Day 70 – Q 5.India is a democratic country with diverse religious beliefs, cultural practices and political ideologies. In this light, examine the significance of a professional bureaucracy.

5. India is a democratic country with diverse religious beliefs, cultural practices and political ideologies. In this light, examine the significance of a professional bureaucracy.  

भारत विविध धार्मिक मान्यताओं, सांस्कृतिक प्रथाओं और राजनीतिक विचारधाराओं वाला एक लोकतांत्रिक देश है। इस प्रकाश में, एक पेशेवर नौकरशाही के महत्व की जांच करें।

Introduction:

Bureaucracy refers to a specialized system and processes designed to maintain uniformity and controls within an organization. The adjective ‘professional’ has the following connotations in connection with bureaucracy –

• Having experience in the activity.
• Having standards to which the job is expected to be done.
• Having the requisite values like courage, impartiality, non-partisanship among others.
• Give advice without fear or favour.
• Being worthy to be paid for it.
• Being committed to the activity as a career.

Body

Significance of a professional bureaucracy is a diverse and democratic country like India

• Different groups in a diverse society have different aspirations and demands. To fulfill all of them may not be possible at all times. However bureaucracy should not be seen as doing undue favor to any particular section. This is important for social capital, credibility and legitimacy of administration.
• People in a diverse society believe in the rightness of Laws which are enacted through uniform procedure. 
• People accept the authority due to their faith in the exceptional professionalism of officials.
• Probity is said to be important for socio-economic development of a nation. Maintenance of probity requires high professionalism.
• In diverse religious beliefs, cultural practices, rights of minorities can be protected and constitutional ideals can be reached, if bureaucracy remains professional and impartial.  
• Rules of law can be enforced. The saying, “Be you ever so high the law is always above you”, if bureaucracy does its job professionally in maintenance of law and order and crime investigation. 

Conclusion

The bureaucracy has to prevent the disruptive efforts of a society that is ridden with caste and patriarchal consciousness. Bureaucracy has to intervene in public life to see to it that society does not degenerate into aggressive obscurantism. The bureaucracy has to protect the very state of which it is a part, from being disrupted or being undermined by the disquieting elements of the civil society. This can be effectively done if there is professionalism in bureaucracy.