Mains Practice Questions

Case Study

Q. You are a senior officer working in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Recently, a major policy on regulating social media was rolled out, and you've played a significant role in its drafting and implementation. One evening, while returning home, you receive a call from your daughter’s college counselor asking you to come over the next day.

When you visit the college, the counsellor informs you that your daughter has been showing signs of stress, reduced class participation, and increasing absenteeism. Upon speaking to your daughter privately, you learn that she has been facing online bullying on a popular social media platform. Memes, videos, and posts have targeted her appearance and her connection to "the officer who is banning things people love."

She reveals that her classmates have been mocking her in school and online, blaming her for their parents' inconvenience due to the ban on certain social media activity. She requests you not to take any official or public action, fearing further embarrassment. Your colleagues advise you to issue a formal clarification through your Ministry's press wing or release a personal video presenting facts and defending your family. However, senior bureaucrats caution you against making it personal or emotional, fearing it might set a precedent and undermine institutional protocol.

(a) Identify and discuss the ethical issues involved in the case.

(b) What course of action would you take in this situation and why? Substantiate your answer using ethical principles.

(c) What regulatory framework should be in place to ensure that social media remains a space for free expression while protecting individuals from online abuse, misinformation, and digital manipulation?