The ailing Indian Bureaucratic System needs reforms to counter obstinacy and silence assumed by the officers.
Kannan Gopinathan, Former Indian Civil Servant, told The Hindu in October 2019 that, he was ‘more disturbed by the silence of good people than atrocities committed by the administration’. A few days after the abrogation of Article 370, Gopinathan resigned from the services as a mark of protest. This raises an important question: Why are Indian Bureaucrats silent?
The Civil Services Examination holds the responsibility of assessing these bureaucrats before they become one. To sail through, candidates must be well versed with subjects like polity, history, and geography, among others. Most of the candidates eventually get ‘manufactured’ in order to clear the examination, owing to a humongous syllabus. These candidates, therefore, have become word-perfect in Indian Polity and the holy book which is supposed to steer it, the Constitution of India. The Civil Servants of India have an innate responsibility of guarding the Constitution. But, silence is the weakest weapon in times of crisis. Except for Gopinathan, diplomats of India have assumed utter silence.
Historically, civil servants have been at one with the Government, owing to laws that prevent them from taking a stand. The Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964, clearly state that “no Government servant shall resort to or in any way abet any form of strike in connection with any matter pertaining to his service or that of any other government servant. It provides for disciplinary action.”
Silence is one thing, obstinacy is another. Civil servants are known to be inflexible and stubborn when it comes to ideological preferences. They tend not to alter their leanings, and history is a witness to that.
Harsh Mander, Former Civil Servant, who quit after 22 years in Service, told the Outlook India Magazine, “There are two factors that guide the bureaucracy: conscience and obedience. I’ve always believed one’s conscience has a higher value as obedience pushes you to fascism. Bureaucrats are servants of the people and not of the Government. How can one be faithful to partisanship especially when it is part of state policy? Bureaucrats enjoy a lot of power. It is in these moments their services are called to test.”
Harsh Mander protested against many laws enacted by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government. So did S. Sasikanth Senthil, a 2009 batch Karnataka cadre IAS officer, who resigned in 2019, when he felt that his fundamental Right to Expression was being hindered by being a part of the Bureaucratic System.
Their ability to dissent lies in resignation. The system is shaped in such a manner that there is no way for a people’s servant to exercise Freedom of Expression. Naresh Chandra Saxena’s book, What Ails The IAS And Why It Fails To Deliver: An Insider’s View explains why the Indian bureaucratic system is flawed.
Structural reforms in the system are required to counter the injustice faced by the officers. It is time for bureaucrats to speak up.
To most us, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) civil services may mean getting into the esteemed government jobs such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) or the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), but the UPSC offers much more. Here is a piece on exploration of the 24 services which the UPSC offers and all of them give a huge canvas to an individual to serve the nation and develop their personality.
Every Civil Services aspirant is given the option to fill up their ‘choice’ services in the order of their preference and on the basis of the rank secured by them in the exam, one of the services is allotted from their preferences. To work in the field of one’s liking is definitely important for both effectiveness of work done and for the individual hence, it is important to understand the various services for which recruitment is done through the Civil Services examination.
The services can be divided into groups based on the nature of job.
Administration: The job profile revolves around revenue administration amongst other issues of importance. The IAS offers a challenging job profile and the IAS officer plays the role of the change agent in the society. Many of the aspirants only want to be an IAS officer to ensure that they contribute to the people and the society at large. The other services in this group deal with a smaller canvas and a restricted area of administration. They are present in the Group B category and generally based on the vacancy position. The members of the Group B services are inducted after about 16 years into IAS. These include the ‘DANICS’- Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Civil Service and the Pondicherry Civil Service.
Policing and Security: The services under this group are involved in security of establishments, operation and policing for the general public. The IPS is a popular choice amongst aspirants due to the power the service offers to help people and to maintain a general law and order in the society. The other services in this group also are uniformed services. The Railway Police Service (RPF) is exclusively recruited police force for guarding the railway operations and properties. The other services are Group B police services in the union territories and after a time period of 16 years they get inducted as Group A in the IPS.
Diplomacy: This service is one of great importance as it allows officers represent India abroad and also deal with all diplomatic engagements of our country. It’s a premier service and considered very elite. One gets the opportunity to travel and learn new languages and adopt to new cultures.
Audit: The Indian Audit and Accounts Service (IA &AS) is very unique as the opportunity to be into the fields of both accounting and auditing. The posting takes place all over India and is considered very important. Since the officers are constitutionally endowed with independence, they audit the government income expenditure and policy. There are opportunities to be posted abroad as well.
