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Question

Sneha is a Senior Manager working for a big reputed hospital chain in a mid-sized city. She has been made in-charge of the new super speciality center that the hospital is building with state-of-the art equipment and world class medical facilities. The building has been reconstructed and she is starting the process of procurement for various equipment and machines. As the head of the committee responsible for procurement, she has invited bids from all the interested reputed vendors dealing in medical equipment. She notices that her brother, who is a well-known supplier in this domain, has also sent his expression of interest. Since the hospital is privately owned, it is not mandatory for her to select only the lower bidder. Also, she is aware that her brother's company has been facing somene financial difficulties and a big supply order will help him recover. At the same time, allocating the contract to her brother might bring charges of favouritism against her and tarnish her image. The hospital management trusts her fully and would support any decision of hers.

What should be Sneha's course of action?

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

Sneha should prioritize the hospital's best interests and uphold her professional integrity. The most ethical course of action would be to declare her conflict of interest immediately to the hospital management. She should recuse herself from the evaluation of her brother's bid, or ideally, from the entire procurement process if her involvement could even create a perception of bias. An alternative would be to establish a completely independent and transparent evaluation panel for all bids, with strict parameters and her role limited to oversight, not decision-making on individual vendors. This ensures fairness and protects her reputation.

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Anushka Goel

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