Novel way to bring in good governance
On June 10, the Narendra Modi government announced what can be termed as one of the most metamorphic decisions ever taken concerning the bureaucracy. The government allowed the lateral entry of professionals in governance. The decision had long been pending and debated too. While previous governments had put it on hold, the Modi government acted on it. The government is expected to hire professionals in the fields of finance, revenue, civil aviation, etc for joint secretary-level post as per the listed eligibility criteria.
Like every other decision taken by the government since May 2014, this decision too was not welcomed by the Opposition, which has made whataboutery about every reform a cliché. I feel this decision can pave way for a revolution in the government’s functioning and will surely help in increasing the pace of deliverance of results. The civil service system is seen by some as one of the legacies the British left in India, but facts contradict these claims. After liberalisation in 1990s’ many sections of the bureaucracy had been stagnant and failed to deliver appropriate and the expected results. This very reason harbingered the debate that was going on since many years and has now finally culminated into the government seeking an alternative to the IAS.
The civil services exam is one of the most toughto-crack exams in the country. Teaming of experts from the private and government sector will surely prove fruitful and increase the efficiency with which the government functions. Also, it will usher in a fresh new approach in governance.
Since the jobs have been kept contractual, it will surely cut off red-tapism, which has for years impeded government functioning.
Also, the contractual nature of the job will ensure that the hired person delivers what is expected for if he/she fails to deliver some other deserving and competitive candidate will be put in his/her place.
The appointment of joint secretaries through lateral entry will surely increase the competitive spirit among employees who have been there through traditional means. This will compel the under-performers to deliver what has been expected of them or face the music. Also, a dialogue between the expert lateral entry candidates and the ones who have entered by traditional means will bring in new concepts of working, and thus help in fast deliverance of work.
I know many people will oppose this step just for the sake of opposing it, but the data and facts will be there to answer it.
History is witness to how stupendous emanations ushered in governance when specialised domain experts like Arvind Subramanian, Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Nandan Nilekani were brought into government organisations.
As Paul Meyer said, “The future is built on the flow of new ideas”, every revolutionary thought finds its way to being a reform. Right now, we should take a minute to thank the government for setting things on the right track.