As two Kerala cadre IAS officers have been suspended on the same day in an unprecedented manner, TNIE sat down with IAS Officers’ Association President Dr B Ashok to understand what is ailing the state bureaucracy.
The 1998-batch officer, currently serving as the Agricultural Production Commissioner and Vice Chancellor of the Kerala Agricultural University, shared his views on the recent suspensions, lack of professionalism and efficiency in the state officialdom, being labelled a “right-wing bureaucrat’’, and his impressions of different chief ministers. Excerpts
Unprecedented developments are happening in the IAS cadre here. Two mid-level IAS officers have been suspended on the same day. How does the IAS Association view this?
(Laughs) Media treats suspension as a passive punishment, it seems. There is certainly an element of disapproval in suspension but in service parlance it only means sufficient animus to ask you not to come to office. There is no other consequence. The officer will be given 50% pay and after six months 75%, and if it goes up to one year, full pay has to be restored. That is only an interlude to determine the merit of a questionable action.
So, isn’t suspension a disciplinary action?
It may be treated as the commencement of an action. But, for disciplinary action, a memo of charges must be served. The officer then defends it. The good part about suspension is that it is a time taken to ensure that you are held accountable for your actions.
One of the officers said he will approach the Central Administrative Tribunal. At what juncture can that be done?
The officer can move against an order of suspension citing various grounds. Once Ms Sumana Menon IAS was suspended as she did not attend a meeting as directed by the then Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson. I took up the matter with the Centre and the officer at DoPT (Department of Personnel and Training) said ‘your cadre is a very draconian one’. The then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had to revoke the suspension.
Is the Kerala cadre draconian?
I won’t say so but at times undesirable actions have taken place. Even the chief secretary has been suspended in Kerala. That’s a very rare thing. Sitting Chief Secretary R Ramachandran Nair was suspended and sent out of service (in 1997).
Do you think there has been a violation of the Code of Conduct in the case of the two officers suspended now?
Regarding Prasanth’s post, I sensed he will be immediately suspended. It was just a matter of time. But I would say that, strict sensus, both cases are defendable. Former Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson said IAS officers do not enjoy all rights laid down in the Constitution. It is wrong. Fundamental rights cannot be denied to any individual unless he or she gives up.
In the case of Gopalakrishnan, if you ask me, can an officer be part of a religious group involving only officers or officers and others? Obviously, you can. So, whether you create a group or be a member is immaterial. You can do so. But I will add another line there. Should an IAS officer be doing that? I would say permissible but better not to do that (laughs).
Are you saying it isn’t a matter of legality but of propriety?
Beyond legality, it is an action that can be given a colour. Nothing was posted in the group. It was deleted. But the difficulty for Gopalakrishnan is that he claimed that it was hacked, which he may have to prove. If the evidence is otherwise, a false claim will arise which goes against integrity. He has given it in writing to an SHO. It is an offence. Filing a false complaint is penal. When Meta is saying there was no hacking, do we have a case to say that it was hacked? In the case of Prasanth, when we saw his expression, we told him that boundaries have been crossed.
Which expression of Prasanth’s are you referring to?
(Laughs out) I will not say that specifically as I will have to go into its merit.
Was it the first post?
When I saw the media report against Prasanth, I told him to watch his step (laughs)... as I knew there would be an outburst. He said things have become intolerable and it is the handiwork of so and so people. I told him to refrain, and if at all he has to say something, say that the report is wrong. But he chose to do otherwise. Naturally, the government was provoked into action. There has to be restraint.
But Prasanth has said Jayathilak is an officer who sabotaged the careers of many honest IAS officers...
These are only allegations. Jayathilak should be given an opportunity to comment on that. I had worked closely with Jayathilak for over a year. Sometimes he can be moody, he can tick you off. We had a great time together. We continue to be friends from our Kollam days. Despite his seniority, I count him as my friend too. We can talk for over two hours at a stretch. The only thing is that on a cloudy day, he can be a little jumpy. But that will stand for just two to three hours. If there are complaints, an opportunity should be given for him to comment on that. Sometimes you may not yell but raise your voice. All this happens in service.
Two IAS officers have been suspended at the same time. Is the gravity of their actions the same?
