Ramesh is State Civil Services Officer who got the opportunity of getting posted to the capital of a border State after rendering 20 years of service. Ramesh’s mother has recently been detected cancer and has been admitted in the leading cancer hospital of the city. His two adolescent children have also got admission in one of the best public schools of the town. After settling down in his appointment as Director in the Home Department of the State, Ramesh got confidential report through intelligence sources that illegal migrants are infiltrating in the State from the neighbouring country. He decided to personally carry out surprise check of the border posts along with his Home Department team. To his surprise, he caught red-handed two families of 12 members infiltrated with the connivance of the security personnel at the border posts. On further inquiry and investigation, it was found that after the migrants from neighbouring country infiltrate, their documentation like Aadhaar Card, Ration Card and Voter Card are also forged and they are made to settle down in a particular area of the State. Ramesh prepared the detailed and comprehensive report and submitted to the Additional Secretary of the State. However, he has summoned by the Additional Home Secretary after a week and was instructed to withdraw the report. The Additional Home Secretary informed Ramesh that the report submitted by him has not been appreciated by the higher authorities. He further cautioned him that if he fails to withdraw the confidential report, he will not only be posted out from the prestigious appointment from the State capital but his further promotion which is due in near future will also get in jeopardy.
(a) What are the options available to Ramesh as the Director of the Home Department of the bordering State? (b) What option should Ramesh adopt and why? (c) Critically evaluate each of the options. (d) What are the ethical dilemmas being faced by Ramesh? (e) What policy measures would you suggest to combat the menace of infiltration of illegal migrants from the neighbouring country?
Approach · directive: “what / critically evaluate / suggest”
What it asks · (a) List Ramesh's options; (b) pick the best and justify; (c) evaluate each; (d) name his ethical dilemmas; (e) suggest policy measures against infiltration by illegal migrants.
The question has 5 parts — answer each
- (a) List the options available to Ramesh as Director of the Home Department of the border State
- (b) State which option Ramesh should adopt and why
- (c) Critically evaluate each of the options
- (d) Identify the ethical dilemmas Ramesh faces
- (e) Suggest policy measures to combat infiltration of illegal migrants from the neighbouring country
Open with · T.S.R. Subramanian (2013): civil servants cannot act on oral instructions and must be shielded from arbitrary pressure; Ramesh must choose between career safety and duty on a security report.
Cover
- Stakeholders: Ramesh and his family, senior officials, border security personnel, the infiltrating families, local residents and the nation.
- (a)/(c) Withdraw the report: safe for the career, but it violates duty, shields corruption and lets a security threat continue. Stand by it: principled, but risks posting and promotion.
- (a)/(c) Seek the instruction in writing and escalate to the Home or Chief Secretary: proper but slower. Inform MHA, BSF or IB through official channels; going public is improper for a confidential report.
- (b) Best: keep the report, seek the instruction in writing, escalate within the hierarchy, and if it is suppressed use lawful channels such as central agencies or the courts, while managing family stress calmly.
- (d) Dilemmas: duty against family welfare, obedience against conscience, confidentiality against disclosure, national security against humane treatment of families with children, and ambition against integrity.
- (e) Policy: fencing, floodlights, drones and sensors; audit and rotation of border staff; biometric-verified documents; action against forgers and touts; State-BSF-intelligence coordination; humane, lawful deportation; diplomacy.
Close with · Lawful, documented courage and a humane, secure border policy serve both duty and conscience.
Add value (verified)
- T.S.R. Subramanian v Union of India (Supreme Court, 31 October 2013): civil servants cannot act on verbal or oral instructions and must be protected against wrongful and arbitrary pressure from superiors, the political executive and vested interests. T.S.R. Subramanian & Ors v Union of India & Ors, Supreme Court of India, 31 October 2013 — Indian Kanoon ↗“We are of the view that the civil servants cannot function on the basis of verbal or oral instructions, orders, suggestions, proposals, etc. and they must also be protected against wrongful and arbitrary pressure exerted by the administrative superiors, political executive, business and other vested interests.”
