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Covid-19 & Attack on the Bureaucracy

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June 12, 2020

What is the issue?

  • 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.

 

Source: Financial Express

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