Current Ethical Issues & Case Studies Framework
1. Ethical Issues in Current News
| Cue Words | Notes |
|---|---|
| Electoral Funding & Electoral Bonds | Clash between donor privacy vs voters' fundamental Right to Information (Art 19(1)(a)). Supreme Court (2024) struck down Electoral Bonds scheme as unconstitutional due to lack of transparency. |
| AI Ethics & Neuralink | UNESCO Recommendation on Ethics of AI (2021); neural brain-computer interfaces (Neuralink) raising concerns over cognitive liberty, mind privacy, identity alteration, and transhumanist digital divide. |
| Refugee Crisis & International Ethics | Principle of Non-Refoulement (customary international law prohibiting returning refugees to danger) vs national security and resource constraints. |
| Ethics of War (Just War Theory) | Hamas-Israel conflict; principles of Jus ad Bellum (justice of resorting to war) and Jus in Bello (proportionality, non-combatant immunity, avoiding collective punishment). |
2. Step-by-Step Case Studies Approach Framework
| Cue Words | Notes |
|---|---|
| Step 1: Stakeholder Identification | Map primary, secondary, and tertiary stakeholders (e.g., District Magistrate, Affected Citizens, Local Community, Government Treasury, Media, Environment). |
| Step 2: Identify Ethical Issues & Dilemmas | Explicitly state core value conflicts (e.g., Compassion vs Rule of Law; Economic Development vs Environmental Protection; Loyalty to Superior vs Integrity). |
| Step 3: Evaluate Options | Formulate 3–4 course of action options, detailing pros and cons for each based on short-term vs long-term impact, legal validity, and ethical principles. |
| Step 4: Recommended Action & Justification | State chosen optimal action clearly, justified by constitutional morality, Nolan values, Gandhan Talisman, and administrative feasibility. |
3. Recent Real Ethical Controversies for Answer Enrichment
| Cue Words | Notes |
|---|---|
| Data Protection & DPDP Act 2023 | Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 raises ethical tension between state surveillance/law-enforcement access and individual informational privacy (post the Puttaswamy 2017 judgment recognizing privacy as a fundamental right under Article 21). |
| Agnipath Scheme Ethical Debate | Illustrates a real policy dilemma of short-term contractual recruitment (fiscal sustainability & youthful force) versus long-term institutional loyalty, morale, and veteran welfare in the armed forces. |
| Manipur Ethnic Conflict (2023) | Real case testing administrative neutrality, humanitarian relief impartiality, and the ethics of internet shutdowns versus the right to information during civil unrest. |