← All questionsGS4 · 2024 · Case Studies — Applied Ethics ·Public Procurement Ethics
QUESTION PYQ 12
GS4
20 marks

Sneha is a Senior Manager working for a big reputed hospital chain in a mid-sized city. She has been made in-charge of the new super speciality centre that the hospital is building with state-of-the art equipment and world class medical facilities. The building has been reconstructed and she is starting the process of procurement for various equipment and machines. As the head of the committee responsible for procurement, she has invited bids from all the interested reputed vendors dealing in medical equipment. She notices that her brother, who is a well-known supplier in this domain, has also sent his expression of interest. Since the hospital is privately owned, it is not mandatory for her to select only the lower bidder Also, she is aware that her brother’s company has been facing some financial difficulties and a big supply order will help him recover. At the same time, allocating the contract to her brother might bring charges of favouritism against her and tarnish her image. The hospital management trusts her fully and would support any decision of hers.(a) What should be Sneha’s course of action?(b) How would she justify what she chooses to do?(c) In this case, how is medical ethics compromised with vested personal interest?

WRITE IN
14 min
250 words

What the examiner wants

In this Public Procurement Ethics case (Sneha is a Senior Manager working for a big reputed hospital chain in a mid-sized city. She has been…), separate facts/constraints from the value conflict and resolve the explicit asks in order: What should be Sneha’s course of action; then How would she justify what she chooses to do; then In this case, how is medical ethics compromised with vested personal interest. Defend the preferred option against realistic alternatives.

JustifyAnswer exactly what the question asks.

Demand-wise check

  1. 1What should be Sneha’s course of action?≈65 words
  2. 2How would she justify what she chooses to do?≈65 words
  3. 3In this case, how is medical ethics compromised with vested personal interest?≈65 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 3 sub-part(s)

Where marks usually go

  • Over-writing ‘What should be Sneha’s course of action’ while reducing ‘How would she justify what she chooses to do’ to a token paragraph
  • Naming values without testing each feasible option for legality, affected stakeholders, consequences, implementation risk and reversibility

Value addition

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

Official source anchors

These are authoritative sources selected for this exact PYQ. Where a card is an official-domain anchor rather than a fact-level citation, verify the precise provision, definition or data point on the linked source before using it.