(a) Impact of digital technology as reliable source of input for rational decision making is a debatable issue. Critically evaluate with suitable example. (b) Besides domain knowledge, a public official needs innovativeness and creativity of a high order as well, while resolving ethical dilemmas. Discuss with suitable example.
Subtopic: Ethics Theory · digital inputs and creativity in ethical dilemmas
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Detailed model answer
221 words · target 150 words · 20 min
(a) Digital technology as a reliable input for rational decisions
Digital technology can strengthen rational decision-making by supplying real-time, evidence-based data, reducing arbitrary discretion and enabling targeted delivery — as the JAM trinity and Direct Benefit Transfer have shown in plugging leakages. Yet its reliability is conditional. It is only as good as the data fed in: 'garbage in, garbage out.' Algorithmic bias, exclusion errors from faulty verification (such as denial of rations over authentication failure), privacy risks and the digital divide can distort outcomes. Over-reliance may also erode human judgement and empathy. Thus digital inputs should inform, not replace, reasoned human decision-making.
(b) Innovativeness and creativity in resolving ethical dilemmas
Ethical dilemmas rarely have a ready answer in the rulebook; competing values must be reconciled. Here, beyond domain knowledge, a public official needs creativity to find a third alternative — a win-win that honours both duty and compassion. For instance, an officer facing scarce resources may crowdsource, re-engineer processes or leverage community effort rather than simply denying service. Armstrong Pame built a 100-km road in Manipur through public donations when official funds were unavailable. Creative problem-solving turns a paralysing dilemma into a workable, ethical solution.
Conclusion
Technology sharpens rationality but cannot substitute for it; and it is the creative, empathetic official who converts data and dilemmas alike into decisions that serve the public good.
What an examiner expects to see
- Digital technology aids rational decisions via evidence, targeting and reduced discretion (JAM, DBT).
- Its reliability is conditional: 'garbage in, garbage out' and data quality matter.
- Algorithmic bias, exclusion errors, privacy risk and the digital divide can distort outcomes.
- Over-reliance erodes human judgement and empathy; digital inputs should inform, not replace, reasoning.
- Ethical dilemmas need creativity to reconcile competing values and find a third alternative.
- Innovative officers convert resource constraints and dilemmas into workable ethical solutions.
Concrete cases, schemes and judgments
- JAM trinity and Direct Benefit Transfer plugging leakages in welfare delivery.
- Exclusion errors where genuine beneficiaries were denied rations over authentication failure.
- Armstrong Pame, the 'Miracle Man' of Manipur, building a road through crowdfunding.
- Data-privacy concerns underscored by the Puttaswamy (2017) right-to-privacy judgment.