Day 19 – Q 1.Do you think lateral entry into the civil services would ensure better governance? Critically examine.
1. Do you think lateral entry into the civil services would ensure better governance? Critically examine.
क्या आपको लगता है tकि सिविल सेवाओं में पार्श्व प्रवेश बेहतर शासन सुनिश्चित करेगा? समालोचनात्मक जांच करें।
Introduction:
Governance involves process of decision making, implementation as well as effective delivery of services to citizens. Civil servants play key role in governance of the country.
Body:
In today’s world, administration has increasingly become complex. There are time and again suggestions from various committees like 2ARC to have lateral entry into civil service to gain from best available talent. Lateral entry is expected to improve governance by
- Efficient and effective delivery of services
Ex: Nandan nilekani – Aadhar today has eliminated ghost beneficiaries and delivered services to the needy.
- Being tech-savvy brings Transparency in the system of administration minimizing corruption, leakages.
Ex: MGNREGA –geo-tagging of assets, ICT usage-DBT
- Certain areas like economic affairs, commerce, climate change, new and renewable energy have become significant in today’s globalized world where technical expertise from outside talent comes handy.
Ex: Former PM of India Manmohan Singh was a lateral entrant who anchored LPG reforms of 1991.
- Will infuse fresh energy, lead to increasing competition among bureaucrats to develop expertise in their area of choice.
However, it is quite difficult to say that lateral entry will ultimately improve governance because
- Performance is vitally influenced by enabling system. With environment of outmoded rules and procedures in governance system even best of managerial capacity may not deliver results.
- It is difficult to expect civil service values like empathy for weaker sections from lateral entrants. They are likely to be isolated from ground realities.
- There is no guarantee that nepotism, corruption, politicization of service will end.
Conclusion:
While bringing outside talent is good, it is equally important to address several issues that bureaucracy faces today like
- minimizing political interference, avoiding frequent transfers so that they can learn expertise in particular domain – carrier path linked to specialization
- incentivizing upright and outstanding civil servants
- protecting civil servants for their genuine mistakes in decision making so that innovation and risk taking is not hindered.
- Professionalizing service will increase speed, bring down cost and red tapism.
With these issues addressed, even bureaucracy can deliver results.
Best answer: Abhishek Singh
