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20/06/2019 - Governance

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June 20, 2019

Indian Civil servants are not tested for their leadership skills nor ethics. Explain the methods to achieve it and discuss the challenges present in it. (200 Words)

Refer - Business Line

Enrich the answer from other sources, if the question demands.

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IAS Parliament 5 years

KEY POINTS

There has so far been no concerted or sustained effort to manage senior civil service in a comprehensive manner. The steps have been ad hoc in nature.

 Lateral recruitment is also one such effort.

Methods

The objective should be to select such persons who have leadership qualities or have the potential to become leaders. The training should also centre around honing leadership skills.

A leader has to be able to build a team and carry it along with him by motivating those working with him.

Thus, more than individual activities, emphasis has to be given to group activities.

Case studies-based methodology needs to be adopted to drive home the points.

What is required is the transformation of attitude as an officer, the necessity and utility of ethical behaviour.

Periodic upgradation of skills and learning from each other should be the focus of in-service training.

The inclination and aptitude of the officer needs to be closely monitored to determine his postings and assignments.

Challenges

Frequent transfers can be extremely debilitating but seem to have become the order of the day in a number of States.

If an officer is transferred frequently, he will not be able to deliver, and responsibility cannot be fixed if he is unable to perform. This is one reason that has led to politicisation of bureaucracy.

Some States like Tamil Nadu have experimented with Civil Services Board but it hasn’t really worked.

Postings should be based on integrity and competence and not on allegiance.

An agency, like the UPSC, can be assigned to prepare a panel from which the government can select an officer.

Assessment issues

These Annual Confidential Roles have ceased to be confidential as they have to be communicated to the officers. This has impacted the efficacy of ACRs as no officer wants to get embroiled with an officer dissatisfied with a grade.

The 360 degree evaluation in vogue for the past few years is even worse as it is opaque and has had a demoralising effect on the civil service.

No discussion is held with the officer who is being assessed and he is not even informed about the reason for not being empanelled.

There is no harm in lateral entry of officers but whether that will improve governance is a moot point. Governance will perhaps improve only if senior civil service is itself managed appropriately.

 

 

Santosh kumar Badi 5 years

Kindly review it sir 

IAS Parliament 5 years

Flowchart, issues not needed. Try to discuss about challenges. Keep Writing.

Nandadeep 5 years

Kindly review

IAS Parliament 5 years

Good answer. Try to include about transforming attitudes. Keep Writing.

Vijay 5 years

Please review and tell me what and where to improve  it

IAS Parliament 5 years

Try to include about transforming attitude of an officer, case-based methodologies etc. Keep Writing

Shivang Sharma 5 years

Suggest additions and subtractions. Thanks.

IAS Parliament 5 years

Good answer. Keep Writing.

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