Social Media and Civil Servants: Publicity or Public Service?

Context:

• This article is based on an Editorial “From officers to stars — how IAS instagrammers are turning into social media ‘celebrities” which was published in the Print.  Civil servants are usually behind-the-scenes operators, but the new generation of IAS officers is highly active on social media platforms like Instagram. Some seniors warn that ‘fame-seeking’ is a bad idea.

High Following

• Influence: The aura of achievement and influence, and the glimpses they provide into the rarefied corridors/offices of power.
  • IAS officers represent genuine social service and achievement.
• Characteristic: The IAS symbolizes merit and hard work and these are timeless values that will always draw respect from society.

Social Media as an Important Tool

• Connecting with people to share updates about government schemes and flagship programmes.
• Share about upcoming national events.
• A channel of communication.
• During Covid, social media was a boon as people could directly contact for help.

Significant Examples of Impactful Initiatives

• Prem Prakash Meena: He launched ‘Nyay Aapke Dwar’ campaign in Uttar Pradesh to solve people’s problems at the earliest. Under this campaign, he goes to the spot conducts on-site inspections, and disposes of the matter.
• Swapnil Tembe: Through his Project STAR (School Transformation by Augmenting Resources), he pooled in and improved the condition of the Meghalayan schools in the district with whatever resources were available.

Raising Concerns

• Violation of Principles: Some believe that some of the content shared by IAS instagrammers is excessively publicity-seeking, and violates the ‘principles’ of the civil services.
• Attention Seekers: Some IAS instagrammers are blurring the boundaries between communicating with the public and trying to attract personal fame.
  • Rather than bureaucratic, most of them have pictures of food, fashion, dogs, religious activities, etc.
  • As per former Chief Election Commissioner of India Dr. S.Y. Quraishi: There is a fine line between being a charismatic public official who is liked by the public and constantly seeking attention.
• Long -Term Repercussions: Using social media for self-propagation and personal benefit will not hold them in good stead in the long run and will not be favorable for their careers.

The Path Ahead

• Selfless Serving: As per Dr S.Y. Quraishi, selflessly serving the community without trying to seek fame and personal recognition is a basic characteristic of a civil servant, and trying to gain publicity is not a good practice and cannot be encouraged.
• Official Name Handling: For communication and information dissemination, the account could be named by the DM of the respective Region despite personal names.
• Practice Value of Anonymity: Anonymity has long been a feature of Indian bureaucracy.
  • It is the value and practice where the ministers respond to Parliament and the public for government decisions without naming the public officials who provided advice or carried out the administrative action.
• Need for Guidelines: There is a need for amendment in Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964 to include required and sufficient provisions with regulations to social media.
  • There is a need for regulations to prevent potential misuse of social media, preserving the integrity of executive power, and preventing authoritarian tendencies.

Conclusion:

In the age of social media, civil servants can use platforms like Instagram to share their work and connect with the public, but they need to be cautious not to prioritize personal fame over public service, striking a balance to maintain the integrity of their role.

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