Accounts and Finance: The Department of Posts and Telecom, Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of Defence have lot of independence and extended powers and hence their accounts and finances are dealt by separate Accounts and Finance officers as indicated and they are posted all over India. The other departments and ministries are handled by Civil Accounts Department and this service posts are available mostly in Delhi. Each of the accounts and finance service is headed by their own cadre chief and are existing as a separate vertical in their respective departments. The services under this category include the Indian Post and Telecommunication Accounts & Finance Service (IP&TAFS) and the Indian Defence Accounts Service(IDAS).
Service oriented Ministries and Departments: This refers to the postal services which are delivered and administered in India and abroad by the postal service officers.
Operations and Manufacturing: The operation of the Railways in all areas is done by IRTS (Indian Railway Traffic Service) officers. This is a very challenging job as decisions are taken and executed on real time basis. The ordinance factories which were established for supporting our country’s production of defence related equipments, arms and ammunitions is managed by this service.
Support Services: The recruitment in railways is very large and the management of the huge workforce is also a great responsibility which supports the operation activities and is thus held by the IRPS (Indian Railway Personnel Service) and the defence lands and estates are managed by IDES (Indian Defence Estates Service). The Headquarters of Army, Navy and Airforce require administrative support and this is given by the AFHQCS (Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service), which is a Group B service.
Media: This service, the IIS (Indian Information Service) manages the government owned media as well as government’s expenditure in media. The publicity of Government schemes is also done by the officers of this service.
Taxation: The collection of both direct and indirect taxes is monitored and executed by these two services and they have their offices all over India. This includes the Indian Revenue Service (IRS).
Trade and Legal: These services are basically economic services focusing on trade and law. This includes the “Indian Trade Service” (ITS) and the “Indian Corporate Law Service (ICLS).
Further to the above grouping based on the nature of work there is another classification based on the level of entry. There exists two classification as Group A services (19) and Group B services(5). All the above 24 services have the common examination and all the officers after completion of the period of service in the respective service can be impaneled in the Centre by the Department of Personnel and Training for holding the Director, the Joint Secretary, the Additional Secretary and Secretary posts in various Departments and Ministries of the Central Government.
Services like IAS and IPS are cadre based services and are allotted for specific states and union territories. Rest of all are based on the availability of offices of their respective service posts in the country. Hence, the civil service aspirant should fill up their preferences after understanding the nature of the services and their liking to the nature of the job profile.
I distinctly remember when I entered grade 8 of school, coaching institutes were wooing their potential candidates, lecturing children as young as 12 and 13 on ‘success’ and how one achieves success by cracking an ABC entrance exam after which they gets a nice ‘package’ and settle in life. It was all aversive to me, how people would pay so much to sit in a cramped classroom where mock tests decided your self worth.
What I saw was very obvious to me, but it wasn’t to my fellow schoolmates who did decide to sign up for coaching. My parents’ anxiety loomed each day as I continued to refuse coaching classes. I get where my parents’ anxiety comes from. It is indeed very hard to get a respectable, good earning job in this country without stomping on thousands of others, including your peers. ‘Cutthroat competition’ although a buzzword today, quite effectively describes the situation.
This anxiety is omnipresent and coaching institutes, vicious enough in their business strategies decide to tap these anxieties to squeeze out money from the masses. A lot of those include people from poor backgrounds, without means to access proper education who only seek a better life after investing hard earned life savings.
Coaching institutes which boast of guiding students to gain the top ranks in exams seek to reduce the individuals to their most marketable essence. The totality of their existence is judged by the decimal digits that follow 99 and they are confined to their passport sized photos on a large banner along with their All India Ranking (Much to everyone’s suspicion, all the toppers seem to be associated with all the coaching institutes)
Coaching culture is so widespread and accepted that most of actually consider it a basic necessity in getting an education. That explains the sorry state out higher education system is in, where school and college teachers wouldn’t ever give a damn about a student’s further studies.
When I learnt that earning money is not just the end motive but the soul motive of coaching centres, I refused to acknowledge their credibility. Why do I hear about people who crack Civil Service exams, only to quit their jobs after a few months to teach a class where they earn in lakhs? Why do IIT graduates, instead of giving back to the government that invests so much in them, vow to make you the next IITian?
Education in India is not a transmission of knowledge but actually a very strategic trade. Coaching institutes are seemingly the throne bearers of this trade.
