Civil Services: Change a vain excercise to people conscious. How to?

Be the change you want the world to be. - Mahatma Gandhi

The word Bureaucracy is drawn from the French word  bureau meaning a desk and Greek word Kratos meaning political power. It was referred in a satirical manner by many authors and in mid 19th century became a neutral reference to public administration as a form of management. Max Weber saw it positively and redefined it as a system of administration conducted by trained professionals to fixed rules. In the 1980s, Margaret Thatcher & Ronald Reagan gained power by promising to regulate government regulatory bureaucracies which they saw as over bearing. In the corporate business world Jack Welch dismantled bureaucracy inside GE and became a forerunner in settting up the gold standard in corporate efficiency. 

While the politicians, judiciary and even media are often hauled up for their inadequacies, the kingdom of babus called bureaucracy in India lives in bliss in a safe and comfortable caccon despite many limitations in contemporary India. Even the government is unwilling to attempt radical transformation that will make it receptive, accountable and efficient. Law makers seek help of bureaucrats in framing laws and bureaucrats take advantage and go soft on themselves fearing change except for some rare superficial plastering and painting. There is a need for relook into the system of bureaucracy. 

Creation of India hating British how relevant are Indian Civil Services? Are they different from colonial Civil Services?  Does her members dispense service in the manner of Colonial rulers or act rooted to the needs of people? Who benefits from bureaucracy? If bureaucracy need to be relevant and effective, how and where should they change? Most importantly, what’s the purpose of bureaucracy as it exists and what it ought to be? 

Cornwallis called the Father of Civil Services in India was considered a reformer of the Civil Services. What were his achievements? He introduced the permanent settlement that gave rise to a class of Zamindars for tax collection. Ultimately the land owners were forced to plant cash crops instead of rice and wheat and many compelled by manipulation to sell their lands. This led to famines that killed millions of people. Whoever can forget the Bengal famine? All the while missionaries on conversion spree were given prime chunks of land to launch British system of education and raise churches. Can you name the Christian educational institutions in the prime area of your city? I need not say what it speaks of us when we call Cornwallis, a heartless tyrant as father of Indian Civil Services and a reformer.

There isn’t much difference between the Indian Civil service of Colonial British and the present civil service in India. Infact the attraction to the Indian Civil service of today is because of admiration of the British Indian Civil service which flaunted abrasive crude power on the citizens. Brought down to their knees, Indians began to accept and admire whatever the British did and thought of the rulers as role models. So being nasty towards weak became an excercise of power. The responsibility of the civil services has been to administer as per the directions of the government. Whatever may be the code and values of Civil Services, it is a fact that Civil Servants continue to be the new Zamindaris in free India.

About 50 k civil servants of varied colours and hues dot the nation today. About a 1000 of them have been under investigation for corruption by CBI at a point in 2011, while about 450 of them were charge sheeted. Hong Kong based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy in a 2012 study rated Indian bureaucracy as the worst in Asia with 9.21 out of possible 10 points. A report by Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievences and Pension in 2012 concluded that corruption is prevalent at all levels of bureaucracy and that corruption has been institutionalised in Free India.It is not uncommon trainees to Civil Services during Academy days discuss about their personal targets for wealth making within a time frame. So young officers join Services with an ulterior motive that matches the mind of East India company in India . 

Transparency international in 2005 concluded that 92% of the Indian population has paid a bribe sometime or other to get a job done. Means civil servants take bribes from their master, the tax payer. Remember army chief VK Singh’s charge that he was offered crores as bribe? Short cut to success is a manic in India. It’s a fact that corruption acts as an incentive to break law as the culprit can escape by greasing palms. Police corruption has been highly spoken and voices raised against it but police reforms means its modernisation. None dare touch or alter the minds of cops and make them friends of people. Point is even traffic rules are hardly implemented as violators can get away by name dropping or payment of incentive for escape from Law. All public institutions run on the philosophy of aggrandisement and any effort to curtail it by Govt leads to organised abuse of the reformer or the reforming agency. We saw that during recent demonetisation. 

Why do we need a relevant and efficient Civil Services? Goldman Sachs report of Nov 2014 said India’s GDP can increase by .9%. Just imagine the GDP lost since independence. Our GDP was paltry .5% for couple of decades while inflation was in double digits. Institutional quality is an essential driver for economic performance. The quality of bureaucracy can make an effective change. But the sad truth is Indian bureaucracy has unconsciously worked against India imitating the British India Civil Services. This is betrayal as the tax payer gets punished for supporting bureaucracy and the schemes. US Secretary of State John Kerry said that India can progress if civil servants cease to be road blocks.

We are given to understand that expenditure for IAS/IPS/IFS approximates 8.15 % of gdp. That’s for about 15 k personnel. Figures for the other services, state services, for lower clerical cadre, pension are not available. But it can be estimated at minimum of 25% of our gdp. India needs accountability for her tax money. Bureaucracy in India is huge but devours a huge chunk of revenue. 

