Is Good Administrator Possible?

Is a Good Administrator Possible?

Entrepreneurs, technocrats, and management professionals are words of appreciation, but “bureaucrats,” “babus,” and “netas” do not carry the same meaning in present-day India. Red tape, dependency on government, and corruption have changed people's perceptions.

“Babu,” a title of affection and respect for Babu Rajendra Prasad, Babu Jagjivan Ram, and Babu Jayaprakash Narayan, is now a word of criticism. The title “Netaji,” which suited Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, is now used to point a finger at a politician for doing something wrong.

India is moving from socialism towards market-driven objectives of growth. The emphasis of development has shifted. Whether the government should govern or facilitate is a new debate on the path towards “minimum government, maximum governance.”

Each one is passing through the phases of swa hitay, swajan hitay, parjan hitay, and bahujan hitay. Bureaucrats and politicians are no exceptions. One watches seniors, peers, and subordinates and uses the rules to earn. Politicians need funds for elections and political survival.

All believe in becoming “good administrators,” but they follow different paths in practice. Due to the desire for preferred postings, timely promotions, and post-retirement assignments, the bureaucrat has lost the courage to speak up and speak out.

Where is the spirit of the Great Ashoka, who said, “Please reach me even in the royal chambers to tell me the bitter truth”? Or the wisdom of the weaver-saint Tiruvalluvar, who guided rulers to keep their “royal ears” open to listen to bitter words? The present-day masters are often happy listening only to the tunes that they themselves play.

And the force that has to come from within dies in its childhood. With frequent transfers, family hassles, and children's difficulties in education, the good administrator dies in the early years of service, and a babu is born out of that ash—one who simply passes files with one more signature in a series of nine signatures.

Many perform within the system with diplomatic wisdom, maintaining their position within the team. But the hardcore good administrators often retire on the sidelines, leaving behind only murmurs of sympathy from their colleagues.

Don't be pessimistic. Be a diplomat. Deliver good governance in coordination with the political executive. Take a helicopter view, add experience, and deliver outcome-based government. Come out of “Sir Culture” and free people from dependence on the government.

A good administrator must be decisive, make timely decisions, own responsibilities, move forward, find solutions to problems by going to their root causes, prioritise and implement in a time-bound manner, delegate powers, work as an organic team, and deliver with integrity—integrity that goes beyond financial considerations.

And the “Political Masters,” in turn, should provide stability of tenure, reward meritorious work, and create an environment in which administrators can work to give back to society.

We, the AIS officers, are good administrators and shall continue to be good administrators.

Punamchand, ’85, Gujarat
10/11/2014, Mussoorie, Ph-5