UPSC Previous Year Question | Prelims GS | 2026

Ms. X is a mid-level civil service official working in the urban development department of a major city. Recently, she was involved in approving a contract for a public infrastructure project—a new community park. During the approval process, she received a piece of confidential information indicating that one of the shortlisted contractors had a history of poor workmanship and allegations of corruption in other cities, though nothing had been legally proven. The Head of the Department, Mr. Y, advised her not to disclose this information to the project committee or the public because it could delay the project and damage the city's reputation. However, Ms. X believed that withholding such information compromised transparency and public trust. What amongst the following should Ms. X do now? 1. Immediately disclose the information to the project committee and the public. 2. Recommend removing the contractor from the shortlist to protect the project's integrity. 3. Propose a 'limited disclosure' to an oversight committee, while keeping the information confidential from the public for the time being. Select the answer using the code given below:

  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 3 only
  3. 2 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3

Answer

Correct Answer

3 only

Explanation

The information concerns allegations that have not been legally established and is confidential. Immediately releasing it publicly could violate confidentiality obligations and unfairly damage the contractor's reputation. Similarly, removing the contractor solely on the basis of unproven allegations would be arbitrary. A limited disclosure to an appropriate oversight mechanism allows the concern to be examined through due process while protecting confidentiality. Hence, statement 3 is the appropriate course of action.

Topics: civil services, ethics, governance, transparency