Que. You are a no-nonsense, honest officer. You have been transferred to a remote district to head a department that is notorious for its inefficiency and callousness. You find that the main cause of the poor state of affairs is the indiscipline of a section of employees. They do not work themselves and also disrupt the workings of others. You first warned the troublemakers to mend their ways or else face disciplinary action. When the warning had little effect, you issued a show cause notice to the ringleaders. As a retaliatory measure, these troublemakers instigated a woman employee amongst them to file a complaint of sexual harassment against you with the Women’s Commission. The Commission promptly seeks your explanation. The matter is also publicized in the media to embarrass you further. Some of the options to handle this situation could be as follows: (i) Give your explanation to the Commission and go soft on the disciplinary action. (ii) Ignore the commission and proceed firmly with the disciplinary action. (iii) Brief your higher-ups, seek directions from them and act accordingly. Suggest any other possible option(s). Evaluate all of them and suggest the best course of action, giving your reasons for it.

UPSC CSE : 2014

Answer:

Approach:

Introduction

  • Shortly analyze the case study.

Body

  • Critically Analyze each of the options with pros and cons and choose options with common goodness.

Conclusion

  • Prospective way forward.

Introduction:

In this case study, an honest officer is facing indiscipline and disruption from a section of employees. The troublemakers instigate a sexual harassment complaint against the officer.

stakeholder

Body:

Option (i) – Give explanation to the Commission and go soft on disciplinary action:

Pros:

  • Addresses the complaint with the Women’s Commission promptly.
  • May help in resolving the issue amicably.

  Cons:

  • – Sends a message of leniency towards indiscipline and disruptiveness.
  • – May not effectively address the root cause of the problem.

Option (ii) – Ignore the Commission and proceed firmly with disciplinary action:

Pros:

  • – Asserts authority and sends a message of zero tolerance for indiscipline.
  • – Upholds the principles of fairness and discipline in the department.

  Cons:

  • – Could escalate the situation and create further conflicts.
  • – May result in legal complications and damage to reputation.

Option (iii) – Brief higher-ups, seek directions, and act accordingly:

Pros:

  • Ensures decisions are aligned with organizational policies and legal requirements.
  • Seeks guidance and support from higher authorities.

 Cons:

  • May result in delays in resolving the issue.
  • Creates dependency on higher authorities for decision-making.

Option (iv) – Initiate an impartial internal investigation:

  Pros:

  • Demonstrates commitment to addressing the complaint and larger issues.
  • Ensures a fair and transparent process.
  • Allows for appropriate action against troublemakers.

  Cons:

  • Investigation process may take time and resources.
  • Requires unbiased committee members and expertise in handling such cases.

Conclusion:

  • The best course of action would be a combination of options (iii) and (iv).
  • Briefing higher-ups ensures compliance with organizational policies, while initiating an internal investigation addresses the complaint and the underlying issue of indiscipline.
  • This approach upholds fairness, transparency, and accountability in handling the situation.
Know about Physics Wallah

Physics Wallah is an Indian online education platform, that provides accessible & comprehensive learning experiences to students of classes 6 to 12 and those preparing for JEE and NEET exams. We also provide extensive NCERT solutions, sample papers, NEET, JEE Mains, BITSAT previous year papers, which makes us a one-stop solution for all resources. Physics Wallah also caters to over 3.5 million registered students and over 78 lakh+ Youtube subscribers with 4.8 rating on its app.

We Stand Out because

We successfully provide students with intensive courses by India's qualified & experienced faculties. PW strives to make the learning experience comprehensive and accessible for students of all sections of society. We believe in empowering every single student who couldn't dream of a good career in engineering and medical field earlier.

Our Key Focus Areas

Physics Wallah’s main focus is to create accessible learning experiences for students all over India. With courses like Lakshya, Udaan, Arjuna & many others, we have been able to provide a ready solution for lakhs of aspirants. From providing Chemistry, Maths, Physics formulae to giving e-books of eminent authors, PW aims to provide reliable solutions for student prep.

What Makes Us Different

Physics Wallah strives to develop a comprehensive pedagogical structure for students, where they get a state-of-the-art learning experience with study material and resources. Apart from catering students preparing for JEE Mains and NEET, PW also provides study material for each state board like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and others.

Aiming for UPSC?

Download Our App

# #
Quick Revise Now !
AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD SOON
UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध
Quick Revise Now !
UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध

<div class="new-fform">






    </div>

    Subscribe our Newsletter
    Sign up now for our exclusive newsletter and be the first to know about our latest Initiatives, Quality Content, and much more.
    *Promise! We won't spam you.
    Yes! I want to Subscribe.