A building permitted for three floors, while being extended illegally to 6 floors by a builder, collapses. As a consequence, a number of innocent labourers including women and children died. These labourers are migrants of different places. The government immediately announced cash relief to the aggrieved families and arrested the builder.
Give reasons for such incidents taking place across the country. Suggest measures to prevent their occurrence.
A building permitted for three floors, while being extended illegally to 6 floors by a builder, collapses. As a consequence, a number of innocent labourers including women and children died. These labourers are migrants of different places. The government immediately announced cash relief to the aggrieved families and arrested the builder.
Give reasons for such incidents taking place across the country. Suggest measures to prevent their occurrence.
The building collapse tragedy represents a systemic failure of regulatory oversight, highlighting the deadly consequences when profit motives override safety protocols. Such incidents expose deep-rooted governance gaps that repeatedly claim innocent lives, particularly affecting vulnerable migrant workers who often lack adequate protection and representation.
Stakeholders
- Primary Stakeholders: Deceased labourers' families, injured workers, builder, local administration, building approval authorities
- Secondary Stakeholders: Construction industry, migrant worker communities, civil society, insurance companies, legal system
Reasons for Such Incidents
- Regulatory Failures: Weak enforcement of building codes under National Building Code 2016, inadequate inspection mechanisms, and corruption in approval processes
- Economic Pressures: Builders prioritizing profit maximization over safety compliance, cost-cutting in construction materials and structural engineering
- Administrative Lapses: Insufficient monitoring post-approval, lack of surprise inspections, and delayed action against violations despite visible illegal construction
- Vulnerable Workforce: Migrant labourers working without proper safety gear, inadequate knowledge of safety protocols, and absence of insurance coverage under Building and Other Construction Workers Act 1996
- Systemic Corruption: Nexus between builders and officials enabling illegal constructions, bribery in obtaining clearances, and selective enforcement of regulations
- Technical Deficiencies: Poor soil testing, substandard construction materials, inadequate structural design for additional floors beyond approved capacity
- Legal Loopholes: Delayed prosecution under BNS Section 105 (culpable homicide), weak deterrent effect of existing penalties, and prolonged litigation processes
Measures to Prevent Occurrence
Short-term Actions
- Immediate Audits: Comprehensive structural assessment of all buildings exceeding approved floors using drone surveillance and AI-based monitoring systems
- Digital Compliance: Mandatory QR code-based tracking for construction approvals, real-time monitoring through GeM portal integration for material procurement
- Worker Protection: Compulsory registration under e-Shram portal, mandatory safety training, and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana coverage for all construction workers
Long-term Reforms
- Technology Integration: Building Information Modeling (BIM) for all constructions, satellite monitoring for unauthorized constructions, and blockchain-based approval systems
- Institutional Strengthening: Independent building safety authorities, surprise inspection teams, and whistle-blower protection mechanisms
- Legal Deterrence: Fast-track courts for construction violations, corporate criminal liability provisions, and mandatory professional indemnity insurance for builders
- Capacity Building: Regular training for building inspectors, certification programs for construction supervisors, and public awareness campaigns about building safety rights
The tragedy underscores that development without safety consciousness becomes destruction. As "Safety is not a gadget but a state of mind", ensuring robust regulatory frameworks with technological integration can prevent such avoidable losses of precious lives.
Answer Length
Model answers may exceed the word limit for better clarity and depth. Use them as a guide, but always frame your final answer within the exam’s prescribed limit.
Evaluate this PYQ now
Write your answer & evaluate in just 60 seconds
500+ students evaluated
Model Answers from
- 2017Ethics: Case Study20 MarksView Answer
You are a Public Information Officer (PIO) in a government department. You are aware that the RTI Act 2005 envisages transparency and accountability in administration. The act has functioned as a check on the supposedly arbitrarily administrative behaviour and actions. However, as a PIO you have observed that there are citizens who filed RTI applications not for themselves but on behalf of such stakeholders who purportedly want to have access to information to further their own interests. At the same time there are these RTI activists who routinely file RTI applications and attempt to extort money from the decision makers. This type of RTI activism has affected the functioning of the administration adversely and also possibly jeopardises the genuineness of the applications which are essentially aimed at getting justice.
What measures would you suggest to separate genuine and non-genuine applications? Give merits and demerits of your suggestions. - 2017Ethics: Case Study20 MarksView Answer
You are the manager of a spare parts company A and you have to negotiate a deal with the manager of a large manufacturing company B. The deal is highly competitive and sealing the deal is critical for your company. The deal is being worked out over a dinner. After dinner the manager of manufacturing company B offered to drop you to the hotel in his car. On the way to hotel he happens to hit motorcycle injuring the motorcyclist badly. You know the manager was driving fast and thus lost control. The law enforcement officer comes to investigate the issue and you are the sole eyewitness to it. Knowing the strict laws pertaining to road accidents you are aware that your honest account of the incident would lead to the prosecution of the manager and as a consequence the deal is likely to be jeopardised, which is of immense importance to your company.
What are the dilemmas you face? What will be your response to the situation? - 2017Ethics: Case Study20 MarksView Answer
You are the head of the Human Resources department of an organisation. One day one of the workers died on duty. His family was demanding compensation. However, the company denied compensation because it was revealed in investigation that he was drunk at the time of the accident. The workers of the company went to strike demanding compensation for the family of the deceased. The Chairman of the management board has asked for your recommendation.
What recommendation would you provide the management?
Discuss the merits and demerits of each of the recommendations. - 2017Ethics: Case Study20 MarksView Answer
You are aspiring to become an IAS officer and you have cleared various stages and now you have been selected for the personal interview. On the day of the interview, on the way to the venue you saw an accident where a mother and child who happen to be your relatives were badly injured. They needed immediate help.
What would you have done in such a situation? Justify your action - 2017Ethics: Case Study20 MarksView Answer
You are an honest and responsible civil servant. You often observe the following:
(a) There is a general perception that adhering to ethical conduct one may face difficulties to oneself and cause problems for the family, whereas unfair practices may help to reach the career goals.
(b) When the number of people adopting unfair means is large, a small minority having a penchant towards ethical means makes no difference.
(c) Sticking to ethical means is detrimental to the larger developmental goals.
(d) While one may not involve oneself in large unethical practices, but giving and accepting small gifts makes the system more efficient.
Examine the above statements with their merits and demerits. (250 words)
Model Answers by Subject
Crack UPSC with your
Personal AI Mentor
An AI-powered ecosystem to learn, practice, and evaluate with discipline
