Whispers Forum

DEBATE(1)
The induction of non-All India Officers as Joint Secretary in Government of India should not act as a deterrent to the officers of All India Service. Secretaries and subordinates should extend cooperation to the newly appointed Joint Secretaries on later entry mode instead of making an issue of ego.
A Upadhayay
Admiral Bimal Verma should have approached Supreme Court
Admiral Bimal Verma should have directly moved the petition in Supreme Court citing urgency. His petition should have also pleased stay on taking over by next CNS
Ashok Pandey
Efforts to get temple land in Abu Dhabi over 20 years old
I am sorry I beg to disagree. Indian community, our Ambassadors and MEA mandarins had been trying to get a temple land in Abu Dhabi for the last more than 20 years. Please do not spread spread rumours my dear friend. Diplomacy and Government is a continued process. BJP stalwarts are in the habit of Hyping all trivial issues without doing anything.
Harish Kumar
Modi to get more seats than 2014
Modi is going to get more seats than he did in 2014.
Vijay Kumar

DEBATE (1)
It’s a good move of the Government. Why should there be monopoly of the IAS ?.
Dr Manoj Mathur
CSS has given wrong picture about CSSS
Brig. Hoashiar Singh has commented on Sr.PPS generally. but I differ from his views as they are Dy. Secretary level and they should be utilised effectively rather than commenting in a bad taste. He is doing so, I believe, CSS has given a wrong picture about CSSS. See in tandem,, everybody is doing a great job. In every service 10% will never work, be it in public or private sector. Officers should also respect the cadre and utilize effectively
Seth
Congratulations
Congratulations to Dilip Padhye on his promotion to HAG. I hope, you will make notable contribution to ever changing telecom sector.
A K Verma, ISS (Retd.)

DEBATE (1)
I support lateral entry in services. If a Person of a specialised field is appointed Joint Secretary, it will be beneficial to the country.
G S Mathur (DG) (Retd)
IC could have played more effective role
The Information Commission could have played a more effective role if certain powers for grievance redressal in respect of "information" were given to it. Without such powers, its effectiveness is greatly reduced. It should be give enough power to initiate penal proceedings for incorrect record maintenance and also for systemic denial of information.
P Shankaran
Why is govt delaying ?
Why govt is delaying to give OGAS and NFFU to CAPFs ? It is already given by the Supreme Court of India and Del high court.
Mahesh Nath

DEBATE (1)
JS LATERAL ENTRY SCHEME 2019- Thanks to PM Modi for his innovative scheme to induct Professionals/ Domain Specialists laterally in Govt of India at JS level. Why are British legacy ias so jealous and furious about this professional para-trooping scheme. After all The same UPSC selected these professionals who selected ias. Crying now is to doubt the integrity of UPSC. If a bright and younger NHPC officer has been selected as JS by UPSC why are ias frowning? Why didn't they feel pain of professionals (Doctors Engineers serving in Govt of India and recruited through All India Exams IMS and IES inducted by UPSC) who were senior in batch but were forced to work under a much Junior IAS of JS level due to skewed JS empanelment policy which favours IAS only. My suggestions to PM Modi: 1. Scrap automatic JS AS Secretary level empanelment based on batch year. 2. Let an yearly advertisement be made by UPSC calling for appointment of Group A Govt officers of ALL organised services to the posts of JS, AS, Secretary with minimum criteria being number of years of Group A service rendered in Govt and initial recruitment being made through All India Open "competitive exam" (i.e. excluding officers recruited through limited "recruitment tests/interview"). 2. High APAR grading are normally based on inter personal relations with superior and if superior is corrupt and junior refuses to be a part of corruption gang, then he will get bad remarks in ACR irrespective of the fact that he is really meritorious and a specialist. Hence APAR grading should no be eligibility criteria. 3. There should be a written test for testing analytical ability followed by a rigorous interview by UPSC board consisting of non-IAS officers, private professionals and a psychologist. 4. Tenure of selected officers should be 5 years.
Bharat
“I don’t miss whispers’ political news” !
I open whispers in the corridors daily not to miss my favorite whispers political news.
V K Gupta
Nasim Zaidi quits Jet Airways Board
This fellow should not have joined Jet. An over rated guy.
Ashok Menon

