Bureaucracy—the very word stirs up unflattering thoughts in the public’s mind. After all, it represents the behemoth of the government with all its trappings of power, perks and eye-wateringly complicated rules. So when Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy recently castigated babus—ironically, at the launch of an ex-bureaucrat’s book—for not moving out of their air-conditioned rooms often enough, it may have gone down well with the people. But to her embarrassment, Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari was on the same dais when the CM went on to lament that young recruits were no match for their predecessors in decoding the complexities of governance to the political executive and were bending over backwards to please their masters.
The CM may well have uttered a truth. But if we dig deep, whose fault is it that the bureaucracy is becoming more of a liability than an asset? A section of bureaucrats are upright and efficient, while several others are corrupt to the core. Committees for administrative and other reforms have made detailed recommendations for making the system more efficient while incentivising hardworking officials. We also have had Mission Karma Yogi to upskill civil servants. We cannot say for certain that these have succeeded to a great extent.
As the country, including Telangana, heads towards the ambitious goal of Viksit Bharat, the powers that be must take a hard look at the governing system. Unacceptable levels of politicisation and centralisation of power has weakened the bureaucratic hierarchy, particularly in small states. Unlike in the past, almost every posting is decided by the political executive, with little regard to the chief secretary’s recommendations. Officers jumping the queue by currying favour have demoralised their efficient and honest colleagues. The department of personnel and training is all but reduced to a spectator.
It’s time to take the bull by the horns. We may neither replicate a Singaporean technocratic model, nor introduce a new system as was done in Australia. And we are definitely unlikely to have a department of government efficiency as in the US. But surely, we must bring back transparency into the bureaucracy. It’s possible only if decision-making is decentralised, merit is recognised and the corrupt babus are seriously dealt with.