- Rule 3(1)(v) of the CCS (Conduct) Rules, 1964: every government servant shall defend and uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India and the security of the State. Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964, Rule 3 (updated to 27 February 2015) — Department of Personnel and Training ↗“(v) defend and uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, public order, decency and morality;”
- Sarbananda Sonowal v Union of India (Supreme Court, 12 July 2005): large-scale illegal migration from Bangladesh meant Assam faced 'external aggression and internal disturbance', making it the Union's duty under Article 355 to protect the State. Sarbananda Sonowal v Union of India & Anr, Supreme Court of India, 12 July 2005 — Indian Kanoon ↗“there can be no manner of doubt that the State of Assam is facing "external aggression and internal disturbance" on account of large scale illegal migration of Bangladeshi nationals. It, therefore, becomes the duty of Union of India to take all measures for protection of the State of Assam from such external aggression and internal disturbance as enjoined in Article 355 of the Constitution.”
- MHA (Border Management-I): fence, floodlights, roads and Border Out Posts along the borders, with technological solutions where physical fencing is not feasible, and a Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System on the Pakistan and Bangladesh borders. Border Management-I Division — Ministry of Home Affairs ↗“It also involves deployment of technological solutions in such patches of the borders, which are not feasible for physical fence. Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System: To improve situational awareness at different levels of hierarchy to facilitate prompt and quick response to emerging situations”
- Section 9, Aadhaar Act, 2016: an Aadhaar number or its authentication is not, by itself, proof of citizenship or domicile. The Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016, Section 9 — Indian Kanoon ↗“The Aadhaar number or the authentication thereof shall not, by itself, confer any right of, or be proof of, citizenship or domicile in respect of an Aadhaar number holder.”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2022, GS Paper IV — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer · 380 words (UPSC limit 250) · Minimalist IAS
In T.S.R. Subramanian (2013) the Supreme Court held that civil servants "cannot function on the basis of verbal or oral instructions" and need protection from "wrongful and arbitrary pressure". Ramesh faces such pressure: withdraw a report on infiltration abetted by border staff, or lose his posting and promotion while his mother undergoes cancer treatment. Stakeholders: his family, superiors, border staff, migrant families, residents and the nation.
(a) Options available and (c) their critical evaluation
- Withdraw the report: saves posting and family plans; but buries the truth, shields colluding staff and makes him complicit.
- Stand firm, seek the order in writing: lawful and principled; risks transfer and a delayed promotion.
- Escalate to the Home and Chief Secretary: lets the system correct itself; fails if the pressure comes from the top.
- Inform central agencies through official channels: fits a security issue; may be resented as bypassing the State.
- Media or court: breaches confidentiality and may endanger operations; a last resort.
(b) The option Ramesh should adopt, and why
- Why: the CCS (Conduct) Rules, 1964 set the standard: a government servant must "defend and uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State". A written record protects truth and officer; treatment and schooling survive a transfer, complicity cannot be undone.
(d) Ethical dilemmas Ramesh faces
- Duty to the nation against family welfare; obedience against conscience; confidentiality against exposing wrongdoing; enforcement against compassion for migrant children; ambition against integrity.
(e) Policy measures against infiltration
- Constitutional duty: in Sarbananda Sonowal (2005) the Supreme Court held that large-scale illegal migration amounted to "external aggression and internal disturbance", engaging the Union's duty under Article 355.
- Smart borders: fence and floodlights, with technology where fencing is not feasible, under the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System.
- Force integrity: rotate border personnel, run surprise audits, prosecute connivance.
- Clean documents: Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship (Section 9, Aadhaar Act, 2016), so verify in the field before ration and voter cards issue; break forgery rackets.
- Humane process: speedy status determination, lawful deportation, rescue of trafficking victims.
Ramesh's courage must be lawful and documented. A State that closes its border gaps without losing its humanity serves both duty and conscience.
Written by Minimalist IAS from facts checked at source (how we verify) — a little fuller than exam length, so every part of the question is covered; in the hall, keep the structure and trim the detail. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.