TAME & TRAIN Bureaucrats

Yes, Tame first and then Train. For, they have become incompetent to perform what was/is expected of and entrusted to them. Times, they have a changed. Hangover of ole colonial methods be burnt & buried. Such bossing has done more harm than good. At village level and upward the saabs are sahibs, transformed to Sir or Sirji in developed areas; Sarre in polite mallu! Dress code, manners, office attendance/schedule et al found wanting, such contagion spreading downwards. Corruption, malfeasance, pocketing… less aired the better.

With no disrespect, babudom a respectable word, is a realm in itself. Addressings aside, if respects have been lost due to non-deliveries, delaying and obstruction, time to restructure: totally. Whence brilliant-wise intellectuals used to prefer? Sadly tutorials are training for entrance tests! Forget South-North divide; that’s cultural. Pray, how to tame?

Pre-empt first, apologies, I mean; lest contempt be foisted; frankly, coaxed to compile this one. No ill-will meant, but for sure calling for drastic changes, dumping oldies of yore. Yes, I have interacted and worked closely with some stalwarts -now in 90s, and ineffective too.
Published pieces by them itself in the media, frankly have often aired shortcomings!!

Political leanings an issue. Nothing wrong, each can and should have freedom, but that shouldn’t fuse the system -derailing, sabotaging or promoting and pushing. Certainly, it is the elected to decide and the executive to execute. The big Q is: do they, time bound? Cost overruns common due to delays and results also belatedly, displeasing public. Cheers to our External Minister from `Service Cadre’. Cheers to CM/Party leader ex IIT and IRS Cadre too.

How tame? Discipline. Punish. Political system is cleaning up slowly; itself! RAW, ED, etc at it. Politicians themselves exposing their cadre! Minister convicted and banned from legislature! MP barred for taking money for raising questions in Parliament. So much more in pipelines. MPs removed from Parliament for causing ruckus and preventing process. Evictions from quarters provided as people’s representatives. All for good & better; not better or worse!

Start with training. Revamp the system and process. A tax specialist practising in SC after addressing IAS trainees in askance, said ‘save the system, if these are in IRS’. Mindsets he was astounding about with interjection, that they will throttle than improve. Brain washing? Yes, indeed, called for! For there is no other way. Convert them to facilitators and prompt service providers to the citizens that need be guided with empathy and confidence; not governed!

Yes, I have had feedback and suggestions. To please parents, a batchmate mariner qualified as IAS, joined service, left due to threats/dangers, piloted ships in port and migrated to turn entrepreneur. Improvements brought in by promoting a Captain to head ports -after he had won case against DGS in SC- were negated/reversed. A Master Mariner posted in service was sidelined-pushed out. Apparently Logistics Secy’s role wasn’t stomached by all else! Or was it lack of chamchagiri? Turf wars? We ain’t seen nothing yet! Amongst IAS, IRS, IFS, ICS, all!

Gandhigiri fair enough. But non-cooperation, disobedience and nonviolence are the triplets well imbued by the system and its slaves. No wonder Bapuji had a sad end, though fasting never betrayed him. Enough excuses; let’s get them get on with their responsibilities, jobs, tasks…whichever, delegated or whatever, time bound, answerable and result oriented. Nothing new herein in management funda. Send them for refresher courses quickly to learn (new idioms), unlearn (bad ethos), relearn (citizen focus) and practise right away.

Train properly before posting in any sector that requires specialised knowledge. Law and its implications and enforcement a must for all segments, anyway. Restrict transfer between Services. Do away with extensions and transfers to posts of convenience and location. Post service, juicy postings must be totally abolished. Moving to private or even public sector must be curtailed as they are invariably to extract benefits for favours done. Kith and kin in Services? Will turn nepotic and be in cahoots. Distance from politics/politicians. Such nexus has time and again cornered power & pelf, and all that goes with them.

Yes, the elected make policies and are dependent on the system. As in ‘Yes Minister’, pitfalls are many for novices as the coterie at the crux leak out, enriching many a backers; juniors having to kowtow the uncanny system to stay in line, get promoted, posted or kicked with punishment transfers and what not.

Taken that the cadres live in scare and fear of ED, CVC, CBI, CEC, RAW and in house spies and turn coats too. That’s risk of any profession and no excuse for under performance. If so, resign and move on: better opportunities aplenty elsewhere.

In closing, a 1000 apologies to those who may be upset, squirming. It is risk of tongue in cheek journalism with linguistic calisthenics. Enjoy wordology gymnastics. I am always open to correction. Sincerely Amen.

Marex Media