Oft given excuse is political interference for the failings of bureaucracy. So the clever bureaucracy is also gets known for innocence? Clever game indeed. It’s the bureaucrats who often teach politicians new methods to circumvent laws and rules while drafting official notes and files. They bend over backwards to please, corrupt politicians. In the process they gain lucrative postings and a percentage of the cut money. We also heard from judiciary that Bureaucrats can be honest without political interference. Bureaucrats not responsible for their actions is the derivant here. 

The system of selection of bureaucrats is hardly effective in finding officers who are gentlemen and contented. How are civil servants chosen? UPSC runs a prelim exam to check basic general knowledge. After being through that, you answer papers on advance knowledge (facts + opinions) along with your knowledge on two chosen subjects. Then you face an interview. These are not checks of ability or attitude. Just a namesake Tamasha on lack of ideas. Sad none of the great filthy rich educationists ever questioned this. 

How does such examinations and knowledge check help in discharge of public duties? Can a post graduate academic knowledge help in serving people or help administer in a democracy? I am not convinced on this. The proof of the pudding is in the eating and the inefficient corrupt bureaucracy has not had a positive impact through such selections. Indian bureaucracy is either clerical or over bearing. It needs to be relevant to the aspirations of a poor nation dreaming to be a super power. And it can not be delivered by a casual, self important and rude mediocrity. 

It is unfortunate that the Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy of Administration is just another run on the mill pedantic excercise. It aims at creating an elitist esprit de corps as it claims. What does its syllabus contain? Insights into various departments. It also claims to build the personality of the trainee officer by mounding his physical, moral, intellectual and aesthetic. Sounds impressive like an average politicians’ platitude. Then they have this Bharat Darshan. Instead of travelling like Mahatma, the trainees travel by air & airconditioned coaches & stay often in plush comfort. Some learning this is..not to forget the horse riding classes at the academy.

Is there any other relevant way to check the aptitude and attitude of a prospective bureaucrat other than these existing ways? Here are my suggestions. I would call them reforms. But retailing of selection process and training must if we have to reengineer the civil services. We will stop calling them Civil Services and call them public services and it’s occupants as Public Servants. These are some suggestions.

#1 Decide on the goals of a bureaucracy

#2 Decide on a relevant training academic syllabus in the Academy

#3 Release this syllabus and hold exams based on the syllabus

#4 Those going passing the syllabus, shall face a series of interviews, roleplaying, psychology test.

#5 The interviewers shall be experts from India, abroad. No civil servants

#6 Those chosen will undergo a short refresher course on the training syllabus

#7 Trainees will go directly to rural areas, get to live with them & make proposals for change

#8 Government will ask Trainees to implement their proposal before posting

The syllabus shall be done in such a way that even a fail in the UPSC exam equips the youth to pursue other challenges like entrepreneurship and empower them with skills. While academics can sharpen minds, trainees must be built to be independent and creative in whatever they do. It ought to be a win win situation for every public service aspirant. It’s indeed pathetic that many who fail upsc exams also lose valuable time and money. This needs to change.

I also suggest banning of the use titles of IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS, etc. You have been employed in a service and you get paid by salary and by perks. Its just another job. But service for the nation. Flaunting boosts ego. But an egoistic mind lacks sensitivity, compassion, courage. They belong to a service and get paid for it. Period.

Most importantly India doesn’t merit a system that’s acts superior to her people. Being abrasive, arrogant and wallowing in self importance, bureaucrats strike wonder by flaunting power. Most do not even offer chairs to visitors and treat public as slaves. Where in the world does slaves pay salary to slave masters? Total apathy to the citizens marks bureaucracy as they dish out favours in connivance with Maharaja Politicians as per their fancy? Citizens must be empowered to address officers by names and bureaucrats ought to address the common man as Sir. Letters should be signed off by politicians as yours obediently. Am sure the super egos of bureaucrats will be hurt. They need to be brought down from their pedestal. Let’s make them public servants. Civil service needs to die.

In India any change results in resistance. Recently Modi Govt packed off many IRS officials home for incompetency and corruption. The govt has also enforced attendance system that has irked those who spent office time playing golf and partying. Any effort to streamline MNREGA and NRHM will face criticisms as they though have failed to failed to eradicate poverty or build a healthy rural India, they have successfully helped build the personal wealth of bureaucrats and politicians. MNREGA failed as a poverty alleviation programme and NRHM devoured one lakh crore of rupees. You won’t find media debate this as both politicians and bureaucrats connived to deprive you of your money. 

Government can be effective only if civil service becomes public servants. Indian bureaucracy is arrogant, hidebound, casteist ( divided on caste, regional lines), inefficient, red tape driven, hierarchy struck is dismantled. Sadly it is these qualities that make them attractive to many. Bureaucracy needs to hauled up. They need to become people conscious, productive, inventories trimmed and those inefficient removed with a vengeance. India needs a high potential, high octane, high disciplined public servants. Now.

The high caste of Civil Service needs a dressing up. A ten yearly retest to stay in office as well as a detailed investigation into the performance must to make it relevant, humane, productive.

Lao Tzu said:

Go to the people 

Live amongst them.

Learn from them

Love them

Start with what they know

Build on what they have.

When the work is done,

People will say we accomplished it all ourselves.

This ought to be the mission of public service.