Ethics
Preserving Heritage or Personal Gain
- 20 Sep 2023
- 1 min read
Meera is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer who is serving as a curator of a prestigious museum housing priceless artefacts and artworks. Officer Meera’s museum was home to a unique and incredibly valuable collection of ancient sculptures, manuscripts, and paintings.
A wealthy art collector, Mr. Raghav, with a history of dubious dealings, had offered to "donate" a rare and exquisite artefact to the museum. In return, he demanded that Officer Meera use her influence to ensure that a controversial land acquisition deal he was involved in would receive swift government approval.
Officer Meera was aware that Mr. Raghav's artefact was of questionable provenance, and accepting it would compromise the museum's reputation and ethical standing. Moreover, the land acquisition deal was rife with allegations of corruption and environmental destruction.
Despite knowing that accepting Mr. Raghav's "donation" would mean betraying her commitment to preserving India's cultural heritage and endorsing unethical practices, Meera chooses her personal gain, financial rewards, career advancement, and political favour.
What do you think is the right approach that Meera should have adopted?
