Answer

The Indian Civil Services, envisioned as the ‘steel frame’ by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, form the foundation of India’s administrative machinery. Established during British rule, it was designed to ensure neutrality and efficiency in governance. Despite its historical significance, challenges like adapting to modern complexities and maintaining institutional integrity call for urgent reforms to meet evolving demands.

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Role of India’s ‘Steel Frame’ and Its Modern Challenges

Role of India’s Steel Frame

• Significance of IAS in governance: The IAS has been pivotal in policy formulation, implementation, and maintaining administrative continuity since Independence, despite evolving governance complexities.
  For example: The Green Revolution was facilitated by efficient bureaucratic planning and execution, ensuring food security in the 1970s.
• Nation-Building Legacy: Post-Independence, the IAS helped shape India’s governance framework, balancing decentralised democracy with a unified administrative structure.
  For example: The IAS played a pivotal role in managing post-Independence migration and the rehabilitation of refugees.
• Independent Administrative Functions: The IAS has maintained administrative independence from political parties, essential for unbiased decision-making and public service delivery.
  For example: IAS officers in the Election Commission have ensured free and fair elections, despite external political pressures.

Modern challenges

• Politicisation undermining effectiveness: Frequent political interference in transfers, promotions, and postings hampers officer autonomy, reducing morale and professional efficiency.
  For example: The frequent transfer of bureaucrats like Ashok Khemka highlights the negative impact of political influence on governance efficiency.
• Lack of specialisation: Generalist training of IAS officers limits their ability to adapt to specialised roles, creating inefficiencies in addressing complex policy challenges.
  For example: The delay in implementing healthcare reforms in India highlights the absence of domain experts in senior health-related roles.
• Corruption weakening the system: Systemic corruption erodes trust in governance and creates inefficiencies in public service delivery, affecting long-term development outcomes.
  For example: The Coal Allocation Scam revealed bureaucratic inefficiencies and corruption in critical natural resource management.

Need for Administrative Reforms in Light of Lateral Entry and Resistance to Change

• Infusing domain expertise: Lateral entry introduces specialists into policymaking roles, addressing the limitations of generalist IAS officers in technical and complex sectors.
  For example: Appointment of experts like Parameswaran Iyer to sanitation projects improved policy execution under the Swachh Bharat Mission.
• Breaking monopolies: Reducing IAS dominance in senior positions promotes healthy competition and innovation, enhancing overall governance efficiency.
  For example: Only 33% of Joint Secretaries now belong to the IAS, compared to near-total dominance a decade ago.
• Political resistance: Political pressure often stalls reforms, leading to inconsistencies in implementing lateral entry policies.
• Resistance from within: The entrenched seniority system fosters opposition to lateral entry, with fears of reduced morale and disrupted career progression.
• Enhancing policy adaptability: Lateral entry ensures adaptability to dynamic global challenges, bringing fresh perspectives from private and international sectors.
  For example: Economists like Raghuram Rajan significantly impacted financial reforms as external advisors to the government.

Balanced Approach for Modernising Bureaucracy

• Performance-based promotions: Tie promotions to measurable outcomes rather than seniority, promoting accountability and incentivizing excellence within the bureaucracy.
  For example: Adoption of performance-linked incentives in some state-level projects has enhanced bureaucratic efficiency.
• Safeguarding autonomy: Establish mechanisms to protect officers from politically motivated transfers and interference, ensuring a focus on public service.
  For example: The proposed Civil Services Standards, Performance, and Accountability Bill 2010 aimed to address arbitrary transfers but remains unimplemented.
• Blending lateral and vertical growth: Introduce a hybrid system combining lateral entry with capacity building for IAS officers to develop domain expertise.
  For example: Collaborative projects between IAS officers and domain experts in the Smart Cities Mission have shown effective results.
• Promoting specialisation: Invest in sector-specific training for officers, enabling them to adapt to technical challenges in governance.
  For example: The Mid-Career Training Programme (MCTP) for IAS officers has shown potential in enhancing specialisation.
• Ensuring inclusivity: Design lateral entry processes that include reservation provisions, ensuring representation of marginalized groups.
  For example: Incorporating quotas in lateral recruitment advertisements can address concerns of exclusion.

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Modernizing India’s bureaucracy requires lateral entry for expertise, merit-based promotions, ethical governance training, and initiatives like Mission Karmayogi for capacity building and collaboration. Balancing reforms with institutional memory, promoting accountability through transparency, and leveraging technology can create an agile, efficient, and citizen-centric administrative framework to address 21st-century challenges effectively.

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