← All questionsGS4 · 2026 · Case Studies — Public Sector ·Corruption Network & Administrative Reform
QUESTION 9
GS4
20 marks

Seema is a senior bureaucrat with a reputation of honesty and professional efficiency. She has recently been posted as the District Collector (DC) to Surinder Nagar, where a large industrial area is being established. The new industrial area had caused many farmers to submit applications for change of land use (CLU) to convert their farmlands into residential areas. There is an unusually large backlog of these applications awaiting processing. Seema noticed that some applications had been approved selectively with no visible chronological pattern. The case files showed a few complaints of some approvals being subject to receipt of large bribes from the applicants. On further fact-finding, Seema realized that a small group of touts was controlling this illegal activity through some subordinate officials in the Collectorate. This had created a fear in the other employees who were reluctant to process any application. The resultant backlog has been piling up thereby hindering local economic progress and causing public dissatisfaction. Seema was faced with a major moral and administrative challenge of dismantling this corruption network without hampering daily administrative operations. An aggressive internal investigation would result in institutional resistance and, possibly, a backlash from labour unions. Conversely, ignoring this situation would encourage the wrongdoers and unnecessarily continue this avoidable harassment to the populace.(a) What are the ethical issues involved in this case?(b) Discuss the options open to Seema. Identify the recommended option and justify it.

WRITE IN
14 min
250 words

What the examiner wants

Dismantle a collusive bribery network while restoring predictable CLU processing, due process and administrative continuity.

Discuss · JustifyAnswer exactly what the question asks.

Demand-wise check

  1. 1Issues: corruption, arbitrariness, abuse of discretion, fear, public trust, economic harm and fairness to applicants≈50 words
  2. 2Options: status quo, sweeping raid, quiet fact-finding, targeted investigation plus process redesign, outside vigilance support≈50 words
  3. 3Preferred option: evidence preservation, targeted due-process action, transparent queue/SLAs, digital tracking, staff protection and grievance channels≈50 words
  4. 4Manage union resistance without treating collective representation as proof of wrongdoing≈50 words

Open in about 30 words and close in about 30.

Answer plan

IssuesOption matrixPhased targeted actionProcess reformMonitoring/trust restoration

Where marks usually go

  • Focusing only on punishment and ignoring the process vulnerability/backlog
  • Assuming all employees are complicit

Value addition

  • Corruption network map + clean-process redesign
    → 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.