It is not right for me to comment. First of all, the government has to clarify what the charges are. From the orders of suspension, I would assume that the charges against both the officers are very much defendable with competent legal support.
Prasanth has termed it a balancing act…
I don’t think so. The cause of action is different in the two cases.
Did you ever feel that Gopalakrishnan’s actions were communally flavoured?
I wouldn’t associate it with the title of the group. My argument is this: The SC has interpreted that HINDU doesn’t denote any religion. Forget the virulent form of an ism, Hinduism is only a way of life... a collection of a certain set of practices and beliefs. I can’t say Malayali Hindu is communal. But should an officer create such a group which might send a wrong signal to those who may see it with different eyes? That is a different question.
But can’t this create a communal division given the political situation in the country?
He just created a group. It is common for colleagues in a social group or a faith group to start groups. I don’t need to get offended by it.
Heard Adeela Abdulla IAS has complained…
I have not seen her complaint, but spoke to her. She said she had been informed about the creation of such a group. But she did not register any complaint. I did not pursue it. If somebody is alarmed, it is a separate issue.
Many IAS officers are eager for central deputation. Why so?
Kerala is not a mainstream state. So the deputation reserve will be oversubscribed. If you are Gujarat or Maharashtra, your interest will be served if you are in Delhi. The Union of India service is a highly insulated corporate kind of service. You need to be at least an MP to get an appointment in major ministries. Potential for international careers attracts people at later stages in their careers. The state service is basically snakes and ladders. It is very uncertain.
Does political affiliation matter in getting preferred posts at the Centre or in states?
States are bipolar while in the Union there is continuity at the moment. For a long time, there was a Congress government and people were acclimatised to the ecosystem. For the last few years, there has been a change of preference at the Centre. It’s more hands-on now and they need the kind of officer who is better aligned. It is not a political alignment but to the programmes. Officers don’t make choices according to the political hue.
There are many officers in my batch who have good offers in hand but aren’t going to Delhi. The work environment is very tough there now. You cannot leave the office before 10pm. But in the state, you can be home earlier (smiles).
Has the work culture changed with the BJP coming to power at the Centre?
The Union government has become very programmatically focused. The secretaries are conducting reviews every three days. They are being held accountable on a very short leash. There is no cooling down of the executive function when there is a Prime Minister who works 15 hours a day. They want business done in every ministry.
So, can we say that the current government is more professional and goal-oriented than the previous ones?
I am not saying that. But the current government is very much focused on faster delivery.
During UPA 1 and 2, there were a lot of Malayali officers at the helm of affairs. That has now changed. How do you see the change?
It is obvious. You tend to trust people who you know more. (Now) the person who became the Prime Minister was the chief minister of Gujarat for 15 years. That experience gave him in and out experience of how the system works. I have observed him while working with (Sharad) Pawar in the food ministry. Modi, as a chief minister, was much respected in Delhi. He meant business. He had clout in Delhi even during the UPA government, as the Gujarat CM.
Was it about the charisma of Modi or the peculiarity of Gujarat being a rich state?
Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra are very business-like and professional. Tamil Nadu has become very smart. Karnataka has always been good.
So, Kerala needs to be more professional in pushing its agenda in Delhi?
We don’t have representational or advocacy skills. Also, we are not pushy enough in Delhi like other states. Other states’ representatives come to Delhi and return only when they get their things done.
Who is responsible for the lack of professionalism?
Things have become very fast after emails, e-office, and now AI. I doubt if the skills have improved in the government sector to match that space-time compression. Drafting skills have gone down drastically. One part of the problem is our vernacular preference. The second major problem is the very deleterious impact of the unions. They decide who should occupy a post. Unions have no responsibility in securing Central funds. They are hardly bothered. It takes a lot of effort, training, and leadership to set things right.
Are the IAS officers scared to make decisions?
There is a scare. In higher government functioning, the secretary, being the permanent head of the department, is supposed to have a holistic view of the constitution and department-specific rules. He is bound to guide the minister through the rules. The minister should look for an unhinged opinion of the secretary. A capable minister can overcome any note of the secretary. Former ministers such as T M Jacob and K M Mani had interesting ways of dealing with contentious issues. But we cannot expect that from a first-time minister on the second day. It takes some time to assess the officers and learn how to work with them.
