BUREAUCRACY IN INDIA, NEW CHALLENGE.(updated)

BY K P PASWAN

Prime Minister of India has questioned the appointment of retired I.A.S.officials at key positions and has raised the question, whether Fertilizers Cos, can be run by officials belonging to this cadre. The questions is whether these appointments are by compulsion or is necessary? His comments are snippets of a longer discussion. There is an appointment committee headed by the PM who clears these appointment.

 Free speech is more robust than ever. Judiciary is proving to be a reliable of free speech There is some evidence that younger officers are less protective of free speech While educated Indians don’t want the government, what they can and cannot say. But we are happy  to accept limitations for the sake of basic civility. 

  In an American magazine, not available in India, I read an article and found that the magazine conducted a survey and found that only three politicians in power in the world were not corrupt, one Communist,second,  a Buddhist and the third a Hindu. I concluded and my friends , a few of them bureaucrats  agreed that the Communist was none other than Xin Jinping, the overambitious and untrustworthy dictator of China who is following the policy, Out of Hundred Coffins,99 coffins for the corrupt. The former PM of Japan was a Buddhist and honest. We concluded that the Hindu politician mentioned in the magazine might be Narendra Modi.

Strong and impartial bureaucracy is fundamental of a parliamentary system of government. In a parliamentary democracy, while politicians in power make policy decisions.  implementation is left upon the bureaucrats. Even the policy, whether it is economical or managing  manufacturing activities are determined by the bureaucracy.

India is highly  dangerously and polarized society society, the country is divided into so many castes and religions.  Election from the level of Panchayat to Parliament and state legislatures are fought on the basis of castes and religion. Without playing the card of castes and creeds, no body can reach state and central legislature. We are witnessing a large number of criminals entering into legislature and are posing themselves as defender and champion of democracy, but the irony of supreme magnitude is that these criminals only think, welfare of their castes. Under such circumstances it is very difficult for an experienced bureaucrat to maintain neutrality and he has to toe the lines of his political master.

 Indian Civil Service was the most sought-after service and first preference of a qualified person in India. However, the country was under a colonial rule and there was lack of education, percentage of literacy was extremely low and common  people was completely at the mercy of local low-level officers and zamindars. After independence, at the initiative of the than Home Minister, I.C.S was renamed as I.A.S These officials enjoyed extraordinary power  and social status, unheard in a free country. I.A.S.officials were sent to London School of Economics for study, and these officers managed the economy of the country in the best possible manner. District Magistrate in Hindi was addressed as JILADHEESH meaning God of the district, he enjoyed even the power of pardon for a Govt witness.

  IAS or for that matter executive, lost its power in 1975 when judiciary was separated from the executive. Whether the separation of judiciary led to better judicial system is open for debate. But a particular phenomenon was seen, alarming increase in litigation. 

 Here it is interesting to note that ICS officers were also appointed as judge of Supreme Court.. Foreign Secretary was known as Secretary General of Foreign Affairs and the period witnessed excellent diplomats like Gundevia S,Nagarketi  R K Nehru and a few others.  Cabinet Secretary from Mr Pillai (who served under Pt Nehru) to Mr Mukherjee displayed extraordinary talent and devotion to the administration under dynamic prime minister of India.R.N Malhotra, the Governor of Reserve Bank was always at daggers drawn with the politicians in power, but he maintained financial stability by not printing currency notes and antagonized the political hawks. Corruption among these officers was unknown and there was no political interference, contemporary history and records don’t mention prevalence of caste ism on grand scale

With the introduction of new pattern of examination in 1980, a different outlook was given to Civil Services. Indian Police Service along with other Group A services remain functional Service, but with introduction of Commissioner ate system in more and more cities, there was exposure of uniformed officers  (I.P.S)in different fields. So I.A,S was left to devote more and more time to development works which was difficult to carry out because of political interference.

 After 1975, a committed bureaucracy was needed by power hungry and disgruntled politicians which eroded the efficiency and adversely affected administration. Overambitious politicians in power moved to centralize authority, within a traditionally weak prime minister office by creating a team of advisors to hammer out  economic and security policy, in the process weakened the Cabinet Secretariat. There was an open democracy, but not an open economy. In absence of private sectors on a large scale, there was little scope for senior bureaucrats to change and shape the economy as per available resources.         

 Mixed economy did not contribute to the growth of an emerging economy, but the financial system did not collapse and credit goes to bureaucracy, It is not exaggeration to say that the political elites of the country was more interested in making irrational and bizarre promises to win the election and were lethargic to pragmatism and political reality of the country. One heavy weight politician was the PM  for less than one month of the largest democracy in the world. This lamentable state of affairs prompted some western thinkers to predict the end of democracy in India. But democracy survived due to an over vigilant bureaucracy.

 With  sudden opening of economy,I.A,S was forced to adapt  new reality for which they were less prepared, and this led to an unhealthy competition between I.A.S and the management of private sectors, while the need of the hour was  a  healthy cooperation. 

 In fact abolition of UNCTAD and replacing it with WTO should have been taken as a wake up call but not even the so called professionals, educated in obscure foreign management institutions failed to see, that the gates open for latest technology in every phase of life and society. After 1990. we witnessed changed landscape in economic and political environment. Professionals, managing private sectors in general and MNC in particula,r demanded greater participation in policy making. Some of the demands were genuine and were fulfilled, but most of their demand were irrational and rightly rejected. MNCs in India are  not to serve the poor people, but to earn money and profit even if it means exploitation of the poor. So general welfare of the people was left upon senior I.A.S. officers. The so called professionals from MNC and big private sectors, established direct link with the politicians in power to serve their  purposes and hidden agenda and problems began to surface.

