IAS: Steel Frame or Steel Cage

Indian Administrative services is the premier civil service of the Indian government with its members function at the highest levels of executive. IAS constitutes permanent executive body. It can be regarded as legacy of British government. It was known as Indian Civil service during British rule. It along with police and military formed an important pillar of British administration, entrusted with especially revenue collection. Government of Independent India recognized importance of ICS in the day to day governance and adopted it from British administration.

Realising the scope of Indian Administrative Services, first Home Minister of Independent India Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel labelled it as Steel Frame of Indian System. Detailed analysis of India and role of IAS officers will reveal that this labeling was not an exaggeration, neither it was just an adjective. The phrase "Steel Frame" was entrusting a responsibility to officers to IAS to lead the developmental path of Independent India. During last 65 years IAS officers have played excellent role in shaping India's fortunes. Role of IAS officers in day to day administrator is too exhaustive to be summed up in few words. I will try to touch upon certain aspects of IAS officers' role in following paragraphs.

IAS officers have to work at very diverse level during their tenure. This diversity ranges from remote area to capital cities in terms of geography; from district level to secretariat in terms of job profile, from department to agriculture to department of science annd technology in terms of departments. Also IAS officer is made part of various quasi-judicial bodies to function as jury.

During initial years of the service an officer is posted at district and sub-division level. At this level he is entrusted with responsibility of execution of various policies and plans of central and state governments.Thus he functions as chief executive of the district. He works as leader, chief regulator and motivator for various government employees to get work done, to ensure good governance. Though by and large his work is limited to execution, he has many delegated functions to perform. With his innovative ideas he tries his best to provide maximum output with limited resources.

When an officer lands in secretariat his job profile changes radically. In a parliamentary system, highest executive is drawn from legislature. Various ministers work in capacity of political executive. Here due their inexperience in the filed of administration they have to take help of permanent executive that is senior IAS officers. Therefore at this level IAS officers play key role in policy planning. In planning a policy they have to use all their experience earned at grass-root level. Further, although laws are passed by legislature, they originate in ministries. Therefore IAS officers play important role in drafting of laws. In his capacity as policy planner he has to be flexible to all suggestions, in order to make it comprehensive.

Further because of being generalist in nature, these officers are entrusted to work in various departments during their tenure. Though general in nature, working a particular department needs certain level of technical knowledge for the best results. Therefore an officer has to be in learning mode throughout his life.

After working under such diverse conditions an IAS officer earns vast on job training. His experience is used as mentor, guide after retirement either as advisor or member of some committee. Therefore we can conclude that an officer of IAS is essential to Indian administration. Because of its challenging nature it is regarded as the most prestigious service and attracts talented youths from throughout the country.

However, with advent of time IAS has been losing its charm. Increasing work-load, political interference and materialistic greed has made it to be perceived as reluctant, corrupt and disconnected from the people. When seen in terms of salary even senior officers of IAS are not paid the salary earned by junior level executives in corporate sector. To compete with contemporaries in corporate sector and fulfill materialistic desires one takes help of corruption. Thus becomes caged to his desires.

Further due to being subordinate to political executives permanent executives can not exercise his discretion independently. Further in absence of any mechanism to determine the best policy, an officer has to remain a mute spectator of poor populist policies, mal-governance and some times corruption. Acts of political executive is not always in the best interest of nation rather political and personal ambitions prevail in his decisions. Thus IAS officer becomes caged to ambitions of political executive.

IAS can be either steel cage or steel frame depending upon individual personality of the officer, political situations and strength of institutions. Individual personality is assessed at recruitment level but human personality is dynamic in nature guided by circumstances. Therefore no recruitment method can be perfect to assess all aspects of individual's personality. Assessing background of candidates, work experience etc may help to recruit better officers.

With increasing politicization of people, technological expansion, political accountability is being ensured. If improvements keep on happening at current pace there is hope that political executive will be reformed thus letting IAS officers work independently.

With vibrant and independent judiciary, institutional reforms are also taking place. Judiciary has intervened time and again to ensure independence of IAS and other civil services. Clear cut guidelines with respect to transfers, postings and promotions etc will help to free IAS from clutches of politicians.

Diverse and challenging nature of the job, enormous scope and substantial impact on day to day administration makes IAS steel frame of Indian system. Their supervision and regulation by political executives, personal desires make then caged. With political empowerment of people, activist judiciary and institutional reforms cage can be broken and IAS officers can again become steel frame.