Most ministers in this government are first-timers. Does their lack of experience affect the performance of the government?
I cannot say they lack experience because they have been public persons for long. But their experience is in different capacities in different directions. There is a huge difference between a person who has been a frontline worker of the party, a district secretary for 10 years, and a person who came from student politics and the university senate. The former has a sound understanding of administration while the latter is more academic. A newcomer will take time with the government.
Should a confrontation arise between the state government and the Union government, where will an IAS officer place their loyalty?
Cadre and state are a myth. Cadre are created to serve a state. But who creates a state? The Parliament creates a state. It’s an administrative unit. This keeps changing. As far as members of the Union service are concerned, you have to serve the Union of India. The Constitution has placed the state on a definite pedestal. Loyalty of an All-India Service officer is only to India. And not to any subordinate entity.
In 2013, you wrote a newspaper article titled ‘What If Modi Visits Sivagiri’. The Oommen Chandy government took action against you…
I had gone for a meeting to Sivagiri as a guest. They said there was a boycott call. I felt it was very odd. I was a sitting vice chancellor. To be true, I don’t think Oommen Chandy sir was interested in taking action against me. But a certain individual in the government was very interested and the government issued a chargesheet. I took the issue to the Supreme Court and it stayed the chargesheet and the proceedings of the government. Later, I met Oommen Chandy sir. I asked him whether it was necessary. He said it was not his issue. Then I requested him to withdraw the case, and he did.
At that time, you took a bold step, especially in the backdrop of Modi’s image and the Gujarat riots. What was your provocation then?
He was not convicted by the court. How can you put these types of embargos? Modi has now become the prime minister. The person who prepared the intelligence report against me has now joined the BJP (laughs out).
You have an image of a right-wing bureaucrat…
(Laughs out) Let me tell you frankly, I don’t have any Sangh Parivar leniency. I don’t have any relationship with any BJP leader. If so, I would have got plum posts in the central government. Even my request was not considered. I do not have a leniency to any party. No government in Kerala gave me any undue benefit.
What’s your take on retired bureaucrats joining politics on the lines of Annamalai in Tamil Nadu?
It’s the freedom of the individual. New kids on the block are technically qualified and ambitious. One of my IAS batchmates joined the BJP and became an MP. Then he joined the Congress and fought in the Haryana election.
Are you interested in joining politics?
I was approached twice by various parties to see whether I was interested in contesting elections. I consulted with my family. There was a unanimous disinclination. So I told them I am not interested. Politics is a great area to serve a cause. There are many ministers at the Centre who have service backgrounds.
There are some IAS officers who don’t even have minimum efficiency. We have often wondered how they managed to get into the service…
(Chuckles) Every selection process has its own faults, black zones which people might actually get through. There are ten written papers. Let’s say 20-25 sheets of handwritten answers are evaluated. Somebody might get through. Some people would be good with their domains.
Has the Kerala Administrative Service brought in any change?
Some of them are extremely good. But they take time to take up senior-level responsibilities. In 10 years, some of them will become very good.
You’ve worked with five chief ministers. Your assessment of each of them…All of them are special and gifted people; they came up the hard way. (EK) Nayanar sir was highly informal, sarcastic, yet nice and easy to work with. He was like a grandfather in the system. (AK) Antony sir was always sober. He invariably gave us all a cup of black tea, which translated into don’t expect anything more (chuckles).
I missed VS (Achuthanandan), as I was on central deputation at that time. But it was VS who appointed me as the vice-chancellor. Oommen Chandy sir was very open, with whom you had unhinged access. He was a great people’s man. Pinarayi sir is a more regulated, structured man who prefers order. He is a very good crisis manager and a good executor. It’s only because of his strong will that the NH project was completed.
Have you personally met Prime Minister Narendra Modi?
Not one-to-one. I have not had an occasion to do so. As VC, I have listened to him from close quarters. He used to personally attend the annual/biannual meetings of university vice-chancellors. He prepares each of his speeches... the core content of it... himself. Very insightful, left the listeners impressed.
TNIE team: Cithara Paul, Anil S, Sreejith Kumar K S, Cynthia Chandran, Sovi Vidyadharan, Vincent Pulickal (photos), Pranav V P (video)