In the Covid-19 crisis, the bureaucrats are being attacked verbally and physically in some parts of the country.
Everyone wants the state to step-up, bail out, yet not be intrusive.
How is the bureaucracy performing?
India’s bureaucracy has delivered the world’s biggest lockdown fairly effectively, without any playbook to learn from.
This gave India time to prepare better.
Our health systems have coped and every single arm of the government has risen up to the occasion admirably.
But, the handling of the migrants could have been done much better, despite their unpredictable decision to go home in droves.
This well-implemented lockdown ensured India has one of the lowest fatality rates in the world (<3%) and good recovery rates (49%).
Why the bureaucracy is accused?
As per the Constitution, the permanent executive is expected to carry out every lawful directive of the political executive.
But, when the bureaucracy does this, it is blamed for it.
Indeed, there are overenthusiastic bureaucrats who want to be more loyal than the king, and make some regulations to cover their own backs.
After all, one cannot be fired for being overcautious, but only maybe for super-performance.
Thus, behaviour is as per incentives facing the civil servants.
Bureaucracy is accused of becoming a clarifications ministry or opens itself up to allegations of allowing unwanted discretion and abuse.
These clarifications should be seen as a responsive bureaucracy willing to learn from rapidly shifting ground realities and nuancing rules.
If we abolish bureaucracy, there is a question about who will design and implement policy and advise elected leaders.
What could be reforms made?
Contract - Coming to reforms in the IAS, lifetime contracts in employment are not found almost anywhere in the world.
India should after, say, 15 years allow officers to continue only through 5-year performance contracts or let go with a golden handshake.
Lateral entry - The government must open up 15% of joint secretary and above appointments by lateral entry.
But, this should be only through the UPSC to ensure proper scrutiny and professionalism in intake.
Competition is always good, and a revolving door in and out of government helps all sectors understand each other better - it shouldn’t be one way only.
What could India do?
In this current fight against an invisible enemy, contact tracing and enhanced health infrastructure are expected of every government.
India should start spending in employing contact tracers.
The governments need to know some basic data of citizens to identify, track and deliver food, cash, care.
Every major corporate worth its salt in India today has a social media command centre, with granular data of their clients.
Banks and hospitals have important citizens’ records.
They could allow their government to use it with some safeguards.
What is the conclusion?
For the first time in India, the government has sent home numerous officers for corruption and incompetence.
This needs to be lauded.
The best livelihood antidote for Covid-19 is a strong economy.
A control-freak bureaucracy is more dangerous than the virus itself.
However, some interventions will be intrusive - so be it in these unprecedented times.
India should take a slightly more generous view of bureaucracy and the government, which are working in tough ecosystem and yet delivering.
They should try to understand the average officer’s experiences and constraints and thereafter nudge him to explore better methods.
