Is India's steel frame rusting?

It is well known that Iron man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel considered Indian Civil Services (the bureaucracy) as the ‘steel frame’ and firmly advocated its continuance to strengthen the fledgling nation in its infancy years. Over the decades since Independence, doubts are often expressed in many quarters whether the steel frame is still as strong or has it become rusty and weak.

Several important developments have happened in India in its journey since it became a constitutional republic. The real power has come to be consolidated, as it should happen in a democracy, in the hands of the elected executive, both at the Centre and states. The judiciary became more entrenched in its role of a conscience keeper and a disciplinarian to correct any deviant behaviour by any of the organs of the state. The press, both electronic and print media, assumed and asserted its role of the fourth estate more strongly than before.

So unlike the bureaucracy in the earlier decades since independence, the civil service today faces complex challenges and operates in a very different milieu. As the role of the state keeps on expanding into newer areas, the bureaucrat too ventures into various fields, hitherto uncharted.

The first major change is in the profile and attitudes of the citizens. Indians have become quite demanding and assertive of their rights. Various pressure groups, civil society, and certain provisions like the RTI Act, have made the civil servant much more exposed and interactive with the people than before. Unrest, whether agrarian, caste, communal or ethnic, is a major challenge the civil servant has to deal with.

As the economy becomes bigger, the economic issues are on top of the agenda of governance.

The bureaucrat has to show empathy towards the most marginalised sections of the society. The administration is becoming more complex and expertise-oriented.

The civil servant of today has to deal with more experts and consultants than before. Newer areas like information technology, urban infrastructure, ports, telecom, environmental issues and so many new subjects require a different administrative system to manage. Massive investments in these areas in the PPP mode also require different set of ground rules than before. The most conspicuous difference is the way a civil servant is under constant public scrutiny of TV news channels, print media, judiciary, and various other statutory agencies like the Parliamentary committees, the Audit and the Vigilance authorities. Any citizen can now ask a civil servant any information. The civil servant was never under so much of observation before.

The current civil servant has to be a thinker, a planner with some vision and a team leader who is well connected as well. He has to be media savvy, and be able to coordinate well with the political bosses. He also needs to be in tune with the changing times. The present role and the expectations from a civil servant are certainly very different from the 1960s.