Rakesh was working as a Joint Commissioner in Transport department of a city. As a part of his job profile, among others, he was entrusted with the task of overseeing the control and functioning of City Transport Department. A case strike by drivers’ union of City Transport Department over the issue of compensation to a driver who died on duty while driving the bus came up before him for decision in the matter. He gathered that the driver (deceased) was plying Bus No. 528 which passed through busy and congested roads of the city. It so happened that near an intersection on the way, there was an accident involving the a middle-aged man. It was found that there was altercation between the driver and the car driver. Heated arguments between them led to fight and the driver gave him a a blow. Lot of passerbys had gathered and tried to intervene but without success. Eventually, both of them were badly injured and profusely bleeding and were taken to the nearby hospital. The driver succumbed to the injuries and could not be saved. The middle-aged driver’s condition was also critical but after a day, he recovered and was discharged. Police had immediately come to the spot and FIR was registered. Police investigation revealed that the quarrel in was started by the bus driver and he had resorted to physical violence. There exchange of blows between them. The City Transport Department management is considering of not giving any extra compensation to the driver’s (deceased) family. The family is very aggrieved. depressed and agitated against the discriminatory and non-sympathetic approach of the City Transport Department management. The bus driver (deceased) was 52 years of age, was survived by his wife and two school-college going daughters. He was the sole earner of the family. The City Transport Department workers’ union took up this case and when found no favourable response from the management, decided to go on strike. The union’s demand was two fold. First was full extra compensation as given to other drivers who died on duty and secondly employment to one family member. The strike has continued for 10 days and the deadlock remains. 1) What are the options available to Rakesh to meet the above situation? 2) Critically examine each of the options identified by Rakesh 3) What are the ethical dilemmas being faced by Rakesh? 4) What course of action would Rakesh adopt to diffuse the above situation?
What the examiner wants
In this Compassion, Fairness & Transport Strike case (Rakesh was working as a Joint Commissioner in Transport department of a city. As a part of his job…), separate facts/constraints from the value conflict and resolve the explicit asks in order: Critically examine each of the options identified by Rakesh; then What are the ethical dilemmas being faced by Rakesh; then What course of action would Rakesh adopt to diffuse the above situation. Defend the preferred option against realistic alternatives.
Demand-wise check
- 1What are the options available to Rakesh to meet the above situation?≈50 words
- 2Critically examine each of the options identified by Rakesh≈50 words
- 3What are the ethical dilemmas being faced by Rakesh?≈50 words
- 4What course of action would Rakesh adopt to diffuse the above situation?≈50 words
Open in about 30 words and close in about 30.
Answer plan
Where marks usually go
- Over-writing ‘What are the options available to Rakesh to meet the above situation’ while reducing ‘Critically examine each of the options identified by Rakesh’ to a token paragraph
- Naming values without testing each feasible option for legality, affected stakeholders, consequences, implementation risk and reversibility
Value addition
- Compassion, Fairness & Transport Strike: 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.
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 14 minutes, then get it checked.