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:
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) 3 only
The information is confidential and unproven. Ms. X should not bury it, as Mr. Y suggests, but she should also not act on it in public. Passing it to an oversight committee keeps the process transparent to an accountable body and lets the allegations be checked before anyone is named or removed.
- ✗ 1. Telling the public at once about allegations that have not been proven can damage the contractor unfairly and may expose the confidential source, before anyone has checked the facts.
- ✗ 2. Removing a contractor from the shortlist on unproven allegations, without an inquiry or a chance to respond, would be arbitrary and could be challenged.
- ✓ 3. A limited disclosure to an oversight committee avoids concealment, lets the claims be verified and the tender decision be taken on facts, and holds back public disclosure until there is something to disclose.
Remember · With confidential, unproven allegations: do not suppress them and do not act on them alone. Refer them to the proper oversight body for verification, then decide.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 10 Democratic Politics – II, Ch 5 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 10 · Democratic Politics – II, Chapter 5 “She has the right and the means to examine the process of decision making. This is known as transparency.”
Question and answer: UPSC's provisional GS Paper I (2026, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·