Amidst all the outrage over corruption, one entity that has not caught much of the attention in the public debates is the bureaucracy, esp. the higher bureaucracy. Considered as the ‘Steel Frame’ during the British Raj, Bureaucracy was ‘predicted’ to be inadequate for the newly independent India until Sardar Patel vocally supported it. Since then, many Committees and Commissions have given recommendations that have tried to uproot the bureaucracy from its status quo-ist inclination. The two Commissions viz. First Administrative Reforms Commission (FARC) and Second Administrative Reforms Commission (SARC) are worth mentioning as they dealt with comprehensive analysis and restructuring of the administration.
In one of the reports of SARC – ‘Refurbishing of Personnel Administration – Scaling new heights’, there is a suggestion of a new type of recruitment procedure for the civil services. The Report talks about two proposals – Post School recruitment system and Post-school grooming for Public services. The essence of both the suggestions is that administrators be recruited at a young age by putting the age limit of 21 to 25 years with usual relaxations for reserved candidates. The main reasons given are:
1. At a young age, the mind is open and receptive to values of public service whereas at a late age the mindset is already entrenched and the person is set in his views.
2. Recruiting at a young age would allow the candidate to reach higher levels of Bureaucracy where he can give his vital inputs towards policy formulation (given his expertise and experience developed all throughout his career) and hence it would lead to better realization of his potential.
The Arguments given for the above proposals are commendable but there are few notes of dissent before such a step is considered.
Firstly, the report assumes that the special institutes i.e., National Institutes of Public Administration (NIPA) and other selected institutes, that are being proposed to be established would be successful in creating the ‘ethos’ and skills desired of a public servant which will guarantee a successful career in the civil services. Practical experience says that our education system has failed to deliver be it on the grounds of inadequate policies or ineffective implementation. If that is the case, what is the guarantee that the NIPAs would be qualitatively so much better than any other institutes, infact even than the IITs and IIMs (which are few of the institutions that are recognized globally). Many critics also argue that ‘ethos’ is not something that develops in 3-4 years i.e., the time when the person is in NIPA. Early childhood has a greater role to play in the grooming of an individual. So structuring a vibrant education system should be the priority of policy makers and implementers.
Secondly, it can also be ‘inferred’ that recruiting at a younger age also gives a chance to the system to mould the malleable candidates as per the needs of the system. But it must also be understood that the system, presently, is craving for reforms. Many former bureaucrats and academicians have talked about not only an entire overhaul of the archaic laws but also of the entire system- be it political, economic or administrative. There is a fear that a person under the garb of diseased parts of the system may become a ‘Yes Man’ who may hesitate to give his dissent on the issues which go against the larger interest of the society. Often analysts talk about the degrading ethical moral levels of the society (refer the recent judgment of Supreme Court on the Euthanasia case) and the competitive politics being played in the country which often looks for short term interests. In this case, there is a fear that bureaucracy, over a period of time, may be hijacked by the very status quo-ist system, maneuvering the bureaucracy as per its own interests.
Thirdly, when the maturity factor is taken into consideration, not many of the people attain maturity (quite a subjective term) at a young age, perhaps at around 21 years when the person is just out of his college. Maturity is generally defined with respect to the social interactions a person has. Administration is one such profession where the decisions you take have larger implications for the society and moreover the person starts taking these value laden decisions the moment he comes onto the field. In the present system, many of the candidates joining civil services have a working experience in different organizations which greatly helps them when they become a part of the esteemed civil services.
Fourthly, as far the present criteria is concerned, it is already having a three-layer check (Preliminary, Mains and Personal Interview) which can look for the desired ethos in the candidates and with the major changes already done in the syllabus and the pattern of the examination, in the form of civil services aptitude test and nature of questions asked, the examination is beginning to inch closer to the new challenges and values required of an administrator.
Fifthly, when the Union Public Service Commission has already moved towards an aptitude test (aptitude being defined as a combination of characteristics indicative of an individual’s capacity to acquire, with training, some specific knowledge or skill or a set of organized responses)the crux of which is that the candidate must have the administrative aptitude so that he can keep himself flexible all the times and mould himself as per the dynamic environment he finds himself in, the assumption of older students not easily accepting new values may not arise.
Sixthly, regarding the assumption that older candidates may not be able to reach higher levels, where their potential, experience and expertise can be better realized for policy making, may also have a solution. From other recommendations of SARC, it has been highlighted that merit system be promoted and a closer scrutiny on performance should be the norm. If this is so, a meritorious candidate regardless of his age would be able to reach any level. This will be a win-win situation both for the government and the candidate.
From the above arguments, it should not be deciphered that the recommendations of SARC are not justified. These reports are infact a gold mine of suggestions. But before going for any piecemeal changes, systemic reforms should be introduced so that if and when a person enters the system, these ethos and values become a source of inspiration not only for the administrators but for many who feel bureaucracy is one such institution which has stood the test of time.
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http://www.wisdomblow.com/?p=2343
