You are aspiring to become an IAS officer and you have cleared various stages and now you have been selected for the personal interview. On the day of the interview, on the way to the venue you saw an accident where a mother and child who happen to be your relatives were badly injured. They needed immediate help. What would you have done in such a situation? Justify your action. (250 Words)
The question presents a moral and ethical dilemma involving a high-stakes personal interview for an IAS (Indian Administrative Service) officer position and a critical emergency situation involving relatives. It explores the choice one would make when faced with such circumstances, while also requiring justification for the action taken.
Moral Responsibility:
- Immediate Needs: The immediate medical needs of my relatives outweigh other concerns. Lives are at stake, which calls for urgent action.
Professional Commitment:
- Long-term Goal: Missing the IAS interview could potentially affect a long-term career, serving a larger public purpose.
Ethical Decision-making:
- Duty vs Family: As an aspiring civil servant, the situation forces me to balance duty against personal ties.
- Impartiality: The essence of civil services is to act impartially, without undue influence from relationships.
Immediate Actions:
- Call Emergency Services: The first step would be to call for an ambulance and inform the police, fulfilling my civic responsibility.
- First Aid: Administering basic first aid if possible, to stabilize their condition until professional help arrives.
- Family Notification: Alert other family members to reach the hospital for further support.
Regarding the Interview:
- Inform the Panel: If feasible, inform the interview panel of the emergency as a matter of professional courtesy.
Justification:
- Humanity over Profession: Life-threatening emergencies require immediate action, and this could be anyone’s family.
- Demonstrating Values: The action taken actually underlines key IAS values – responsibility, prompt decision-making, and compassionate leadership.
The dilemma places personal commitments against professional aspirations, each with their own set of ethical and moral considerations. Given the life-and-death nature of the situation, my relatives’ immediate needs would take precedence. This is not just an emotional decision but one rooted in ethical principles, potentially indicative of the values I would bring into civil service.
