In the era of globalisation, the role of the state has become multi-dimensional as the needs and aspirations of the people are increasing with every passing day. To deliver the services effectively and efficiently the government has started to rely more and more upon the Indian civil services.
The Indian civil services since the British era has been the steel frame of the administration. Attracting the best of the talents through an all India level merit based examination, the civil servants were imparted with specialised knowledge and training to ensure quality and uniform administration throughout the country. It is the steel frame because the foundation of the building called as Government hangs upon it , like a body on a skeleton. Ensuring uniform administration across the country, form Kashmir to Kanniyakumari, and from Gujrat to Arunachal Pradesh, the steel frame has ensured the unity and integrity of a country full of diversities.
However, the systemic and systematic rigidities in this steel frame has seldom given scope for expression of creativity and innovation. Bound by strict rules and regulations, hierarchy etc the Indian civil services has become a steel cage that deprives the freedom of the civil servants at one hand and the freedom of the citizens at the other.
The British had laid the foundation of the civil services with the sole motive of performing regulatory functions- Law and order maintenance and Revenue generation. The ulterior motive was to carry on the British rule in India for as long as possible, if not, forever. This philosophy of the British was ensured by keeping the Indians at the periphery of administration by setting up rules and regulations, code of conduct etc. the Indian civil servants were bound in a steel cage.
The training imparted to the civil servants tried to make civil servants Indian only in appearance but British in all the other characteristics. The civil servants were provided with the best of the training facilities and through initiation and by interaction the colonial attitude was slowly inculcated in the trainees. This colonial attitude made the civil servants consider themselves as masters and made them become aloof and disconnected from the people. This disconnect ensured that the Indian civil servants don’t extend support to the nationalist expression of the people. This colonial attitude is still clings on to the bureaucracy like a shell on a snails back.
The steel cage of colonial attitude kept the Indian civil servants aloof from the common public injecting in them a sense of elitism. This attitude ensured that there was high levels of secrecy in the functioning of the bureaucracy and the citizens were kept at the periphery of government. This colonial attitude made sure that the people are treated as subjects to be governed and not as citizens to be empowered. This attitude today makes the Indian civil services treat the common public as outside beneficiaries of governance rather than as equal partners in the process.
The steel frame set up by the British was an instrument that could be relied upon by the colonial masters. With the Indian civil services in place the control over India was firmly established, as it became an effective instrument through which exploitation of the country can be carried out. This steel frame had allowed for the continuation of the British rule despite the non-cooperation of the Indians in general.
In the 1940’s one of the prime reasons that had prompted the British to grant freedom to Indians was the fact that the army and the bureaucracy, that formed the steel frame of empire could no longer be relied upon. If the cooperation of the Indian civil servants allowed for the continuation of the British rule in India, then their non cooperation made sure the discontinuation of the same rule.
Following Independence, Sardar Vallabai Patel made a strong case for retaining the Indian civil services intact as felt it was required for the stability and continuity of India. He equivocally argued for the steel frame was require for the foundation of a new, strong and democratic independent India. Taking into account the high calibre and expertise of the civil servants the Indian civil services apart from the usual regulatory functions was entrusted with the functions of developmental administration as well. This new role envisaged for the civil services was in sync with the democratic governments goal for welfare maximisation of the citizens.
The developmental administration function of the Indian Civil services was a complete failure which was evident from the failure to successfully implement reforms like the land reforms. The civil servants bound by the steel cage of rules and regulations, hierarchy etc had given more important to implementing rules and regulations rather that to welfare maximisation. The rules and regulations were a means to achieve desired ends but the bureaucracy, due to its obsession with rules and regulations has made implementation of rules and regulations as an end in itself, resulting in goal displacement.
The other steel cage of the Bureaucracy - Colonial attitude separated the citizens and the bureaucracy. This steel cage separated the two sections so much that the policies and the programs implemented by the bureaucracy was completely different from the needs of the people at the ground level. This steel cage till date keeps the Citizens at the periphery of the government.
The existence of this steel cage is evident from the high levels of secrecy in government, lack of accountably mechanisms. Absence of grievance redressal mechanisms, lack of public participation and high levels of discretionary powers in the hands of the officials.
The steel cage due to the existence of hierarchy has resulted in red Tapism, causing time and cost overruns, economically affecting the growth of the country. For example, Pollaaram dam was envisaged long time ago, the bureaucratic hurdles had resulted in such amounts of cost over runs that that the cost of the project was five times the original cost by the time the construction work started.
This steel cage that bids the Indian Civil services has resulted in status-quoism, where the civil servants has started to resist any kind of reform. For example, In 1991, new economic policy was announced, the Indian Civil servants were entrusted with the responsibility to attract foreign direct investments (FDI) into the country. The Bureaucracy bound by the steel cage of rules and regulations failed to provide a conducive environment in this regard. This is evident from the continued dismal ranking of our country in the Ease of Doing Business report by World Bank.
There has been a lot of inertia Among the civil servants to adapt themselves to new citizen centric administrative reforms like Right to Information act, Citizens charter, Social Audit etc. The steel cage of the Indian civil services blinds the bureaucracy to realise the importance of citizen empowerment in the fast changing world.
Even the 2nd Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC), had commented that the 21st century India is being governed by 19th century laws. Laws like official secrets act 1923, Indian evidence act 1872, Indian Police act 1861 to name a few are telling of the anachronism that our country suffered from. This has been a major hurdle in dismantling the steel cage of Indian civil services.
The recent move of the government (2017) to repeal around 1800 old statutes and the intention expressed to repeal another 1200 is a positive step in freeing the bureaucracy from their steel cage,
The rights based approach of the government with an intention to empower citizens, though initially resisted, is not being acknowledged by the bureaucracy. The move towards e-governance, RTI, citizens charge, social audit etc has enhanced the transparency and the accountability of the Indian Civil services. With an increase in the participation of the civil society organisations in the process of governance, the steel cage that had been a major impediment to civil service activism is being dismantled.
The increased role of private sector and the reduced role of the public sector enterprises is yet another factor contributing to the withering of the steel cage of the bureaucracy and a release to the stranglehold of bureaucracy on the economic mobility of the country.
Given the changes that had taken place since the introduction of the Indian civil services till the 21st century, the steel frame of the Indian Civil services has he’d the country intact and facilitated development in multiple spheres. With increasing role of private sector, NGOs, and people themselves, the steel cage of the Indian civil services is being steadily dismantled. The increased focus on sensitivity training has further hastened this process .
Come what may, the Indian civil services has always been and will always be the steel frame upon which the entire structure of Indian government firmly stands. It is true that the steel cage aspects is still visible but like a beautiful butterfly that emerges from a cocoon, the ongoing civil services reforms will enable the Indian civil services to shed its iron cage. The role of civil services is changing everyday, but its importance is everlasting!
