Topic: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude
Instruction:
Cases must be looked at and solved only from an ethical point of view even if there is a practical way out of the situation.
Case 1:
You are the Chief Labour Commissioner of Karnataka. In one of your visits to a factory, you found out that children below the age of 14 years were being employed in hazardous industries. After ordering the employer to pay a hefty fine, you immediately order that the children be sent to Child care homes to protect them from further exploitation where they will be safe, be provided education, nourishment and vocational training.
But, the parents of the children are not letting their children go. The children are also crying, pulling your legs and begging you to not send them anywhere else other than their homes. No matter how exploited they feel, they do not want to leave their parents.
You are in a dilemma now. The government rules clearly prescribe the course of action to be followed when a child labour case is found. You can’t defy government’s orders as being a civil servant upholding the law/rules/regulations is your duty, especially those related to public welfare. You are also aware of the economic circumstances of the parents who have forced these children into these factories. And you know if you leave these children here they will be again sent to work.
On the other hand, you are sensitive to the concerns of the children and their parents. For, you understand the importance of parents in the upbringing of the children who love and care for them. You personally feel that the best guardians for a child are their parents. They would miss their childhood if they are separated from their parents and you might repent this decision for a long time.
Question
What would you do in such a situation – leave the children or send them to child care home? Justify. (200 words) – 10 marks
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Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude
