Overdue reforms

A revamp of the system of recruitment to the civil services has been long overdue; the last such attempt was made 20 years ago. During the intervening period, there have been many changes, some of them fundamental, in matters of governance. To cite just one example, no one speaks any longer about the public sector enjoying the commanding heights of the economy. Disinvestment is now the buzzword, not nationalisation. For the government, the emphasis is now on withdrawing from as many sectors as possible in order to let market forces have a level-playing field. However, these changes are not reflected in the recruitment system of the Union Public Service Commission. It is for this very reason that its decision to appoint a nine-member committee headed by economist and former minister Y.K. Alagh is gratifying. The government has indicated that the overhaul will be all-encompassing and will not be confined to the civil services examination. Even in 1979, when the present system was introduced, there weredifferences of opinion on whether it was advisable to go in for objective-type questions, when the emphasis until then was on testing the analytical and narrative skills of the candidates. Consequently, the standards of drafting in the services have fallen even as coaching institutes churn out an ever-increasing number of successful candidates.

As a result, the catchment area for the civil services has narrowed down to certain pockets in the North. The brighter students are no longer considering the civil services as a viable career option. This also raises the question of optional subjects available to the candidates. That information technology is not one among them says a lot about the need for a closer look at the choices available to a civil service aspirant. Diplomacy is now more about trade and commerce than visits by plenipotentiaries but it is doubtful whether this aspect is given due weightage in the selection process. In its desire to be fair to the disadvantaged sections, the government has been progressively increasing the age of entry into the civil service when there is unanimity that an early entry is better for both the candidate and the service concerned. Equally questionable is the present practice of allowing candidates to compete as many times as the age-limit permits. Of course, this does not mean that lateral entry per se isbad. The system, as of now, does not allow technocrats and managerial personnel to enter the services, although there is no bar on the government recruiting them on a contractual basis.

Given the fact that for most bureaucrats, the intricacies of information technology is Greek, admitting IT professionals into certain ministries that deal with IT should have been thought of. For instance, the police service could have availed of the services of IT professionals in tackling IT-related crime, if it was allowed to recruit them from the market. Similarly, it should be possible to recruit managers of proven talent at middle and senior-levels, even if they had chosen not to appear for the UPSC examinations. After all, today8217;s bureaucrat is not a controller but a facilitator. The recruitment system, too, should reflect the change.