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Bureaucracy

‘Perfect’ Bureaucracy 

The Government can make decision-making transparent and make the bureaucracy responsible for the decisions taken by them, including decisions for not taking a decision. Another necessary reform could be streamlining the convoluted procedure to book delinquent officers, that makes action against bureaucrats virtually impossible. This would put the fear of God in bureaucrats, particularly lower-level functionaries, who are the first point of contact for citizens

Old elites’ losses have been PTI’s gains

A bridge not linked to any road gets one nowhere. Pakistan’s stagnant politics resembles one even if it is now in uncharted terrain, with huge turmoil upending old political patterns. However, big political transitions follow the deep societal change.

Bureaucracy Recast

After Independence, ministers with a vastly different set of values and perspective came to wield authority. Civil servants realised that circumspection rather than pure efficiency was needed to make things work. However, no one took the trouble to educate the electorate about the fine distinction between a political party and a government of that party. The result was a conflict between the bureaucracy and the political executive, who wanted to control all levers of power

Reforming Bureaucracy

A worthwhile goal of Mission Karmayogi is the re-definition of roles and activities of Government employees. Another welcome initiative is the re-drafting of SOPs for all departments, because, at present, through passage of time, there are a surfeit of often contradictory circulars and instructions.

Bureaucratised Society

The power of patronage, lack of accountability and corruption, which are the bane of bureaucracy, often inspire young men and women in India to join it. Additionally, the hierarchy in the Indian Government is such that the scientist, doctor, engineer and the technocrat all work under the bureaucrat

Need for recruitment reforms

Union Public Service Commission, responsible for the employment and selection of civil servants, must adopt a holistic system to judge intellectual, administrative, and behavioural characteristics of an individual.