14 highlights
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For all practical purposes, however, such changes havenât gone beyond what one may call the de-Stephanisation of bureaucracy in the post-liberalisation as well as post-Mandal period.
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Thatâs not to say that demographic composition of bureaucracy hasnât changed in the intervening decades.
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What didnât change was the hegemonic grip of generalistsâthatâs what IAS is mostly constituted ofâon positions and assignments that need the expertise of specialists.
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Besides the turf-saving conservatism of governmental bureaucracy, what has been holding the political class back from taking reformist measures is the attendant political risk of being unpopular with a section of the population.
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Any talk of expertise and professional scrutiny for higher appointments is expected to be unpopular, not only with serving officers but also with those aspiring to join after clearing the recruitment examination.
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Also, any whiff of attracting talent from outside the formal bureaucratic apparatus gives them a chance to raise the alarm about privatisation of public services. At the heart of it is also the fear of being deprived their exclusive claim on being called government officers in a country trapped in state-ordained arbiters of social recognition.
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Itâs a type of third-world malady, perhaps rooted in what Hamza Alvi called âoverdeveloped stateâ.
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First, if the system of lateral entryâor any reform in bureaucracyâis taken to its logical conclusion, it will outlast the current government.
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Even considering political motives, the question that conspiracy theorists in the opposition need to answer is: have the opposition parties conceded defeat in eternity?
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If expert studies, research and observations have been asking for reforms for so long, why canât that be the motive for change in its own right?
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Second, the flawed assumption of the BJP government not already having their pick of secretaries has led to the argument that the non-examination route would politicise the bureaucracy.
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At the end of the day, neutrality and integrity in civil services are individual attributes; itâs not product of an examination system.
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In August 2005, the UPA government constituted the Second ARC with Veerappa Moily, former chief minister of Karnataka. This was only the second such body set up post-Independence, the first being set up as long ago as in 1966.
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Agastya would be surprised that how Indians are talking about aptitude and talent while screening their bureaucrats. What, however, wouldnât surprise him is that the core of Indian job-seekerâs story remains the same â trying different things and hope something clicks.