Whispers Forum

The civil servants mostly retired or re-employed after superannuation, belonging to 1950's, 60's and 70's batches of the last millennium share the perception that there has been a downslide in the quality of civil services over the last several decades. The much hyped “steel frame of civil services", Patel's favourite expression, is losing its sheen. The steel frame is totally rusted and tin-twisted. Public remains the worst sufferer. What has gone wrong? Is the pattern of recruitment flawed? Selection, a number game. Cut off is vacancy-based. Weightage of interviews (PTs in UPSC parlance) is low. No minimum qualifying cut-off for PTs. It was prevalent when I wrote the IAS etc exam in 1971. In other words, an aspirant under existing dispensation, could still top the UPSC merit list despite low marks in PT. The general impression has been that intra- and inter- services animosity among organised services increased due to multi-layered hierarchy, based on inter se seniority. The issue became more pronounced in the elite services especially, the IAS and IPS. Are they public servants or masters? The veterans ( belonging to 1950's, 60's and 70's batches) share the perception of increasing deterioration in the quality of civil services. Corruption, it is believed by veterans, started increasing during the 1980s,of course in collusion with the corrupt, notorious politicians with little or no respect for bureaucracy and endowed with massive, vague discretionary powers. No transparency, no accountability. The present bureaucrats instead of imbibing the rare qualities of ICS, their distant cousins, discovered it more fruitful to be politically pliable for getting plush postings, protection from punishment for indulging in unethical practices. So, instead of squarely blaming the politicians,70% bureaucrats must also own the responsibility for poor governance. This is the view expressed by a senior IAS officer of 1960 vintage in his memoirs. I wrote the IAS etc examination in 1971. Things were quite different, then. Having served in UPSC at a critical position, I had tendered evidence to a high -powered committee in UPSC for reforms. I am not aware of what happened thereafter. But, corruption continues to grow with vengeance. The spineless, pliant bureaucrats and their political masters have vested interests in maintaining the status quo. Another shocker. While interacting with some veteran IAS officers( retired as States' Chief Secretaries and Addl Chief Secretaries), I found their main grievance was that they have no powers and that all powers vest with the IPS officers ,of course, with political support. Mutual admiration club! Addl chief secretaries enjoy more powers than their chief secretaries. Worse, SHO, SP, SSP enjoy huge powers due to close proximity with politicians. I say it with malice towards none. So,in ultimate analysis, the spineless, politically pliant, corrupt, ambitious bureaucrats and their political masters are responsible for poor performance of the State they are encadred with. DOP&T and UPSC are helpless in reforming the system. Decisions are taken without a consultative mechanism. Media is self-seeking. No option. We have to stoically learn to live with the system.
A K Saxena (A former civil servant)

Some UPSC toppers have been habitually uploading personal videos on You Tube, either in self praise of their beauty, pride in getting salutes from IPS, for name and fame. Some take pride in slapping their poor official juniors in full public view. As I write the column, the personal videos of the elite bureaucracy continue to get viral, attracting " viewers' likes" resulting in undeserved and unearned income. Arrogance, snobbery, conceit, deeply rooted in their psyche. For some reasons, officers in DOP&T, their incompetent seniors ,even ministers, turn a blind eye. Worse still, no one in the PMO bothers to inform PM Modi. There is an immediate need for psychiatric intervention for such wayward behaviour of bureaucrats. All at government cost for treating their mercurial temperament, especially the arrogance of the elite bureaucracy. One wonders to what extent the introduction of 360 degree performance appraisal, will help? Should the elites be addressed as civil servants, public servants or public masters ? Sevaks,sevadaars or Maliks? Is the recruitment process flawed or the training modules at LBSNAA and other dedicated training institutes? How could the DOP&T overlook the ongoing non-stop nonsense?
A K Saxena ( A former civil servant)

I can't add more to it on views expressed by Sandeep Shukla regarding recruitment scams in various states, unluckily political leaders who really create a womb to these scams to lay eggs of mountain money, walk Scot free, government servants who out of compulsion submit to verbal instructions of political leaders, suffer infinite. The only solution to this is exams online with a laid down standards & quality. The exam should not have any date, it should be a continued process, you score the required percentage and wait in queue for employment. It should be like GRE, GMAT, SATI SATII lines, no of chances be dispensed with, only age be defined for all posts. It should be uniformly applied in States and Centre, even for preliminary examination of civil service too be done on similar lines. Certainly it would improve quality and standards, provided, of course online exam is based on face recognition system. We need revolutionary reforms in recruitment.
Harish Kumar

