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Mains Daily Question
Nov. 6, 2023

Q2. There has been on-going debate about the ills of ‘VIP’ culture in India. The VIP culture has seeped into Indian administration mostly due to ‘Mai-Baap’ culture of the British era administration. You’ve been recently appointed as a DSP of a subdivision in the ‘State Capital’ district. The Chief Minister of the State has famously urged his cabinet and administration to shed off this British legacy (VIP culture).

Despite such push from CM against VIP culture, you see gross violation of this plea as most sitting MLAs and bureaucratic officials continue to carry out this VIP culture in the form of halting traffic, expecting special treatment (garlands and decorations) on arrival at state functions, prioritized darshans at religious places etc.  

The advent of social media seems to have accentuated the practice as most people in lieu of likes tends to create this god-like image or persona. This further discourages hardworking bureaucrats and politicians who oppose such practice. You are uncomfortable with these violations as you strongly believe that the ‘VIP’ culture distances the general public from its service provider.     

On discussing with your colleagues and superiors on Chief Minister’s plea, you’ve observed that most of the officials don’t care about it. They are also unsympathetic about problems general people face. They somehow believe this is their reward for acquiring prestigious positions in administration.      

  1. Identify the ethical issues involved in this case.
  2. What are the options available to you under a given situation? 
  3. Critically examine all the options listed by you.
  4. What course of action should you choose and why? 
  5. Enlist measures to eradicate ‘VIP’ culture in India.           (250 words, 20 marks)   
Model Answer

Approach to the answer: 

The case study mentioned above talks about the prevalence of VIP culture in Indian administration and how this colonial relic is still being practiced. As an officer in charge, you are supposed to act against this illegal activity and address the problem holistically.     

Introduction 

You need to introduce the answer by giving a short description of the case in hand and briefly mentioning the core theme of the case study. You can also mention GS related facts or current events (w.r.t. core theme) the growing presence of bureaucrats on social media for self-admiration, improper use of special privileges by government officials etc.     

Body 

Section 1: Mention all the stakeholders involved, alongside facts w.r.t. case and aims/objectives assigned to you.  

Section 2: You must list various ethical issues and ethical dilemmas concerning the case study.  

Section 3: Here, all possible options available to you (along with merits and demerits) must be enlisted. Here the options available to you would be – reporting the matter to the Chief Minister’s Office, avoiding the matter, and leading by example and taking a few innovative measures to address the problem holistically.  

Section 4: This must be followed by your chosen option and Course of Action (CoA). Justify your CoA. 

Section 5: Suggest measures to eradicate VIP culture in India. 

Conclusion   

Here we can conclude either by summarizing the arguments of the body section or by stating the ill impacts of VIP culture and how a bureaucrat can avoid such distractions while performing his public duty.

 

Answer: Here I am appointed as DSP of a subdivision in the state capital. Owing to the ills of VIP culture, the CM has urged to shed off VIP culture but its deep penetration in administration is creating a dilemma in front of me i.e., whether to pursue your internal conscience or abide by the administration’s practice.

  

Stakeholders Involved 

Facts of the Case 

Aim/Objectives 
  1. Me as DSP in the state capital.
  2. The state/district administration (including MLAs and bureaucratic officials) who are part of VIP culture. 
  3. The Chief Minister, who is personally against VIP culture. 
  4. The citizens of the state capital/district. 
  5. Society at large 
  1. The prevalence of VIP culture in a state where the Chief Minister is urging his administration to shed such practices. 
  2. As DSP, I see gross violation of Chief Minister’s plea and rampant practice of VIP culture.
  3. No favorable reaction on deliberating on giving up VIP practice. 
  1. Listing options available to Me in the above case alongside its merits and demerits and choosing one as course of action.
  2. Chalking out an innovative solution to eradicate VIP culture practice in the region but also not hamper professional and personal relationship with colleagues.
  3. Enlisting measures to eradicate ‘VIP’ culture in India.   

  

  1. Ethical Issues Involved 
  • Professional Dishonesty: A public servant needs to keep public interest first rather than demanding special treatment. 
  • Poor Work culture: Accepting VIP privileges results in poor work culture. Citizens often complain about the ills of VIP culture.
  • Lack of Fairness: Fairness in treatment is an essential ingredient of equality. By indulging in VIP practices, fairness in treatment is violated. 
  • Against Good Governance: Good governance entails that the public servant must be accessible/approachable to the public. VIP culture creates an artificial wall between the citizen and administration.  
  • Public Harassment: Demanding VIP culture would always mean that the general public is the one to suffer. For instance, VIP darshans in temples make citizens wait for more time. 
  • False Pride: The emergence of social media has created a false sense of pride as new officials tend to show off their privileges against understanding the actual demand of the job. 
  • Professional Integrity: Professional integrity demands that the VIP culture must be eradicated as it distances citizens from the government. 

