Aligning admn system with changing times

As the D day for the 7th pay commission report comes closer, there is a competitive scramble by various All India Services and Central services to claim a larger share of the expected benefits.

Each service is trying to justify its claim on the basis of its performance, accompanying risks, indispensability, parity and various other grounds.

The IAS is trying to defend its numero uno position while other services are trying to prove they are no less and hence deserve equal treatment.

This is a spectacle repeated every ten years and once the show closes, some gloat over what they have managed to corner while others lick their wounds and bide their time till the next Pay Commission.

What is lost in the process is a genuine opportunity to examine the changes that have taken place in the environment and align our administrative system to the current challenges.

We have three All India Services and a host of central services. A cursory enquiry at the IPS, IFS and other central service’s academies reveals that most of the trainees are focused on preparing for the next Civil Service exams to get into the IAS or another service perceived to be better than their current one instead of taking interest in their training.

This state of affairs clearly points out that the present perceived hierarchical structure of the services and accompanying benefits is creating a herd mentality towards so called “better prospects” rather than matching the applicant’s profile and skills to the jobs on offer.

Why this craze for the IAS in particular and AIS in general? Sardar Patel retained the AIS, as he felt that they were needed to safeguard the unity and integrity of the young nation and were expected to be the glue between the centre and the states. They have fulfilled this role admirably.

However, the world is not what it was in 1947. Fundamental changes are taking place all around us. Challenges have grown manifold due to rapid economic growth, urbanisation, technology, rising awareness and aspirations, environmental degradation, local sentiment among others.

The response time to adapt to these changes is much shorter than it used to be. As instruments of public service, civil servants have to be ready to manage such change. Are they up to it?

The answer is a clear No. On the other hand, the general perception is that they resist change and want to retain and enhance their privileges and prospects.

By restricting the debate to service entitlements and pay related issues only, we end up actually crowding out wider and more important issues.

To start with, the country needs more specialist inputs in key positions to overcome the various challenges it faces on multiple fronts.

EACH SERVICE IS TRYING TO JUSTIFY ITS CLAIM ON THE BASIS OF ITS PERFORMANCE, ACCOMPANYING RISKS, INDISPENSABILITY ETC

These specialists can be nurtured in house or sourced from outside. But they need an enabling environment.

This environment can be created by considering the following measures:

The number of officers being recruited to the All India Services needs to be restricted to minimum needed in line with the original mandate and the district management needs.

The share of state services in the AIS may be raised to 50% as is in Jammu and Kashmir from the present 33% in line with the federal polity of the nation.

The state services can be given 50% representation in the AIS to cater to local aspirations and bring in more local connect. This will also lead to more attrition at middle ranks and result in a pyramid structure as against the current top heavy one.

The challenge is to find a fine balance between the desire to retain the AIS and simultaneously create more space for specialists and state services, to unleash competition within the government to begin with.

In the long run, 50% of all executive level positions in central and state secretariats can be reserved for specialists. These specialists can be sourced in house or from outside according to need.

At present, the system is heavily weighted against specialists and various barriers are in place to keep them confined to their functional silos.

What this does to esprit d’ corps and administrative efficiency need not be belaboured. These barriers need to be dismantled and a level playing ground based on merit and fitness for the job created so that the nation gets the best administrative machinery it deserves.

With t he expansion of government in independent India, the demand for officers to man these positions rose. To cope with the increasing demand, more and more All India Service officers have been recruited.

As a result the brand equity of the AIS stands diluted and law of diminishing returns is catching up quickly.

The country has grown in confidence since 1947 and our administrative philosophy does not have to be as conservative as in 1947.

A fresh look at our administrative philosophy and practices every ten years through the instrument of the Pay Commission can help us to align our administration with the changing times.

(The author is a serving IPS officer of UP cadre.) VIEWS OF THE WRITER ARE PERSONAL.