A fertile mind is a prerequisite for those running governments; something that Jawaharlal Nehru as first prime minister won wholesome praise for. Yet, the systems that Nehru set in motion at the start of Independence are ageing; and the wear and tear is palpable if not spectacularly visible too. The Indian administrative system was largely, if not exclusively, modelled on the British Raj. It served the nation well, overall, evident also in the fact that India recorded steady growth in all sectors, unlike in Pakistan where the reverse is evident. Change is the only constant it is said. In this context, a significant step introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his first term to facilitate lateral entry in the bureaucracy, from the private sector etc., needs to be appreciated. So far, nearly 40 specialists with expertise in various sectors have been inducted into the top echelons of central government services. Adding to this, the Cabinet Committee on Appointments has cleared the induction of 25 more such worthies in ranks of Joint Secretary etc. This should help the nation immensely in creative governance.
The bureaucracy of course resisted this change in 2018 when the first set of appointments was made. They sought to create an impression that the sky would fall on Delhi. But there is widespread appreciation at the ministry levels for the way expertise came in. What bureaucrats have is administrative experience. This has its merits. The handling of emerging fields, several of them technical in nature or even commercial, demands a different mental equipping. New ideas, new approaches to tackle issues, would build on the administrative experience of the bureaucracy. Significantly, the private sector has more success stories than the public sector. Most PSUs are ailing, not necessarily because the bureaucrats that headed these were incompetent but more because of the hand-holding by politicians in their functioning. In a democracy, such a role for politicians cannot be wished away. However, the same problems might arise with the functioning of directly recruited experts in various departments. On the positive side, such indulgences might reduce, mostly, these experts directly report to the ministers or even to the PM.
India’s problem in emerging as a super power, despite its huge human resource potential of 140 crore, is the way merit is sidelined in the functioning of every governmental entity. Nepotism has held this country hamstrung and often takes the upper hand in the government sector. The present sets of experts for the lateral entry are selected by the UPSC. Rather, it would be well-advised that the PMO itself executes this task, if only to avoid chances of favouritism by vested interests. For India to grow incrementally merit must get its due recognition across various sectors of governance.