The moment a person decides to prepare for IAS, whether being the result of impetuous passion, careful persuasion, or a new formed excitement to ‘try their luck’, he/she is also well aware of the fact that they are now in the race of the largest, toughest and the most demanding competition in the entire world. Yet, at that moment, nothing seems to strike a chord with much intensity. It’s only after a few days, when the real fever sets in and the symptoms of a classic IAS aspirant begin to show
Here are a few common problems and their cures:-
1. I-have-already-achieved-something Syndrome: The mention of preparing for civil service examination has an unusual reaction on people. In the awe of such lofty goal, it gets you both extremely appreciative reactions from friends and relatives, so much so that it already makes you stand on a pedestal. This makes you slightly over-confident and proud.
Cure: It is imperative to understand that these increasing dialogues are also forming a bridge to an ocean of expectations which will soon leave you burdensome with pressure. The same relatives who are now showering you with praises will also be the ones on the lookout of the result dates much before you, yourself. So keep your focus steady and be your own critic and your own teacher. Do not spoil yourself with others’ comments. Be your own constant source of encouragement and motivation from the beginning to the end.
2. Chasing the wrong side of the same dream: Keep your eyes on the prize? We agree. But when the list of the rewards only contain red-beaconed white ambassadors, king-sized houses with gardens, and being treated like royalty, then these dreams are only worth spending a few seconds or minutes on, and not to be “guided” with.
Cure: Concentrate on the real sense achievement of becoming a civil servant, which only includes your contributions for the country. Think of all the changes you can make with the powers you’ll gain, instead of the feeling you’ll get with being saluted by others. Think of how proud you’ll feel when you’ll get a chance to represent your own country and its rich heritage, instead of being fascinated by the shopping sprees and around-the-world tours. Instead of the materialistic pursuit, reflect on the satisfaction for the service of your nation and its people.
3. Live-in relationship with insomnia: “Neend ko maaro goli. Sirf padhai pe dhyaan do beta.” is a routinely dialogue, which soon becomes music to the ears of every civil service candidate. After acknowledging the incredibly large syllabus that UPSC has gladly gifted to all its aspirants, not only sleep, but even a few extra minutes spent on eating food or talking to someone on the phone appears to be a sinful waste of time; and why not? For a syllabus as vast and comprehensive as this, it would easily take an eternity to fully finish all the topics of all the given subjects.
Cure: Relax. You don’t need to become a zombie and sacrifice all of your personal time with others. Study hard but not so vigorously that it ends up affecting your health. Don’t get flustered by the amount of material that needs to be studied. Nobody can prepare all and everything. In the end, it’s all about how ‘well’ you have studied, and not ‘how much’. So manage your time correctly to each and every subject, and give your hundred percent to each topic you study, every time. Make every minute count. Don’t study for the sake of studying, to crack the exam. Instead, study to gain new knowledge with tons of curiosity and interest.
4. The jack-ass of all trades and master of none: “Arrey, Mr.Sharma ka beta vahan se coaching leta hai, toh tum kahin aur se kaise?” “In books pe time waste kyun kar rahe ho? Maine jo books boli pehle woh padhke dekho.”- This is where the most confident ones also start sweating under the rays of uncertainty and soon get drowned in the sea of doubts. “Am I doing it the right way? Am I doing it from the right place?” An even worse problem is when even the smartest ones are unable to separate genuine wisdom from verbal toilet paper. Thus, leading to a state of profound perplexity, which if not treated on time can also result in a chronic state.
Cure: Early diagnosis is the best cure. Don’t ignore. Be on a lookout for all the signs/symptoms of wrong medication (also known as, advice). If you’re not feeling comfortable with the prescribed books or new study techniques, change them. Don’t be hesitant or embarrassed to speak out. Not everyone is you, and that is your power. It’s you who should decide what’s best for you and your capabilities. Stick to what you know and what you feel good studying with. It’s your journey, not theirs. Not every advice, freely available to you is right. So take your time to analyze what you can really do before believing all the advice given to you.
5. The fear of missing out (FOMO) Preparing for civil services not only brings about a change in one’s attitude, but also a gradual change in one’s lifestyle. Now this may not seem like a problem at first. But when you see your friends catching up on the latest blockbuster movie or attending a great party, while you’re at home reading about Prithviraj-Jaichand’s legacies or find yourself with bundles of topics in NCERT books yet to be covered, you are bound to feel a little envious. You start to feel cut-off from your friends or the world outside, and feel stuck in your web of responsibilities. Very soon, you start feeling exhausted and become greedy for a change. While some remain unaffected, for others, it becomes a huge problem.