DEBATE (1)
Getting so many outsiders as joint Secretaries through lateral entry is not a good idea.It deprives the direct recruits of career promotion opportunities by filling so many posts by those who have not gone through the rigours of Civil Services Exam and intensive training in LBSNAA and in the field to learn the ropes of Administration. How these nine persons selected now are real specialists as they do not seem to have worked in their respective field for which they are chosen. No details about their qualifications have been given barring a perfunctory information on the basis of which one cannot make out how much specialisation they have in the field they have been chosen for. How does a person working in FAO become a specialist in Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare ? Similarly, how a person running a business in the field of wind energy becomes a specialist in all aspects of Non-Renewable energy. A civil servant though a Generalist does acquire specialisation when working in a particular field for a number of years. The arrangement of having outsiders occupying such senior level posts would definitely create relationsip problems between juniors and seniors which ,apart from lack of motivation is not conducive to good governance.
Any way only time will tell whether this experiment will lead to any improvement in governance. On the face of it this fiddling with the civil services at this level appears to be a disturbing proposition. Getting well groomed specialists with impeccable credentials at Secretary level as in the past is another matter. Persons like Manmohan Singh, MS Swaminathan and a few others showed their worth and usefulness when inducted in Government Of India at that level. They were the real specialists in their respective fields. In any case we should not call these recruits as Lateral IAS or LIAS as one Prof who bragged about his being the author of this proposal by including it in BJP manifesto for 2014 election calls them as per his article in The Economic Times of today(22.4.2019) which I just happened to read. How this academician is an expert on administration and what gives him an authority to add this new service to the list of services we already have. The problem is that we pick up suggestion from casual sources without examining the pros and cons.
Aarti Khosla
No one is above criticism
It is surprising that several IPS officers have criticised Sadhvi Pragya for being critical of Karkare. Are they saying that he is above criticism because he got an award ! Where was their concern when some CBI officers, Verma et al had harassed and tortured Mani of MHA and Rajendra Kumar, a fellow police officer in Ishrat Jahan case! Our PM has given an apt reply to those who criticise her for being made a candidate , while on bail! Well the game of these elements of criticising the NDA on any ground, and turning a blind eye or having selective amnesia to the atrocities of UPA, is exposed as people have now seen through their game and these elements have absolutely no credibility. Next they will perhaps criticise the EC for having transferred some IPS officers in Bengal? The ECI was recently criticised by a bunch of bureaucrats, who feel that they still run the show, and have not reconciled to the fact that their days of patronage are over. I am sure we will get to see their impotent rage, on a whole lot of ther issues till the elections are over. Afteral they have to ingratiate themselves to their former masters, lest they be left out if their former masters come back to power, howsover remote and distant it may look.
S Chatterjee
Eight former DGP’s condemn Pragya’s remark
Bold gesture. They would do better to insist on EC taking serious action against the lady.
Paarth

DEBATE (1)
Instead of lateral entry, government should go for retirement age at 58 years instead of 60 at present straightaway. Also fix responsibility for efficiency, say like posts for Sr.PPS and PPS which has been increased recently after cadre restructure, i.e. they main responsibility should be that they have got to be in office before their officer come and leave only after their officer leave office. Apart from this the train given to them by DoPT like presentation, taking verbatim of meetings(important) should be performed by them. Important dictations should be given to them by their officers. Recenlty, they are simply doin supervisor work and leaving these important works to their subordinates like Steno and PA or PS. And they also leave office around 6 PM except very few.. At present the work which they are doing can be easily performed by a DEO recruited from outside. Also it would better to revert back to 6-day week that was existing until 1985, i.e. 10.15 am to 5.15 pm with second saturday only being holiday.
Brig Hoshiar Singh (Retd)
IAS Association also condemns statement on late Hemant Karkare
The Associations need to do something concrete against the candidate and not be satisfied with a a disapproval.
Paarth
Is there any decorum left
Fielding of Sadhvi Pragya as a Lok Sabha candidate from Bhopal is the last nail in the coffin of decent electoral practices. Only goal matters. Means can be any. After what she said of Hemant Karkare who was killed by terrorists on 26/11, she does not deserve to be an M.P. what with all her background of yet not being cleared of the Malegaon case. But then who cares. Election Commission has called for her statement as if they could not hear it in TV. Punishment if at all will be 'ban on campaigning for 12 hrs' or may be 48 hrs. Is that enough ?
Aarti Khosla
Why are IAS and IPS officers Association selective ?
IAS and IPS officers Association has condemn the statement of Sadhvi Pragya on Hemant Karkare but they did not even bother to notice the rubbish statement of Azam Khan that after his win in election he will ask officers to clean his shoes. The silence of both Association indicates that they are ready to clean.
Chetan Naira

