Ms. X is a mid-level civil service official working in the urban development department of a major city. Recently, she was involved in approving a contract for a public infrastructure project — a new community park. During the approval process, she received a piece of confidential information indicating that one of the shortlisted contractors had a history of poor workmanship and allegations of corruption in other cities, though nothing had been legally proven. The Head of the Department, Mr. Y, advised her not to disclose this information to the project committee or the public because it could delay the project and damage the city's reputation. However, Ms. X believed that withholding such information compromised transparency and public trust.
What amongst the following should Ms. X do now ?
- 1.Immediately disclose the information to the project committee and the public
- 2.Recommend removing the contractor from the shortlist to protect the project's integrity
- 3.Propose a 'limited disclosure' to an oversight committee, while keeping the information confidential from the public for the time being
Select the answer using the code given below :
Show answer
Answer: B. The information is unproven and confidential. Disclosing it publicly at once (1) could be unfair and defamatory, and removing the contractor (2) punishes without proof. Sharing it with an oversight committee (3) protects transparency and integrity while respecting due process. So 3 only.
Watch for: Transparency is a key value, so students choose immediate public disclosure without weighing fairness.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Wrong because public disclosure and removal both act on unproven claims.
- C. Wrong because removing the contractor without proof breaks due process.
- D. Wrong because statements 1 and 2 are not appropriate.
Source to check: 2nd Administrative Reforms Commission, 4th Report 'Ethics in Governance' (2007); Central Vigilance Commission guidelines on public procurement
Answer from the provisional UPSC key; it may change when the final key is out. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.