1.India inherited colonial British model of administration because it evolved on Indian land during long British stay which in turn got imprinted in Indian psyche. The very Weberian notion of MERIT BASED LEGAL RATIONAL system further made it more acceptable for India like society where favouritism based on primordial identities ( caste, religion, language) could have been easily found.
2. It’s true that despite state and its administrative machinery commanded the whole socioeconomic and political life for decades, it could not bring a genuine reprieve to vast section of people at the bottom of pyramid. Multidimensional poverty, hunger, corruption, apathetic administration, low quality of service delivery, brutal police administration ,Neta-Lala-Babu nexus at all level, and even slow and insensitive judicial administration prevailed for long and still there seems no end.
3. However, Civil servants garner a lot of respect across the society despite lean role of state because of market economy, global integration, increased role of non governmental organisations etc.
Reasons can be put forth -
a. A larger number of population still look towards state for their day to day survival. Programs, policies, schemes are implemented by civil servants who command a lot of discretion despite increasing provision of right based approach. people don't have bargaining or assertive voice which can question the very accountability of civil servants despite laws on papers.
b. The market and NGOs lack legitimacy and their pasts too have been tainted with corruption or predatory pricing. They also lack the resources and protracted machineries, outreach unlike government , so they can’t be dependable when most of the times they have profit in their mind. Compassionate capitalism is lacking and people lack purchasing power to go to market. Therefore, civil servants become ,again, important to reckon.
c. Becoming civil servant itself is not easy in a country like india where hangover of colonial legacy "mai baap" notion of collector is imprinted indelibly on Indian psyche. The very exam to select civil servants is quite uncivil in term of toughness, competition and rigorous preparation. All these create a sense of awe among masses and hence a lot of respect it invokes.
d. It would be over simplistic and disrespecting the whole generation of civil servants who really played prominent role in upholding rule of law, keeping vibrant democracy intact despite a lot of chaos. Post partition containing bloody civil war sort of situation plus rehabilitation of refugees and putting whole india again under same fabric were unprecedented which was ably done by the civil servants in which even Sardar patel had immense faith, so did he emphasize to continue with the steel frame.
4. If India is still backward, only civil servants can’t be blamed. A state is not only governed by civil servants. The democracy demands active citizenry who be not just passive recipient of doles, freebies but who can question the tyrants, dare to not fall for short temptation, who can elect representatives rising above narrow primordial concern. Even corruption is not done one sided , one should dare to bear the pain of standing in queue rather slyly break the queue greasing palm of functionaries.
5. Yes, the bureaucratic machinery can always be tweaked, more electronic interface can be put to reduce discretionary power of civil servant and legal- rational face of administration can be made “ ethical -legal -rational” to make it more Indian but the very role of civil servant can’t be discredited.
6. State is manifestation of society. The developed society will have right tools to make state govern as per ethos, aspiration of the society not vice-versa, so, need would be to bring development from within and put civil servants under check rather seeing them awestruckingly and unnecessarily making them master in place of servants of people.
2. It’s true that despite state and its administrative machinery commanded the whole socioeconomic and political life for decades, it could not bring a genuine reprieve to vast section of people at the bottom of pyramid. Multidimensional poverty, hunger, corruption, apathetic administration, low quality of service delivery, brutal police administration ,Neta-Lala-Babu nexus at all level, and even slow and insensitive judicial administration prevailed for long and still there seems no end.
3. However, Civil servants garner a lot of respect across the society despite lean role of state because of market economy, global integration, increased role of non governmental organisations etc.
Reasons can be put forth -
a. A larger number of population still look towards state for their day to day survival. Programs, policies, schemes are implemented by civil servants who command a lot of discretion despite increasing provision of right based approach. people don't have bargaining or assertive voice which can question the very accountability of civil servants despite laws on papers.
b. The market and NGOs lack legitimacy and their pasts too have been tainted with corruption or predatory pricing. They also lack the resources and protracted machineries, outreach unlike government , so they can’t be dependable when most of the times they have profit in their mind. Compassionate capitalism is lacking and people lack purchasing power to go to market. Therefore, civil servants become ,again, important to reckon.
c. Becoming civil servant itself is not easy in a country like india where hangover of colonial legacy "mai baap" notion of collector is imprinted indelibly on Indian psyche. The very exam to select civil servants is quite uncivil in term of toughness, competition and rigorous preparation. All these create a sense of awe among masses and hence a lot of respect it invokes.
d. It would be over simplistic and disrespecting the whole generation of civil servants who really played prominent role in upholding rule of law, keeping vibrant democracy intact despite a lot of chaos. Post partition containing bloody civil war sort of situation plus rehabilitation of refugees and putting whole india again under same fabric were unprecedented which was ably done by the civil servants in which even Sardar patel had immense faith, so did he emphasize to continue with the steel frame.
4. If India is still backward, only civil servants can’t be blamed. A state is not only governed by civil servants. The democracy demands active citizenry who be not just passive recipient of doles, freebies but who can question the tyrants, dare to not fall for short temptation, who can elect representatives rising above narrow primordial concern. Even corruption is not done one sided , one should dare to bear the pain of standing in queue rather slyly break the queue greasing palm of functionaries.
5. Yes, the bureaucratic machinery can always be tweaked, more electronic interface can be put to reduce discretionary power of civil servant and legal- rational face of administration can be made “ ethical -legal -rational” to make it more Indian but the very role of civil servant can’t be discredited.
6. State is manifestation of society. The developed society will have right tools to make state govern as per ethos, aspiration of the society not vice-versa, so, need would be to bring development from within and put civil servants under check rather seeing them awestruckingly and unnecessarily making them master in place of servants of people.
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