Certain appointments of retired I.A.S in places, where professionals are also making claims, must be examined taking into account several factors including long term effects. No civil servants are expected to manage a private fertilizer Cos or some other manufacturing sectors. In privately owned factories laborers are exploited and  so called managing directors/executive( All professionals) sit somewhere else, calculating stock market value. Recent appointments of professionals as Jt Secretaries, reflects the growing importance of private sectors, but once again. aim is to garner more revenue for their parent organization, even if it means exploitation of poor. In fact appointment of I.A.S  as chairman/Managing Director of certain important corporation is compulsion as these officers apply their long experience to manage the corporation/companies and PMO does not want to take risk.

WOMEN IN ADMINISTRATION. It is pleasant surprise to witness entry of women in all branches of Civil Services. Presence of a large number of women in I.A.S.and I.P.S is supposed to give more sense of security to women. If I am not wrong, the Latin American country Peru is most notorious for atrocities on women followed by India. Unfortunately in India, atrocities on women is increasing and once again political interference is to be blamed. With spread of education and internet, growing consciousness among women in coming years may be expected. Bureaucracy with adequate number of women is supposed to play important role in society and there is little place for professionals in this field. Group A Civil Servants(Other than I.A.S) are highly experienced in their fields and are more efficient than the so called professionals from private sectors and they deserve more and more responsible positions.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE Honorable  Member of Parliament from my constituency is a criminal of repute. he represents dominant castes and is a devotee of several deities. His qualification, I have learned is High School dropout. But he is patriot and contrary to his party's stand, supported the abrogation of article 356. He gives damn importance to I.A.S and for that matter any civil servant. MLA from my constituency is a postgraduate in psychology, but he is a famous turncoat. Previously he represented the most secular party and now he is representing the most communal party. Being an educated person he gives due respect to I.A.S. and other civil servants.

Bureaucracy in Bihar. In our country there is a state  named  Bihar  famous for excellent Law and Order which may be compared with Wazirabad in Pakistan and Venezuela of Latin America. Military rulers of Pakistan had an agreement with the smugglers of Wazirabad to maintain peace in the tribal areas. Any way according to one Honorable member of Rajya Sabha who is also highly qualified, stated that Bihar is number one in exporting labor force in entire India. I think in coming years Bihar may become a leading exporter of labor force in entire world. Of course, somewhere outside India there is a Bihar Club, founded long ago by the wives of diplomats of Bihar origin to promote Indian culture. Bihar once was famous for producing excellent I.F.S and I.A.S.  

Outsiders are not coming to Bihar for establishing industrial/manufacturing units as domestic industries are progressing well. Two prominent domestic industries, Kidnapping and Bootlegging,  are flourishing with near speed of light.   Kidnappers and Bootleggers, enjoy the patronage of corrupt  politicians and bureaucrats.

Experience of Different Kind. Nearly three years ago in the month of December, I went to meet an officer of the rank of I.G. The post was recently created and the office was operating in a rented house. The honest officer, knew me well and deputed an officer to escort me directly to his chamber.I saw half a dozen men in Dhoti kurta with dreaded mustache and every one was carrying a gun in his hand, outside the chamber of I.G.They must have been surprised to see a Dalit in suit boot to enter the chamber of a senior officer. I spend nearly one hour in his chamber and concluded that the officer wanted to avoid those Gun wielding visitors. Later on I come to know that those were relatives of a criminal and had come to lobby for him(Criminal) The officer is honest, left on central deputation promising never to come back again. I read in the news paper that the criminal was sentenced to life imprisonment.

 WORDS OF CAUTION. There is urgent need to change the pattern of examination. A separate examination is called for Indian Foreign Service which is going to play vital role in multi polar world. Training period for Civil Servants especially of I.A.S should be increased. Oxford and London School of Economics are being run by Arab money and Arab thugs. These institutions have lost former glory. Some of the educational institutions in New Delhi are far more better than Oxford and LSE

 Bureaucrats have reasons be anxious However they must stick to the problems which matter, fuss less about institutional arcana. I.A,S may also lift their gloom a little, if they recall the old dictum that crisis bring opportunity as well as risks. Clever and educated politicians, who are above caste and creed could use the pressure on the senior I.A.S officers as a reason to push more reform rather than to stop them. The aim should to debate and not to dominate. In modern age I.A.S officials, if suffer from superiority complex, than backlash is expected from law abiding citizens who are educated and conscious of their rights. Indians want change but they don't want strife.

The honest PM of India has virtually demoralized bureaucracy. Senior officers cannot take independent decisions without the consent of politicians, who in most cases are either criminals or protector of hardened criminals. Now the officers are   directed to bow before literate but not educated people's representative, The PM is helpless, he cannot do any thing as he himself has to follow the undefined principles of democracy which allow criminals to become lawmakers.

FINAL WORDS. At the time of updating this blog, I read in the news paper that a lady officer in Haryana was molested,while  a lady DM was severely beaten by her husband Story does not end here, a large number of I.A.S.and I.P.S officers have been accused of  favoring persons of their castes. This is the shape of things to come. PM Sri Mody is an honest man but he has demoralized bureaucracy to serve his own unpredictable policies. Years back a brilliant Home Secretary had difference of opinion with PMO on handling the situation in Nagaland, the Home Secretary was shown the way , and what followed is pathetic. In the same way, two highly experienced bureaucrats had to seek voluntarily retirement, one of them was dead against extending stimulus package to BSNL. There is nothing wrong if an honest PM thinks otherwise,but is there any example in an emerging economy, successful revival of a sick unit? Only time will tell.

  Updated on 14th April.