INS Vikrant was part of the Indian Navy from 1961 to 1997 when it was phased out as it had outlived its normal life. Its process of scrap & research for Indian made started. RDSO Defence Ministry and Indian Navy made all out efforts to achieve this feat from 1997 to 2013. It took another one years from 2013 to 2022 to fully bring it into actual shape. Hats off to all involved and salutes to each team member. Mind it India has walked this wonderful journey in 75 years where all of us small elements of largest democracy as a voter contribute.
Harish Kumar

Information[h1] about loan sanctioned to PG Dyes & Chem which become NPA and about action under SARFAESI Act 2002 was sought. The Indian Overseas Bank submitted that it had come into their knowledge that the appellant had passed away few months back. Moreover, they had provided para-wise reply/information to the appellant. Moreover, PG Dyes & Chem was sold to the Asset Reconstruction Company, therefore, the relevant documents relating to the company were no longer under their custody and was under the custody of the ARC. The CIC observed that as informed by the respondent, the appellant had demised and no successor had impleaded in the matter. Moreover, appropriate reply having been given by the CPIO, there appears to be no public interest in prolonging the matter further.
Comments
Following the murders of some RTI Applicants which shook the country, the CIC had decided that no such RTI applications would abate on the death of the RTI Applicant.
Citation: C Arul Amuthan v. Indian Overseas Bank in Second Appeal No. CIC/IOVBK/A/2020/123471, Date of decision: 31.08.2022
Dr. Anuradha Verma (dranuradhaverma@yahoo.co.in) is an expert on RTI matters and has co-authored the books RIGHT TO INFORMATION - LAW AND PRACTICE and PIO’s guide to RTI. Apart from her weekly article here, her other articles can be read at the website of RTI Foundation of India at the link: www.rtifoundationofindia.com

The finance minister and the media are gloating over the news that India overtakes UK as the fifth largest economy. UK in size and population is perhaps the size of Tamil Nadu or Gujerath or Maharashtra. UK's economy should be compared with that of one of these states, not the entire India. India's per capita income is $2500 while UK's is $ 48000.
Raghavan
It appears like ‘Khayali Pulao’
We Indians keep reading in the media, both Hindi and English, of a Common Front to fight the 2024 General Elections. Currently it appears like ‘Khayali Pulao’ Everybody wants to be PM . That vaulting ambition is the sinkhole of Opposition Parties of India . It resembles the Black Hole of Calcutta. Democracy of India needs to flourish. A candidate needs to be groomed by the Opposition Parties who have a mass appeal and a clean background. Will our Regional Party leaders cobble up a name , acceptable India wide? A suggestion to the wise , choose a person untainted by the shenanigans of the political ambience - like say John F Kennedy , in the USA, in 1960. His background and grooming was exceptional, and that resulted in mass appeal to the people of America. Can we find a young Indian stalwart of that caliber? Then we will have a Opposition Leader to revive democracy in India as envisaged in our Constitution.
Devindra

Telangana CM K Chandrashekhar Rao and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar have expressed the possibility of opposition unity for a ‘BJP mukt bharat’. It’s true that in the present situation, it is very difficult to vanquish BJP unless the opposition parties unite. But opposition unity appears to be a far-fetched dream and the BJP leaders must be really laughing up their sleeves while KCR, Nitish express such a possibility. Unless a miracle happens, the opposition is most unlikely to unite. Did opposition unite during President, Vice president polls ? Who will be the leader of the united opposition ?
Neha Singh

The rising stars need not be the best performers. Many really dedicated officers are often quiet workers. They do their job honestly and efficiently but not many are aware because they are not good at or do not believe in publicity. They work and deliver out of conviction and a strong sense of duty towards the people they are meant to serve. e.g. a Collector for the people of his/her district. Education Secretary to improve the conditions and standards in the institutions in his charge, etc. They are silent workers. Very often the best.
B K Saha Ex-Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh