NEW DELHI: Yogita Rana, IAS , is an alumna of Jammu Medical College and opted for Indian Administrative Service in 2003 , born in Telangana cadre was given award of best Civil Servant by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the 11th Civil Services Day event organized in National Capital. Yogita Rana, became the only IAS officer to win three award since 2016, as she got Best District Collector award of Government of Telangana in 2016 in recognition of her excellent work in "Haritha Haaram" - A flagship program of state Government to increase green cover to 33 % in Telangana while bagging the national award from Ministry of Rural Development for her excellent work in implementation of MGNREGA in Nizamabad District in 2016.
Describing this day as one of “rededication,” the Prime Minister said that civil servants are well aware of their strengths and capabilities, challenges and responsibilities. He urged the civil servants to be more ‘decisive’ and assured them to stand behind the officer taking decisions in the public interest and this should be their touchstone for taking decision. And he also asked civil servants to have out-of-the-box thinking to bring solutions to problems faced by people.
‘If a decision is taken with honest intention, truthfulness and for the welfare of public then there is nobody in the world who can raise fingers at you. Something momentary may happen but I am with you," PM said, which was applauded by hundreds of civil servants attending the event, while asking the civil servants to weigh their decisions from an outcome point of view and not on output.
But, several bureaucrats blamed three Cs -- the CAG, CBI and the CVC – as stumbling blocks in decision-making, ultimately resulting in policy paralysis and PM’s statement of fearless decision gained significance in the backdrop.
Asking for the need to revamp the mindset and style of working, the Prime Minister said "there is a burden of hierarchy culture" that had been going on since the British rule. "If seniors/superiors feel that new entrants are doing good work and it is intimidating them, this is the pressure of hierarchy culture," he said.
While commenting on political will, PM said that he has got a bit extra political will to carry out reforms and asked bureaucrats to break silos and work together as a team to perform and transform the country.
Modi said political will can reform, but bureaucracy performs and public participation transforms.
"We have to bring them on one wavelength and when we run these three (political will, performance by bureaucracy and public participation) on one wavelength, then we get good results," he said.
Modi said political will is needed to reform. "I do not lack it and may be having a bit extra," the Prime Minister said.
"We will neither be able to see any change, nor any change would come in the country. But if we see things from 'CAG+1' then there would be changes," the Prime Minister said, referring to outcome- and output- based decision-making in the government.
"It will be good if you change your working style and way of your thinking. If you come out of the role of being regulator and act as enabling entity, then challenges would convert into opportunities," Modi said.
Emphasing the importance of competition to bring qualitative change, PM said that the sooner the attitude of government can change from regulator to enabler, the faster this challenge of competition will become an opportunity. He also that while the absence of government in a sphere of activity should be perceptible, its presence in a sphere of activity should not become a burden. He asked civil servants to strive towards such arrangements.
He said hierarchy in the bureaucracy remains an issue which has been inherited from colonial rulers and "was not left behind in Mussoorie (where the civil service academy is located)".
"What is the reason? We must introspect and if we do that, then I don't feel we need big changes (in changing people's perception)," Modi said.
Narendra Modi said that anonymity is one of the greatest strengths of the civil services. He cautioned officers that the use of social media should not lead to a decline in this strength, even as social media and mobile governance are leveraged for connecting people to benefits and government schemes.
Modi said bureaucrats do not need to work in silos, but work together as a team. He said it is a matter of concern when he sees two departments of the same government having divergent views in courts over some matters.
"On this day, we need to think that do we accept our weakness or somebody running away from his responsibilities? Or some ego is coming in way? It should be a matter of introspection on this Civil Services Day. These are handicaps in meeting the needs of common people," he said, asking the bureaucrats to take responsibilities for works being done by them. The Prime Minister said civil servants need to take a vow to make India as per the dreams of freedom fighters by 2022.
Making a light comment on the banning the use of mobile phones in meetings after observing many of the bureaucrats were constantly using their phones, PM said "These days... I see district officials so busy, busy, busy (with their mobiles)...so I banned mobiles in meetings," he said. "People have moved from e-governance to mobile governance, it is a reality today."