Is Bureaucracy a Boon or Bane for India?
Image Source: International Liberty
India is the largest democratic country in the world. All its powers, whether central or state, are democratically controlled by the government. Whether poor or rich, everyone should be treated equally in front of the country’s laws. Politics is important for any country and its behavior, as in India.
Bureaucracy can heal the wounds of poor people. However, it also depends on how they behave as well as the behaviour of the current government.
Politics can decrease or increase the bureaucratic power of administrators. Bureaucracy started in India under British rule. They created bureaucrats when they organised the examination of Indian Administrative Service examination. Their motto was to increase their manpower in India and fill the pockets of the Queen’s treasury.
The same prevails in our country; bureaucracy is high and at its peak. If bureaucrats behave democratically or do their dirty work, they are major positive images for the country. But if they behave authoritatively, trying to suppress people using their power, they will also lose their respect. It is said that the current behavior of the bureaucracy in today’s India is quite a colonial relic.
Bureaucratic culture has been supposed to be the biggest hindrance to the country’s socio-economic development. Its colonial behaviour has been retained both in its functioning as well as in its character even after independence. The biggest mistake is fewer efforts have been made to reduce the gap between administrators and common people. Constant transferring and continuous hindrances have paved the way for distrust in honest officers of the country through politics.
How can its functioning be improved?
One of the major possible solutions for improving the role of bureaucracy in India is to give them the freedom to handle their areas because they are the experts in their fields. They should be free from any political pressure to make their decisions. More preference for giving importance to subject appraisal should be avoided. For example, the current system appraises subject performance at about 60% but less work output performance.
Tenures should be fixed
A big problem with current bureaucrats is that if one officer denies signing a file due to political pressure, ten officers are willing to do the same job due to politics. The tenures of all civil servants should be fixed at all levels, and the centers must provide reasons for when and if any officer is transferred from one place to another and make them public. The Cabinet should propose a fixed tenure for an officer.
Compensation should only follow competence
In many countries, the payment of any government employee depends on their competence rather than being fixed. For example, in Brazil, the salary of bureaucrats depends on their competency in their work rather than being fixed. About 60% of their salary is given to officers in Brazil based on their competency, and only 40% is fixed. This creates an atmosphere of motivation, dedication, and encouragement among the bureaucrats.
Team Profile
- Freelance Journalist
- Muzafar Hamid, a resident of Srinagar, Kashmir, India, holds a master's degree in journalism and is currently undertaking a PhD program at the University of Kashmir. His academic pursuits and professional interests revolve around politics, sports, education, food, tourism, entertainment, and international events. Alongside his studies, Muzafar enjoys cricket and singing, finding fulfillment in a diverse range of activities.
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