Naidu’s concern on services needs deeper introspection
The resurgent India in the first decade after independence was proud of its political leaders, the freedom fighters who were full of dedication and earnestness for better governance of the masses.
They displayed a great deal of wisdom by inculcating a feeling of devotion and a sense of national pride in the steel frame – the administrative services left behind by the British rulers.
Whatsoever had been the implicit aim of British rulers, because of poverty, lack of employment opportunities and conditions of social status of that time, the best talent of India vied for government jobs, be it in civil services (ICS), army or police, technical services like engineering, CPWD, irrigation, railways etc. Such talent available in the services at the time India achieved Independence, though placated and brain washed by the British establishment for their ulterior interests, was thoughtfully galvanised by wise political leaders of that time and the administrative machinery made to work with the established theme of efficiency, particularly in first decade of planned development which actually took out the nation from the morass of poverty.
It is a happy augury that even after independence all services in India continue to be recruited on the same basis of talent and merit, whereby only the best talent finds way into the administrative services. Then, the question arises, as to why so much deterioration in the efficiency of governance that has arisen now, causing so much misery and hardship to a great mass of people?
Hence, the concern voiced by an experienced leader, Vice President of India M.Venkaiah Naidu, firstly on October 2, 2017 regarding Indian Administrative Services and then again on July 12, 2018 regarding CPWD need deeper appraisal and debate.
Regarding administrative services, the regret is that the much-needed restoration of efficiency in administration is being continuously barred because of unfortunate succumbing of the best talent of India forming the administrative services to the diktat of a deteriorated political system.
Further, despite improvement in some sectors, there is an increasing revelation that many other important activities of the country are being seriously affected by growing inefficiency caused by incompetence in governance, slackness and increasing graft. Thus also the remarks by the Vice President need critical study .
CPWD symbolises wide gamut of construction activity in India whether it be in Railways, Highways, Airports, Ship Yards, Irrigation Structures, Power Plants or Military establishment and Mining Projects spread throughout the country etc. etc.
All suffer from the same malady, some much more or some less. It has also to be noted that there has been a tremendous increase in the construction activities in India without a proportionate increase in infrastructure or trained personnel needed.
Superficially speaking, it merely is a human factor of people falling prey to demeaning cult of graft. However, the root cause lies in the increasing inefficiency caused by a weakening political system responsible for governance.
Till four or five decades back i.e. till sometime after achieving independence the administrative services as well as all the aforesaid departments of the government were working reasonably well and efficiently.
The gradual influx of black sheep, so termed by the Vice President, is a result of continuing inefficiency caused by politician–mafia combine, which has brought matters to such a pass. Even education has not been spared and we are producing graduates without knowledge.
And consequently, the so-called engineers, doctors, scientists, technical experts, getting degrees from authorised universities, display mere elementary concept of the subjects taught without any depth of knowledge.
These half-read and inefficient professionals are flooding the society and accelerating inefficiency.
It has also to be noted that wherever the politician and mafia nexus is not pressurizing, the country has attained tremendous success such as in space research, atomic energy, Antarctica expedition, deep sea bed mining and armed forces etc. etc.
It is a well known factor that humans are generally the same. If the society is well organised, it takes out the best from them; if not, it has to face the worst.
The United States of America allowed average people from all over the world in the last one and a half century or so, but had a system by which they took out the best from them. In India we presently take the best calibre but have a system by which we take out the worst from them and that is the malady to be remedied urgently.
Hence, if the political leadership in the initial period of independence could take out the best from the hardened administrative machinery left out by the British, then why not the present political system devises ways and means for improving efficiency in all administrative agencies, be it for law and order or for the technical services.
The biggest utility service in India, employing the largest number of workers, the Railways are facing increasing deterioration for want of maintaining efficiency causing huge misery to large mass of people. The Vice President’s repeated concern shall be highly beneficial, if this sector’s woes are immediately looked into and remedied.