1. The Holistic Development of Great Nicobar Island involves large-scale infrastructure development in ecologically sensitive areas and the lands of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). Reports suggest procedural lapses, lack of informed consent, and potential social and environmental harm.
As a civil servant, how would you ensure that development projects of national importance are implemented while upholding ethical principles such as transparency, accountability, environmental stewardship, and protection of tribal rights? Illustrate your answer with measures relevant to the Great Nicobar project.
| Syllabus: General Studies – IV: Dimensions of ethics – Environmental ethics |
IN NEWS: Between the sea and the state
The Great Nicobar project: The ₹72,000-crore mega-infrastructure initiative, which envisions transforming the remote outpost into a major transshipment and defence hub,has sparked procedural, ecological and displacement concerns
Ensuring Ethical Implementation of National Development Projects
The Holistic Development of Great Nicobar Island aims to transform the region into a strategic transshipment and defence hub. While economically and strategically significant, the project involves large-scale infrastructure in ecologically sensitive areas and lands of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), raising ethical and governance concerns.
As a civil servant, ethical implementation must uphold transparency, accountability, environmental stewardship, and tribal rights, ensuring development is sustainable and inclusive.
1. Transparency:
- All project plans, Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), and clearance decisions must be made publicly available in accessible formats.
- Conduct multi-level stakeholder consultations, including tribal councils, civil society, and environmental experts, to communicate project scope, risks, and mitigation strategies.
- Avoid opaque processes; decisions should be documented, reasoned, and open to scrutiny, reinforcing public trust.
2. Accountability:
- Establish independent monitoring committees with representatives from government agencies, local communities, and NGOs to track compliance with environmental and social safeguards.
- Set clear timelines, milestones, and audit mechanisms; impose accountability for lapses or violations.
- Implement grievance redressal mechanisms for affected communities to report concerns or damages.
3. Environmental Stewardship:
- Conduct multi-season, scientific EIAs to capture ecological variability; implement mitigation plans to protect endemic species such as the Nicobar megapode and leatherback turtles.
- Adopt sustainable construction practices: minimize deforestation, ensure ecologically viable coral translocation, and use renewable energy and green infrastructure wherever feasible.
- Avoid superficial mitigation measures, e.g., planting trees thousands of kilometers away, which do not replace complex tropical ecosystems.
4. Protection of Tribal Rights:
- Follow Free, Prior, Informed Consent (FPIC) principles for the Shompen and Nicobarese tribes; avoid coercion in land agreements.
- Provide adequate compensation, livelihood alternatives, health safeguards, and relocation support while respecting cultural and ancestral rights.
- Ensure project design minimizes disruption to tribal habitats and traditional ways of life.
5. Ethical Reflection and Balance:
- Ethical governance requires balancing strategic/economic objectives with human and ecological concerns.
- Development is legitimate only when it respects human rights, conserves biodiversity, and is transparent and accountable.
- Upholding these principles ensures sustainable growth, safeguards vulnerable populations, and enhances public trust and credibility of the administration.
A civil servant’s role is to integrate policy objectives with ethical governance, ensuring that development is not just economically and strategically sound, but also socially just, environmentally sustainable, and morally defensible. The Great Nicobar project, if implemented with these principles, can become a model for responsible infrastructure development.
| PYQ REFERENCE Q. What is meant by ‘environmental ethics’? Why is it important to study? Discuss any one environmental issue from the viewpoint of environmental ethics. (2015) |
2. AI-powered toys that interact with children via chatbots offer educational benefits but may also affect their emotional, social, and cognitive development.” Critically examine.
| Syllabus: General Studies – IV: Role of family, society, and educational institutions in shaping human values; moral and ethical dilemmas in developmental and technological contexts. |
IN NEWS: Do AI-powered toys affect the healthy development of children?
AI-powered toys that interact with children via chatbots are increasingly popular, offering educational support, storytelling, and skill development. While they promise screen-free learning and engagement, these toys raise significant ethical, social, and developmental concerns.
1. Developmental Concerns:
- Emotional attachment: Children, especially under 5, cannot distinguish AI from humans. Overreliance may stunt emotional growth and hinder the formation of healthy human relationships.
- Cognitive impact: AI hallucinations or inaccurate responses can misinform children, impairing learning and problem-solving skills.
- Social skill deficits: Excessive interaction with AI toys may replace peer play, imaginative group activities, or guided learning from caregivers.
2. Ethical Concerns:
- Privacy risks: AI toys collect sensitive data via microphones, potentially shared with third parties or used for training AI models.
- Exposure to inappropriate content: AI models trained on adult internet content may occasionally provide unsafe or mature material, including risky advice or self-harm references.
- Commercial exploitation: Subscription-based models may pressure families financially and create dependency among children.
3. Social Concerns:
- Family dynamics: Overuse of AI toys may reduce family interactions, eroding the essential emotional bonding and guidance provided by parents and caregivers.
- Inequality in access: High cost of AI toys may create disparities in learning opportunities among children.
Measures for Safe Use:
- Parental engagement: Parents should supervise AI toy interactions, limit screen/playtime, and encourage traditional, human-led activities.
- Educational guidance: Teachers and caregivers must integrate AI tools as supplements, not replacements, and promote critical thinking.
- Policy intervention: Regulators should enforce child safety standards, privacy protections, and content moderation for AI toys.
- Balanced development: Encourage imaginative play, social games, reading, and art to nurture emotional, cognitive, and social growth.
AI-powered toys can enhance learning if used judiciously, but cannot substitute human interaction. Ethical deployment requires collaboration between developers, parents, educators, and policymakers to protect children’s development while leveraging technological innovation responsibly.
| PYQ REFERENCE Q. Child cuddling is now being replaced by mobile phones. Discuss its impact on the socialization of children. (2023) |