Rakesh is a responsible district level officer, who enjoys the trust of his higher officials. Knowing his honesty, the government entrusted him with the responsibility of identifying the beneficiaries under a healthcare scheme meant for senior citizens.
The criteria to be a beneficiary are the following:
(a) 60 years of age or above.
(b) Belonging to a reserved community.
(c) Family income of less than ₹ 1 lakh per annum.
(d) Post-treatment prognosis is likely to be high to make a positive difference to the quality of life of the beneficiary.
One day, an old couple visited Rakesh’s office with their application. They have been the residents of a village in his district since their birth. The old man is diagnosed with a rare condition that causes obstruction in the large intestine. As a consequence, he has severe abdominal pain frequently that prevents him from doing any physical labour. The couple have no children to support them. The expert surgeon whom they contacted is willing to do the surgery without charging any fee. However, the couple will have to bear the cost of incidental charges, such as medicines, hospitalization, etc., to the tune of ₹ 1 lakh. The couple fulfills all the criteria except criterion ‘b’. However, any financial aid would certainly make a significant difference in their quality of life.
How should Rakesh respond to the situation?
Approach · directive: “how should respond”
What it asks · Decide how Rakesh should respond to a deserving old couple who meet every criterion except belonging to a reserved community.
Open with · the crux, rule of law versus compassion: Article 41 asks the State to assist the old and the sick within the limits of its economic capacity, and schemes ration that capacity through criteria.
Cover
- Stakeholders: the couple, Rakesh and the trust in him, eligible reserved-community applicants, government and taxpayers, the surgeon, public faith in fair administration.
- Dilemmas named value against value: rule v. compassion, equality v. equity, integrity v. expedience and precedent.
- Options table: reject outright (lawful but harsh), stretch the rule (arbitrary, unfair precedent), decline but find lawful help (keeps the rule, meets the need).
- Course: explain with empathy; use AB PM-JAY, Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi, the CM's relief fund, hospital charity and CSR; follow through until surgery; accept no favour.
- Justification: the conduct rules' bar on discrimination against the poor and on acts contrary to rules, with Rawls's difference principle.
- Long-term: report the gap left by criterion (b) and propose a hardship clause; the 2024 PM-JAY extension to all aged 70+ marked 'since then'.
Close with · keep the rule yet not abandon the couple: compassion works through lawful channels, and through feedback that makes the next scheme fairer.
Add value (verified)
- Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi, a Ministry of Health and Family Welfare fund, gives financial assistance to patients below the poverty line suffering from major life-threatening diseases for treatment at government super-speciality and other government hospitals: a lawful channel for a needy patient who falls outside a scheme's criteria.Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN), Arthapedia, Indian Economic Service (ies.gov.in) ↗“provides financial assistance to patients who are living below poverty line and suffering from major life threatening diseases related to inter-alia, heart, liver, kidney and for cancer, etc., to receive medical treatment at any of the 12 super specialty Government hospitals / institutes or other Government hospitals”
- Article 41 of the Constitution (Directive Principle): the State shall, within the limits of its economic capacity, make effective provision for public assistance in old age, sickness and undeserved want.The Constitution of India (Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice) ↗“The State shall, within the limits of its economic capacity and development, make effective provision for securing the right to work, to education and to public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement, and in other cases of undeserved want.”
- AB PM-JAY provides a health cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation (PIB, September 2024).Cabinet approves health coverage to all senior citizens aged 70 and above irrespective of income under AB PM-JAY — PIB, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 11 September 2024 ↗“AB PM-JAY is the world’s largest publicly funded health assurance scheme which provides health cover of Rs. 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization”
- In September 2024 the Union Cabinet approved health coverage under AB PM-JAY for all senior citizens aged 70 and above, irrespective of income.Cabinet approves health coverage to all senior citizens aged 70 and above irrespective of income under AB PM-JAY — PIB, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 11 September 2024 ↗“The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the health coverage to all the senior citizens aged 70 years and above irrespective of income under the flagship scheme Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY).”
- Rule 3(1)(xvii)-(xviii) of the CCS (Conduct) Rules, as amended: act with fairness and impartiality, not discriminating against the poor and under-privileged, and refrain from anything contrary to law, rules and established practices.Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964 (updated) — Department of Personnel and Training ↗“(xvii) act with fairness and impartiality and not discriminate against anyone, particularly the poor and the under-privileged sections of society; (xviii) refrain from doing anything which is or may be contrary to any law, rules, regulations and established practices;”
- Rawls's difference principle: social and economic inequalities are to be to the greatest benefit of the least-advantaged members of society.John Rawls — Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy ↗“They are to be to the greatest benefit of the least-advantaged members of society (the difference principle )”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2018, GS Paper IV — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer· 378words · Minimalist IAS
Rule of law versus compassion: Article 41 asks the State to assist the old and the sick "within the limits of its economic capacity", schemes ration that capacity through criteria, and Rakesh must honour both rule and need.
Stakeholders
- The couple; Rakesh, trusted for his honesty; eligible reserved-community applicants; the government and taxpayers; the surgeon; public faith in fair administration.
Ethical issues and dilemmas
- Rule v. compassion: criterion (b) is clear, yet the couple meet every other test and face pain, poverty and a childless old age.
- Equality v. equity: the reservation criterion targets historical disadvantage, but here it excludes a household deprived in every other way.
- Integrity v. expedience: quietly bending the rule would betray the trust placed in him and open a door for others.
Options before Rakesh
| Option | Merits | Demerits |
|---|---|---|
| Reject and close the file | Lawful, consistent | Harsh, passive |
| Enrol by stretching the rule | Relieves the couple | Arbitrary; unfair precedent |
| Decline, but find lawful help | Keeps rule, meets need | Needs effort, follow-up |
How Rakesh should respond
- At once, explain with empathy: give the couple the criterion and its reason in person, so refusal is not felt as indifference.
- Mobilise lawful channels: check eligibility under AB PM-JAY (hospital cover up to Rs 5 lakh per family a year) and the Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (for patients below the poverty line with major life-threatening illnesses); else the Chief Minister's relief fund, hospital charity, CSR or local trusts.
- Follow through: a staff member completes applications, coordinates with the surgeon and tracks the case to surgery; every step recorded, no favour accepted.
- Justification: conduct rules (CCS Rule 3(1); AIS Rule 3(2B) for IAS officers) ask officers not to discriminate, "particularly the poor", and to do nothing contrary to rules; this course honours both. Rawls's difference principle, favouring the least advantaged, guides the compassion; law guides the method.
Long-term measures
- Mend the scheme, not just the case: report that criterion (b) leaves needy elderly persons of other communities uncovered, and propose a hardship clause. (Since then, in 2024, the Union Cabinet approved extending AB PM-JAY to everyone aged 70 and above irrespective of income.)
Rakesh should keep the rule yet not abandon the couple: an honest officer's compassion works through lawful channels, and through feedback that makes the next scheme fairer.
Prepared by Minimalist IAS to the answer standard of Shivam Singh (mentor, 7 years) · facts checked against official sources (how we verify) · updated 1 Oct 2026. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.