Information regarding the action taken report on a representation addressed to the Chief Engineer, CPWD, copy of note sheets of the proceedings, copy of enquiry report, if any conducted along with the certified copy of report etc. was denied to the appellant under section 8(1) (h) of the RTI Act. The CIC directed the CPWD to furnish a copy of the enquiry report to the Appellant within 15 days of the receipt of the order.
Comments
The limited scope of examination by the CIC is whether the information sought for by the respondent was provided to him; if the same was denied, whether such denial was justified; whether any punitive action was required to be taken against the concerned PIO; and whether any directions under Section 19(8) were warranted. The CIC is not a body for grievance redressal.
Citation: Ms. Mithila Rai v. CPIO and Chief Executive Engineer and Vigilance Unit, CPWD in Second Appeal No.:- CIC/CPWEH/A/2017/116001-BJ + CIC/CPWEH/A/2017/147342-BJ, Date of Decision: 08.02.2019
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. Her other articles can be read at the website of RTI Foundation of India at the link: http://www.rtifoundationofindia.com/

DEBATE (1)
Bringing experts from outside domain of Civil services are not new and the previous inductees have proved their worth. An IAS may feel let down and chances of ego clash is also not ruled out but why to take all the decisions taken out of the box be treated in negative perspectives only. An IAS is treated as "Master of all trade" because he/she proves his worth at entry level and get selected from lakhs of aspirants but definitely lack the trick when technical skill is more important than administrative skill. In present case selected 9 have been brought from different field and going to add new dimensions to the thought process. Having read background of some of them, it is certain that they have been getting remuneration far more than what they will get as JS which proves that they are committed too. In my opinion, a very good move and moreover they are only nine among probably hundreds of Joint Secretaries in GoI or in states.
V K Pandey
BBB wants to be allowed to assess performance of PSB WTDs
Performance of all bank employees should be linked with the financial performance of the bank. The salary of every employee ie even the peon of a branch should have a fixed component and performance linked ie profit of their branch/Region/Zone. This will lead to better customer service and every employee striving to make their branch attract more customers, deposits and other businesses leading to more business per employye
COL Ashok Kumar Pandey
Non- IAS officers not allowed to join Chintan Shivir ?
Look at your own site- its dominated by news of IAS officers. Clearly that is the reality today- merit counts only once - at the time of the civil services exam.
Suhas Joshi

DEBATE (2)
If they can work under politician (minister) ,then why not under these officers. At least new officers can deliver their best based on earlier experience and compel others to do so.
Tez
Veteran officers want retired Lt Gen rank officers as Addl Secys in MoD ?
I differ. Most of them have restricted knowledge matter that is purely military.
Ashok Kumar Pandey
Karnataka cadre IAS officer suspended arbitrarily
This appears to have been an arbitrary decision by the ECI. Justifiable reasons for this action appears to be absent since the Circular relied on by the ECI does not specify any such condition. How does his attempt to search the craft / vehicle illegal?? So much for transparency & level playing field.
Tridiv

