{"id":148354,"date":"2024-12-24T19:43:55","date_gmt":"2024-12-24T14:13:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/?post_type=editorial-analysis&#038;p=148354"},"modified":"2024-12-24T19:43:55","modified_gmt":"2024-12-24T14:13:55","slug":"indias-steel-frame","status":"publish","type":"editorial-analysis","link":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/editorial-analysis\/indias-steel-frame","title":{"rendered":"India&#8217;s &#8216;Steel Frame&#8217; does need a Check"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India&#8217;s economic growth is notable, but challenges like income inequality, underinvestment, and bureaucratic inefficiency persist, underscoring the need for administrative reforms, especially within the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Colonial Legacy with Modern Limitations<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Historical Background: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The IAS, often referred to as India\u2019s \u201csteel frame,\u201d evolved from the colonial Indian Civil Service (ICS) and became the backbone of India\u2019s administrative system post-Independence.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Causes of Ineffectiveness: Political interference, outdated practices, and lack of specialisation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have undermined its effectiveness.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Politicisation and resultant Corruption: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Corruption, inefficiency and lack of administrative independence persist, with India ranking<\/span><b> only moderately on the World Bank\u2019s government effectiveness measure.<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Reasons for Inefficiency:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Frequent transfers of officers lead to insufficient time for them to fully understand the circumstances, make informed decisions, and develop domain expertise.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Centralised Decision Making:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> India\u2019s centralised governance structure has led to rapid economic reforms but also created bottlenecks in policy implementation. The sidelining of bureaucrats&#8217; expertise has hindered effective execution of policies.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><b>For Instance: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Critics argue that centralising power within the Prime Minister\u2019s Office (PMO) risks further disempowering senior bureaucrats.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Course<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Administrative Reforms<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Historical Attempts: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since Independence, over 50 commissions have proposed reforms.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><b>First ARC:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The First Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) in 1966, along with later commissions, has repeatedly stressed the importance of specialization, accountability, and merit-based promotions within the bureaucracy.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Second ARC<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The Second ARC, established in 2005, proposed a plan for administrative reforms, which included suggestions to lower the age for entry into civil services, introduce performance-based promotions and lateral entry, and create safeguards against arbitrary transfers.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, many of these recommendations have not been implemented due to bureaucratic delays and political opposition.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Lateral Entry: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To break the IAS-centric model, the government has introduced lateral entry for senior bureaucratic positions.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Recruitment Since 2018: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since 2018, 57 officers with specialised knowledge from sectors like the private industry have been recruited.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Recent Announcement by UPSC: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) recently announced 45 lateral entry positions, including Joint Secretaries and Directors in different ministries.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Shift: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This has reduced the IAS\u2019s dominance in high-level positions, with only 33% of Joint Secretaries at the Centre from the IAS as of 2023.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Resistance to Lateral Entry<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The lateral entry initiative has faced resistance from critics who argue it could undermine morale and disrupt promotion incentives.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Opposition: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Opposition parties have also raised concerns about the lack of reservation provisions for marginalised groups.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Results:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The government has taken back the proposal of lateral entry.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.5984%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>U.S. Department of Government Efficiency Model<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>US Model: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The proposed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the U.S., under President-elect Donald Trump, aims to\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Eliminate redundant agencies, while utilizing the expertise of leaders like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Cut wasteful spending<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Introducing accountability\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Lessons for India: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A similar advisory body in India could identify inefficiencies within the civil service, promote data-driven decision-making, and develop metrics to evaluate bureaucratic performance.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/div>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Challenges to Reform<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Institutional Resistance:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Reforming India\u2019s bureaucracy is challenging due to entrenched seniority-based systems, political interference, and resistance from within the service.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Lack of Enforcement: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Similarly, judicial interventions, such as the Supreme Court of India\u2019s 2013 directive to establish civil services boards, have had little impact due to a lack of enforcement.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Proposals like the Civil Services Standards, Performance, and Accountability Bill<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (2010), which aimed to protect bureaucrats from arbitrary transfers, have remained stalled in legislative limbo.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Multifaceted Approach to Reform: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To address bureaucratic inefficiencies, India needs a <\/span><b>comprehensive reform strategy<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that prioritises merit-based recruitment, performance-linked promotions, and specialisation in policy making roles.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, a <\/span><b>robust data infrastructure<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is needed to assess bureaucratic performance, enabling informed decisions and improving governance.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+CSE+Books\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check Out UPSC CSE Books From PW Store<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reforming India\u2019s bureaucracy is essential to unlocking the country\u2019s economic potential. A multifaceted approach to administrative reform\u2014focused on merit, specialisation, and accountability\u2014will be crucial to enhancing governance and ensuring that it serves the needs of the Indian people.<\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.6975%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Mains Practice<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/mains-answer-writing\/indias-steel-frame-has-been-crucial-for-governance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Q. While India\u2019s \u2018steel frame\u2019 has been crucial for governance, it faces modern challenges of politicization and inefficiency. Critically analyse the need for administrative reforms in light of lateral entry initiatives to change. Suggest a balanced approach for modernising bureaucracy while preserving institutional strength. 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