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Question

Dr. Srinivasan is a senior scientist working for a reputed biotechnology company known for its cutting-edge research in pharmaceuticals. Dr. Srinivasan is heading a research team working on a new drug aimed at treating a rapidly spreading variant of a new viral infectious disease. The disease has been rapidly spreading across the world and the cases reported in the country are increasing. There is huge pressure on Dr. Srinivasan's team to expedite the trials for the drug as there is significant market for it, and the company wants to get the first-mover advantage in the market. During a team meeting, some senior team members suggest some shortcut for expediting the clinical trials for the drug and for getting the requisite approvals. These include manipulating data to exclude some negative outcomes and selectively reporting positive results, foregoing the process of informed consent and using compounds already patented by a rival company, rather than developing one's own component. Dr. Srinivasan is not comfortable taking such shortcuts, at the same time he realises meeting the targets is impossible without using these means.

Examine your options and consequences in the light of the ethical questions involved.

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CSE 2024 (Prelims) CSAT Previous Year Paper (16-Jun-2024)

My options are compromising integrity or standing firm.

  1. Compromising Integrity: Offers short-term market advantage but risks severe ethical consequences: patient harm, scientific credibility loss, fraud (data manipulation), informed consent violation, and patent infringement. Long-term, this means loss of public trust, legal issues, sanctions, and reputational damage.
  2. Standing Firm: May initially mean missed targets, but preserves patient safety, scientific integrity, and legal/ethical standards. This builds trust, ensures true drug efficacy, and fosters a responsible corporate culture, guaranteeing sustainable, ethical progress benefiting humanity.

Answered By:

Sarvesh Jha

Sarvesh Jha is a seasoned government exam mentor with firsthand success in top exams like IBPS PO, SBI PO, CDS, RRB JE, SSC CGL, BPSC, and CTET. Known for his deep conceptual clarity and strategic approach, he has guided over 5000 students through personalized mentorship. He has been creating well researched content for last 5 years.

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