Aarav was a young man in his early twenties, working as a promising IAS officer recently posted in a prominent district. His family, well-respected and influential in their community, arranged his marriage to Priya, a bright and educated young woman from a nearby town. The marriage was celebrated lavishly, with local leaders, senior bureaucrats, and influential people attending the grand ceremony. To the outside world, Aarav and Priya seemed like an ideal couple. However, behind closed doors, Aarav’s parents soon began demanding additional dowry shortly after the wedding. Despite their respectable social standing and Aarav’s prestigious position in government service, they were never satisfied with what Priya’s family had given at the time of marriage. They repeatedly reminded Priya of the ‘promised gifts’ that they claimed were incomplete: a new car, more gold jewelry, and financial help to buy an upscale apartment in the city. Aarav, caught between his duty as a husband and his deep-seated conditioning to obey and please his parents, often tried to iiediate but rarely stood up firmly for Priya. He rationalized that as an officer entrusted with maintaining law and order in sociviy, he should avoid any scandal that could tarnish his family’s reputation and his own career prospects. He was raised to believe that family honor and parental wishes were paramount Meanwhile, Priya bore the brunt of daily taunts, subtle threats, and constant emotional harassment. Her mother-in-law would belittle her for “bringing shame” to their family by not fulfilling her family’s so-called promises. Whenever Priya’s parents visited, they were met with humiliation and veiled threats about sending Priya back if they did not arrange more money. Fearing for their daughter’s marriage and social standing, Priya’s father sold part of his ancestral land to provide additional cash and jewelry. But the demands never stopped. Aarav, though fully 2. vare of the injustice and the fact that dowry harassment was illegal under Indian law chose silence over confrontation, convincing himself that confronting his parents would shatterfamily harmony and invite public shame. As the pressure uiounted, Priya’s mental health deteriorated. She grew withdrawn and anxious, confiding in her parents about the relentless harassment but begging them not to take any legal action. She feared social stigma, public scandal, and the impact it might have on Aarav’s reputation and career. Aarav, meanwhile, continued to live with the moral conflict between his role as an upholder of the law and his inability to protect his own wife from a crime happening within his own household. (a) Discuss the ethical dilemmas faced by Aarav in this scenario. (b) Suggest institutional and social mechanisms that can prevent dowry harassment cases like this and support victims who fear social stigma if they take legal action. (ec) Examine how social conditioning and family honor often influence ethical decision-making in Indian families.

Topper: Sandeep Badad · AIR 82 · 2025 · Page 46