Cure: With some being masters in the art of self control, others find it a little difficult to decline exciting invitations for outings, or don’t mind whiling away a little more time in just ‘chilling’ with others or alone. They feel that they can make up for all the lost time, but then that time never really comes. It is very easy for someone to resolve that they will do it, but very few have the ability to stick to it. It all depends on one’s mental strength to understand what is right and wrong at the deciding point of time and stick to their commitment. Without mental strength, your mind will start making excuses and you will end up putting off all the work that you must do. You need to distance yourself from everyone and everything that you feel are the main cause of your distraction. Realize the true importance of your goals- what made you decide to do this in the first place, and is wasting time on anything else worthy of it? Would you prefer a moment of satisfaction or a lifetime of happiness? This is what it all finally comes down to.
In October 1949, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, in his speech to the members of the Constituent Assembly, said “You will not have a united India if you do not have a good All-India Service which has an independence to speak out its mind.” Ever since then, civil services have known to play a crucial role in all the administrative systems of the state, with its persistent influence affecting all the citizens, in some way or another. Today, as a result, millions of ambitious students aspire to make their voices heard, and are determined to create a difference in the society by contributing towards the betterment of the Indian governance system in whichever way they can, and as much as possible.
Although mostly considered as a ‘dream career’, the road to success to this safe haven is anything but a dream ride. It does not only require a significant show of talent, intelligence and ambition to get it, but also an enormous amount of passion, dedication and perseverance to make it (Or break it!) for a career which is just as challenging and attractive in the beginning, as it is rewarding and satisfying in the end.
The aspirants of Indian civil services thus, favor the top three services such as IAS, IPS and IFS for which UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) conducts an exam for recruitment. These services are much sought after due to their recognition of being bestowed with great power to bring about societal development, and encompassed by all means one can ever aspire for such as prestige, status, honor, salary amount, job security, foreign tours, etc.
However, every now and then, speculations abound and one reels under confusion. Thus, in an attempt to remove this uncertainty of whether or not to choose civil service as a career, following is a brief comparison between the 3 main kinds of services and why each of them should ever be considered by different kinds of people.
Being an IAS officer, one is entrusted with the responsibility of administering laws of the land, development schemes and each and every affair of the district. They are the policy makers and executors of all final decisions of the state. This service also provides them with an opportunity to work in a tremendous variety of fields such as social sector, security, law and order, agriculture, finance, etc. Thus, this service is best suited for aspirants who like working in different spheres and love interacting with all kinds of people, as compared to those who are limited in their area of work and get satisfied by excelling in one particular field only.
However, the job’s routine is pretty unpredictable. Along with long durations of travel postings, one also always needs to be on his/her toes in the times of any unforeseen circumstances. Therefore, intellectually sharp people with a tough and reflexive attitude would make for some great IAS officers.
Being an IPS officer, one is entrusted with the authority to look after some of the most essential issues of the state such as public safety and security, law and order, traffic control, crime detection and prevention, etc. IPS officers can also go on to work with many central police organizations or head intelligence agencies such as CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) or CID (Crime Investigation Department) to solve crime investigations, provide security for VIPs or tackle counter-terrorism.
In the wake of increasing terrorist threats, criminal attacks and trafficking, a job of an IPS officer may seem like the most dangerous one of all. However, after solving an unpredictable case or serving justice to the wrong doers, the satisfaction brought to their soul is unmatched to any other feeling in the world, and worth all the efforts and dangers put in to complete their job. Therefore, those who are incredibly goal oriented, intellectually stimulating, can think ‘outside the box’ and possess a burning desire to serve the people of the society in the best possible way, will be the ones considered for this type of career.
As an IFS officer, one deals with all the external affairs of the country that involve framing and implementation of foreign policies, and issues related to diplomacy, trade and inter-cultural relations. An IFS officer spends most of his/her time abroad (almost two-third of his/her entire career) and only one third of career in India to serve at the headquarters of the Ministry of External Affairs. IFS officers get to chose three places of their choice out of the number of vacant posts circulated, and are also allowed to take their parents abroad with them.
By being given a full opportunity to travel the world, embrace new cultures and enjoy life to the fullest, the job of an IFS officer may actually turn out to be tons more exciting and life-changing than it sounds. However, it is both equally strenuous and time constraining as well, therefore highlighting the qualities of being extremely punctual and responsible with all the work, and giving more than hundred percent in every task. Therefore, this proves to be the most difficult and performance-oriented career out of all the three services, and if one feels confident and strong willed enough to handle it, then they should definitely go for it.
