The above case highlights an ethical dilemma faced by Vijay, a Deputy Commissioner, torn between his professional duty of managing a severe natural disaster in his district and his personal duty towards performing his mother’s last rites.

(a) Options available to Vijay

• Stay and lead; defer last rites: Remain on ground, continue command, and perform rites later.
• Short, time‑bound bereavement leave: Take 24–48 hours’ leave, perform last rites, return immediately.
• Full delegation with remote supervision: Hand over to Additional DC/Incident Commander. Supervise from SEOC (State Emergency Operations Center) if communications allow.
• Seek state deputation support: Request state to post a Special Officer-in‑Charge; take brief leave for rites. (Like the Pandavas seeking Krishna’s counsel and external support during crisis.)
• Capacity augmentation, then minimal leave: Secure NDRF/Army/IAF reinforcement; take tightly limited leave with continuous updates.
• No leave until red alert passes: Prioritize uninterrupted response; attend rites only after stabilization. 

(b) Ethical dilemmas faced by Vijay

• Public duty vs. filial (Parental) duty: Saving lives now versus the moral-cultural obligation to perform last rites. (Like Arjuna in Kurukshetra, torn between family bonds and duty.)
• Integrity vs. compassion to family: Unbroken commitment to office versus humane response to bereavement.
• Justice to citizens vs. fairness to self: Fairness to disaster victims versus fair treatment of one’s own needs. 
• Public trust vs. personal well-being: Avoiding negative optics versus preventing burnout and impaired judgment. 

(c) Critical evaluation of options available to Vijay

(d) Best suitable course of action to opt: 

Merging Option 3 (stay back) + Option 2 (delegate) + Option 4 (virtual presence): (Similar to Lord Rama choosing rajdharma over his longing for the throne.)

Vijay should remain in the district and personally lead disaster relief operations, as his presence is critical to saving thousands of lives and maintaining public trust. At the same time, he can delegate routine tasks to senior subordinates to ensure administrative continuity and use virtual means such as video calling to participate in his mother’s last rites, while keeping higher authorities informed of his situation.

DOWNLOAD PDF