed and comprehensive report and submitted to the Additional Secretary of the State. However, he has summoned by the Additional Home Secretary after a week and was instructed to withdraw the report. The Additional Home Secretary informed Ramesh that the report submitted by him has not been appreciated by the higher authorities. He further cautioned him that if he fails to withdraw the confidential report, he will not only be posted out from the prestigious appointment from the State capital but his further promotion which is due in near future will also get in jeopardy. 1) What are the options available to Ramesh as the Director of the Home Department of the bordering State? 2) What option should Ramesh adopt and why? 3) Critically evaluate each of the options. 4) What are the ethical dilemmas being faced by Ramesh? 5) What policy measures would you suggest to combat the menace of infiltration of illegal migrants from the neighboring country?

WRITE IN
14 min
250 words

What the examiner wants

In this Illegal Migration & Public-Service Integrity case (Ramesh is State Civil Services Officer who got the opportunity of getting posted to the capital of a…), separate facts/constraints from the value conflict and resolve the explicit asks in order: Critically evaluate each of the options.; then What are the ethical dilemmas being faced by Ramesh; then What policy measures would you suggest to combat the menace of infiltration of illegal…. Defend the preferred option against realistic alternatives.

Critically evaluateAnswer exactly what the question asks.

Demand-wise check

  1. 1What are the options available to Ramesh as the Director of the Home Department of the bordering State?≈40 words
  2. 2What option should Ramesh adopt and why?≈40 words
  3. 3Critically evaluate each of the options≈40 words
  4. 4What are the ethical dilemmas being faced by Ramesh?≈40 words
  5. 5What policy measures would you suggest to combat the menace of infiltration of illegal migrants from the neighboring country?≈40 words

Open in about 30 words and close in about 30.

Answer plan

Facts/constraints in this caseStakeholdersDilemmasOption-by-option consequence/legal testPreferred actionSafeguards. Explicitly answer 4 sub-part(s)

Where marks usually go

  • Over-writing ‘What are the options available to Ramesh as the Director of the Home Department of the…’ while reducing ‘What option should Ramesh adopt and why’ to a token paragraph
  • Naming values without testing each feasible option for legality, affected stakeholders, consequences, implementation risk and reversibility

Value addition

  • Illegal Migration & Public-Service Integrity: stakeholder map beside a 4-column option matrix — option | legality/ethics | consequences | mitigation
    → Draw it in the body, next to the point it supports.

Verified value additions

These are verified official-source additions selected for this exact PYQ. Use only the point that strengthens your argument.