  

b and c: Options Available to Me – 

Option 1

Report the Matter to Chief Minister’s Office (CMO): Here I could report the matter to CMO as the issue of VIP culture is close to CM.

 

Merits 

Demerits
  1. Personal Conscience: By doing what’s right, I would be upholding personal integrity.
  2. Morally Right: Public servants are meant to serve people and by continuing to follow colonial practice, they are doing injustice to their role.
  3. Public Interest: The brunt of VIP culture is faced by the general public. They have to wait hours, face difficulties etc. due to VIP culture. Acting against it would be in the public interest. 

 
  1. Personal and Professional Repercussions: Since the matter (ending VIP culture) is merely a plea, complaining or writing to CMO might distance you from your own colleagues and department.
  2. Lack of Public Opposition: In India, rarely public complain of VIP culture practices. Instead, it is believed to be an integral part of top posts.  

 

 

Option 2 

Avoiding the Matter: Here, I would be avoiding the matter as almost everyone is interested in continuing the practice.  

Merits 

 

Demerits 

 
  1. Organizational Norms and importance of VIP culture: VIP culture is generally accepted everywhere and often is linked with an important person’s security and value of their time. So, by avoiding the matter, I will be abiding by the ongoing practice.
  2. No Professional/Personal Repercussions: By not pursuing the matter further, you will be shielding yourself from any future personal/professional repercussions.  

 
  1. Against Personal Conscience: You believe in the cause and yet not taking action would mean undermining one’s own conscience.
  2. Modern Value System: The modern value system requires close cooperation and interaction of citizens-government agents. By continuing VIP culture, you would be acting against this modern value system.
  3. Public Interest: In the wider public interest, shunning VIP culture is prerequisite.    

 

   

Option 3 

I would be leading by example 

Merits 

 

Demerits 

 
  1. Public Interest: Ending VIP culture would reduce the distinction between citizens and public servants. 
  2. Personal Conscience: By choosing to act, I would be favouring my personal conscience.
  3. Personal Liberty: By not naming anyone or forcing officials, I would be respecting their personal choice and unless mandated they couldn’t be forced.
  4. Modern Value System: The modern value system of transparency, accountability, collaboration would flourish if the artificial distinction created by VIP culture vanished. 

 
  1. Limited Career Advancement: In some cases, taking the high road might lead to fewer opportunities for advancement, as it could potentially clash with powerful individuals or political interests seeking favors.
  2. Resistance and Opposition: Not everyone within the organization may appreciate your commitment to ethical behavior. This could lead to resistance or opposition from those who benefit from VIP culture.
  3. Unrealistic Expectations: The pressure to maintain high ethical standards can be immense, and there may be instances where you may face difficult decisions when competing with powerful interests. 

 

  1. I would be choosing option 3 and the following would be my course of action–
  • Firstly, I would lead by example and shun off any VIP practice that my post entails. 
  • I would be writing to the CMO as CM is personally interested in the matter. 
  • In the letter I would urge him to pass legislation or to create rules prohibiting VIP culture practices in the state. 
  • To create favourable atmosphere, I would be cooperating with CSOs to create awareness regarding the topic. 
  • A public debate on the matter would create pressure on the administration to shed VIP culture practices.  

The above-mentioned course of action would help me to address the problem of VIP culture holistically. The practice of VIP culture acts as a scar of colonial imprint and in modern India’s governance, it should have no space. 

 

  1. Measures to Eradicate VIP Culture in India
  • Framing guidelines or law to prohibit VIP practice of halting traffics, using beacon lights, prioritized temple entry etc. 
  • Creating awareness amongst the masses regarding the subject and generating public pressure. 
  • Taking inspiration from countries like Norway and Finland where we see PM taking metro to work. 
  • Proper security threats must be analysed so that the needy does get VIP protection. The cost of such must be borne by the person concerned. 
  • Inculcating value education in schools and adopting simple living values in bureaucracy.  

Apart from the above-mentioned ills, VIP culture also leads to hesitation, a self of inferiority complex amongst citizens, lack of respect and admiration for government, all of which negatively impacts both the government and the governed.

Subjects : Ethics
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