Nevertheless, one also needs to be extremely fluent in English-both spoken and written, for IFS officers are always required to handle lots of delegations from various countries, and therefore constantly involve having easily understandable communications between people of different embassies of the world.
Therefore, this was our selective take on the top 3 services (IAS, IPS, IFS) of civil services. We hope that we could do some justice with the content and your expectation setting. For more information on how to start preparing for Civil Services while juggling college, then, we suggest you to start with theCivilsdaily’s Android App to get a daily dose of IAS-Exam specific newsfeeds to build on your current affairs, and any further help in the future. Good luck!
In what comes across as an extremely astonishing episode, the website of St. Stephen’s College has on display some rather unusual content. Apparently, a link on the website titled ‘Sacrilege on St Stephen’s College’ has a footage which captures an alumnus of the College flashing the middle finger towards the CCTV camera.
Reportedly, on October 13, Saturday, a group of six alumni, led by Amitabh Pande and Ashish Munna Joshi, came to the College to donate money to the owners of the Rohtas dhaba, recently barred from selling rolls. While strolling on the premises, Pande, in full view of the students, flashed the middle finger towards the CCTV camera installed in the corridor of the Dining Hall.
While Pande, an IAS officer, claimed that the gesture was a sign of protest against the existing culture of terror and that he was shocked to note the presence of CCTV camera outside the Dining Hall, the College Principal Dr. Valson Thampu perceives it as an insult directed towards the institution.
In fact, a note by him accompanying the footage said, “It is a spectacle too disgusting for the eyes of anyone who feels for the College. Even so, after mature reflection, I have decided to post it on the College website, so that all of us can reckon the execrable extent to which some have sunk in their inveterate hatred to the College.”
While talking to DU Beat, Tarinee Awasthi, student of the College, said, “ I think that while the form may have been a tad immature, the issues the alumni were protesting against are somewhat justified. I fail to comprehend the need for CCTV cameras in the College. In fact, it translates into a prison-like surveillance and insistence on unthinking discipline.”
She further added, “By following this sort of practice, it is being assumed that all students are delinquents and must be monitored. Honestly, it is a little offending to be treated as such.”
Another student, who didn’t wish to be named, said, “Even though the causes of protest were valid, they shouldn’t have stooped down to such a level. By doing something like this, you are indirectly posing a question on the values you have imbued from the institution. There are more learned ways to voice one’s opinion. A quintessential Stephanian will never sink to this level. It’s utter shame and nothing else.”
In what comes across as an extremely astonishing episode, the website of St. Stephen’s College has on display some rather unusual content. Apparently, a link on the website titled ‘Sacrilege on St Stephen’s College’ has a footage which captures an alumnus of the College flashing the middle finger towards the CCTV camera.
Reportedly, on October 13, Saturday, a group of six alumni, led by Amitabh Pande and Ashish Munna Joshi, came to the College to donate money to the owners of the Rohtas dhaba, recently barred from selling rolls. While strolling on the premises, Pande, in full view of the students, flashed the middle finger towards the CCTV camera installed in the corridor of the Dining Hall.
While Pande, an IAS officer, claimed that the gesture was a sign of protest against the existing culture of terror and that he was shocked to note the presence of CCTV camera outside the Dining Hall, the College Principal Dr. Valson Thampu perceives it as an insult directed towards the institution.
In fact, a note by him accompanying the footage said, “It is a spectacle too disgusting for the eyes of anyone who feels for the College. Even so, after mature reflection, I have decided to post it on the College website, so that all of us can reckon the execrable extent to which some have sunk in their inveterate hatred to the College.”
While talking to DU Beat, Tarinee Awasthi, student of the College, said, “ I think that while the form may have been a tad immature, the issues the alumni were protesting against are somewhat justified. I fail to comprehend the need for CCTV cameras in the College. In fact, it translates into a prison-like surveillance and insistence on unthinking discipline.”
She further added, “By following this sort of practice, it is being assumed that all students are delinquents and must be monitored. Honestly, it is a little offending to be treated as such.”
Another student, who didn’t wish to be named, said, “Even though the causes of protest were valid, they shouldn’t have stooped down to such a level. By doing something like this, you are indirectly posing a question on the values you have imbued from the institution. There are more learned ways to voice one’s opinion. A quintessential Stephanian will never sink to this level. It’s utter shame and nothing else.”
Here’s the link to the video:http://www.ststephens.edu/SACRILEGE.htmVatsal Verma[email protected]
Image credits: Additi Seth
]]>