DEBATE (1)
I reckon that an infusion of highly qualified specialists is required to meet the desired objectives in the Government. Induction of Joint Secretaries from non-AIS on lateral entry mode into Government will help the country in taking right decision instead of monotonous regularities.
Sunil Kumar
“ Good Governance : The Mission Impossible in India ”
The Good Governance Day is celebrated every year in India on December 25 to mark the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The day was established by the Union Government in 2014 to honour him by fostering awareness about the importance of Accountability in government .But, impressions are out-of-sync with ground realities.It sounds all very fine. But, due to lack of political will, persistent manipulation of pliant bureaucracy and deep nexus with builders-criminals mafia, this will remain a pipe dream in India for years to come. Caught in a Chakravyuh. A vicious circle. Wheels within wheels. Let us analyse further and have a closer look.
Pursuing Good governance will always remain a weak link in our search for equity, economic upliftment and political stability in the country. Corruption is India’s enemy number One. All pervasive, impacting all departments of life including Judiciary. Ironically, The CBI and the CVC have been wasting considerable time in seeking prosecution sanctions from competent authorities in respect of delinquent civil servants of the level of Joint Secretaries and above. But, without success.
As per the latest media report, the CVC and the CBI are awaiting sanctions for prosecuting 79 corrupt central government officers including an IAS officer, for over four months from different oganisations. Of these, nine cased are pending with the Ministry of Personnel, the nodal department for anti-corruption matters besides eight pending with UP government. Further, four cases involving 13 bankers are pending with the State Bank of India, Canara Bank, Corporation Bank and IDBI. Besides these, three cases involving corrupt officers are pending with Union territories, two each with the ministries of Defence, Food and Supply, Health and Family Welfare and Urban Development, among others.
As per prescribed rules, sanction for prosecution has to be decided within four-month time. The above cases are pending sanction of prosecution for more than four months. Shameful indeed.
What message is sought to be conveyed to the public-at-large.
Why are the Centre and State governments averse to granting prosecution sanctions for punishing the delinquent civil servants ?. Reasons are not far to seek.Fear of letting the political class exposed.
Worse still, the administrative ministries pay little or no attention to complaints received by them. Actionable complaints are being abruptly closed without carrying out verification. While,the potentially corrupt officers are getting protected, the innocents are being harassed.
Several departmental CVOs are under cloud. The CVC is a toothless tiger, eager to be over-ruled by the departmental heads.Sadly, while the bad governance is the norm in India, good governance is a rarity.
Whom to blame for the prevalent mess? Obviously, the outcome of cumulative failures of successive political dispensations during the past seventy years. To put it more bluntly, the laidback and opportunistic bureaucracy in collusion with the political Executive.
Public institutions with large public interfaces, fail to perform public duties and manage public funds honestly. Decision-making is slow; implementation still slower. Consultation with stake-holders is absent. Public needs receive tertiary importance. Accountability is altogether missing.
Against this backdrop, one wonders, how far hiring professionals from the private sector into government stream ( by way of lateral entry) will provide solutions to all ills ?
Let us carry out the reality-check to the notion of Good governance in the country in term of certain essential elements.
Transparency : People can question the authorities,only when there is transparency. it should be for the welfare of the people. There should not be any hidden motives of the govt. Transparency means that the criteria, process of decision-making are all kept in the public domain for scrutiny and questioning by the public. Right To Information Act set the stage for transparency in the functioning of the government and its various agencies. Access to information from a public agency is now the statutory right of every citizen. The general complaint is that the system of government in India is so impervious that ordinary people do not have idea about how decisions are taken and how public funds are utilized. The RTI Act is a window for greater transparency about the manner of functioning of public agencies. But, it faces road blocks. For instance, the political parties and the Judiciary are exempted from sharing information with the inquisitive public under the Act.
Honesty and Integrity : The Government is expected to be be honest and ethical in its functioning.Only an honest and hard working Government can bring about Good governance.
Responsiveness: Public servants should heed to the complaints and feedback of the governed in a timely responsive manner. Delay of justice is as good as denial of justice.
Equity and Inclusiveness: This is to ensure that all members of society without discrimination from the grass root levels are taken into consideration in policy formulation. Everybody should be included in Society and nobody should be alienated from it.
Accessibility: The public servants should be accessible to the public. This keeps them attached to grassroots and their problems. It helps in getting feedback from the aggrieved about unethical practices prevailing in the services providing departments.
Effectiveness and Efficiency: More efficient and effective ,the system of governance, easier it would be for the public to participate in the government - steered schemes.
Accountability : Public servants must be held accountable for their wrong actions and misconducts. In all government bodies, vertical accountability is the norm. Answerability to the designated boss in the departmental hierarchy has to be ensured. All government systems and agencies have elaborate practices and procedures for such upward reporting in performance of designated tasks within the time and available budget resources . Besides the upward vertical accountability, all government agencies have systems of horizontal accountability to ensure checks and balances.Every one is under watch by the peers and even subordinates.
Rule of Law : Good Governance must ensure equality among the citizens and Rule of Law to the Authority. The doctrine of “ Be you ever so high, the Law is always above you “, is the rule. Every one is subservient to Law.
Welfare of minorities: The public servants are required to strive for the protection and betterment of minorities along with the majority.
Women empowerment : Policies must be formulated to ensure empowerment of women
Environment friendly : Environment is an area that is impossible to ignore due to recent calamities across the world attributed to climate change.
Decentalization : This is imperative in the effective implementation of policies.
E- governance: This is considered extremely important for good governance by bringing transparency into the system.
To conclude, compliance of the above requirement is considered the sine qua non for ensuring Good governance and human rights in a liberal democracy like India.
The governance movement will encounter several roadblocks. Poor governance is being increasingly regarded as the root causes of all corrupt practices in society. Every liberal democracy is wasting national exchequer on a massive scale for mitigating corrupt practices. But, the outcome has been elusive. Introducing the concept of Integrity Pacts in public contracting is an innovative step that has started giving dividends. Giving excessive discretionary powers in the hands of official machinery especially at the lower echelons needs drastic curtailment. Their misuse is playing havoc with the aggrieved public that visit government offices, agencies, local bodies, police, lower judiciary etc for redressal of grievances.
All attributed to absence of transparency and accountability. The system is flawed and deficient. I wish the new Government –in- power after the general elections 2019 or a new avtaar of present dispensation, address these concerns on priority for improving the quality of life of Indian citizens.
A K Saxena ( A former civil servant)