The proposed move to induct domain specialists from outside the government in various administrative posts hitherto reserved for all-India and central civil services is most welcome. It is a long-delayed reform of the now rusting bureaucratic structure which no previous government has had the courage to undertake. Yes, there have been a few hires at the advisory levels in earlier decades but these were exceptions rather than the rule. In the late 60s, one Manmohan Singh, who was then teaching economics at the Delhi School of Economics, was inducted as a deputy advisor in the Commerce Ministry.
His journey from there to prime ministership has been extraordinary and appears hard to emulate. In between, he was Finance Secretary, Governor, RBI, and held many more plum posts which most bureaucrats can only aspire to but are rarely able to hold. Singh was particularly blessed with an extraordinary luck. There were a few others brought into government from outside but these could be counted on fingertips. However, what the Modi Government now proposes is far-reaching and could impact the character and performance of the entire bureaucracy. Induction of outside talent into what has so far been practically a closed shop as far as civil services are concerned can be truly reformist.
Having cleared the entrance exam for all-India services through mugging or learning by rote, as is the norm in university exams — the entrants to the civil services are assured of life-long employment with all the attendant perks and post-retirement benefits, including handsome pension. In short, whatever little they might have learnt to pass the UPSC exam virtually becomes irrelevant, especially in an increasingly complex governmental delivery system. Nor are there any in-service tests of skills and fresh knowledge acquired in the intervening years. With time-bound promotions to higher ranks and guaranteed pay, a majority of bureaucrats cease to grow, following precedents, blocking innovation and are reluctant to accept and introduce new technology and advances in various fields of governance directly germane to the welfare of the people.
In this context, the entry of 400 domain experts from the private sector in mid-level deputy secretary and director-level positions will inject a measure of fresh air into the stale and stultifying corridors of babudom in New Delhi. An idea of how revolutionary this move can be for the bureaucratic system that has seen little reform or improvement in the last seven decades can be gauged from the fact that a civil servant is haphazardly moved from ministry to ministry without acquiring specialisation in any of the subjects handled by him. Someone in agriculture ministry in one year might find himself moved to industry next and culture or HRD next. This jack-of-all-trades-and-master-of-none syndrome afflicts over ninety percent of the babus from top to bottom.
The generalist versus specialist debate in administering the country might have been settled in favour of the former when India became independent, but now with the economy opening up, and growing at a decent clip, specialists ought to be privileged over jacks-of-all-trades. Therefore, it is this entry of domain experts into the government system that inspires confidence that at long last a purposeful administration could still be possible. In order to ensure that the lateral entrants from the private sector are not sucked into the ingrained babu culture of guaranteed employment without performance or ac countability, there should be no life-time security of service for them. Contractual, performance-linked tenures and promotions, as against time-bound for their permanent counterparts, will be another safeguard against their being trapped into the usual bureaucratic rut.
Of course, the sensibilities of the permanent civil service ought not to be hurt; nor should there be any disruption of the prevailing reservation process in jobs and promotions. The new entrants can make an impact on their permanent colleagues by sheer example, adopting and adapting newest innovations and technologies for various delivery systems. In the post-liberalised economy, the role of government in becoming an enabler rather than a doer — setting up mills and factories, hotels and telephone exchanges and airlines, etc., as in the socialist past — is bound to be crucial. Expertise in various facets of the new economy brought into government can prove to be a game-changer for a system which is notoriously callous and slow — and invariably unresponsive.
