The civil servant is like the foundation of a grand building that never gets the credit for the grandeur though it is the steel frame that holds the structure together. What gets to be known about the civil servant is what goes wrong. Very rarely does he get the credit for all that is happening. But that is what civil service is all about. Slog it out invisibly.
They are put to the test, time and again, beyond the routine. From the earthquake in Gujarat to the floods in Kerala, this invisible servant does it all but his contribution rarely gets recognised. It is only on some rare occasions that the Seshans and K P S Gills grab the limelight. However, this seems to be changing now. Social media seems to be bringing forth a new breed altogether. And why not?
The invisible civil servant is now becoming more and more visible in this ever evolving complex ecosystem. A number of civil servants are wanting to become visible. In the context of social media, the approach is pretty clear: Can’t beat them, join them.
Whether it is Twitter, Facebook or on any other medium, a large number of civil servants have chosen social media to communicate with the world at large. The civil servant has been badgered for far too long. It is high time that not only should social media be used to bring forth facts but the achievements also need to be road-showed. This is a part of the larger context to combat the negativity that seems to be becoming all pervasive. #Nexusofgood is a movement in that direction. It is a movement to identify, understand, appreciate, replicate and scale good work that is being done by civil servants and society as a whole.
The idea is to evolve an alternative narrative to the negativity that is becoming all pervasive in social media and other mediums of communication. Such negativity is impacting the thoughts and actions of a large number of people. The premium on good work seems to have been lost in the din of high decibels used for promoting negativity. The good are struggling for recognition and a large number of them are fighting their battles against a much more organised set of negativity mongers all alone.
The quintessential bureaucrat, if there is one, is changing. The invisible civil servant is now attempting to come out of his cocoon. It should change. It can’t afford to remain in the ivory towers. It can’t afford to remain just the foundation. It has to make its presence felt. The question is, how? Can the civil service evolve as a group and dispel the (mis)apprehensions that people have? To do that, the members of the civil service will have to be aware of the pitfalls of promoting themselves as individuals. There is absolutely no doubt that most civil servants are individually bright and brilliant when they enter the service on account of the objective and impartial nature of selection to the service. The problem is that a number of them find it difficult to evolve as brilliantly as a part of a group. Hence, though a number of them make a name for themselves, the institutions they man are not benefitted. In this sense, social media, or any media for that matter, is a double-edged sword. The key is how that media is used.
As we look around, there are a large number of institutions that are manned exclusively by civil servants and have done everyone proud. The Election Commission, the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Union Public Service Commission and the Central Vigilance Commission are some such institutions. Can civil servants commit themselves to replicating the ethos of these institutions? It may not be easy because the mentioned institutions are by and large insulated from political interference.
Moreover, these are exceptions and not the rule. If most offices acquire the ethos of these
institutions, bureaucracy would not have the ‘name’ it has. It may be difficult to insulate institutions from political interference. But with the increasing use of technology and the consequent transparency, the ill effects of such interference can be mitigated. The political master can be induced to make a much more informed decision.
He can be made aware of the implications of his decision in a much more aware world. A large number of brilliant and committed civil servants are already attempting to do that. Officers like Vivek Bhardwaj (put in place a transparent and non-reversible regime for coal block auctions), Naresh Gangwar (brought about a transformation in school education in Rajasthan) and Dinesh Arora (was a part of Aayushman Bharat after successfully implementing Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana in Kerala) made things happen despite serious limitations.
Their stories need to be told so that the others believe that despite political, social, technological and financial handicaps, individuals can transform institutions. These officers have used their individual brilliance to bring about and sustain change. It can be done because it has been done. The key is to first appreciate the good work they are doing, understand how they are doing it and then try to replicate it. It is true, however, that the civil servant is facing a dilemma.
Anil Swarup
Former Secretary, School Education and Literacy
Email: swarup8@yahoo.com