"Poor public services delivery"
There has been a continuous decline in the quality of public services delivery mechanism in the country. Thanks to deteriorating quality of civil servants, recruited by the Union and States public services commissions. The selection process is flawed, reduced to a university type examination. The aspirants from the science and technical streams get unintended advantage over those from the humanities streams. No level playing field. The perception that the candidates from the former streams are better is misplaced. Consider the following facts.
The present selection methodology is elimination-based rather than merit-based. The scheme of examinations must be re-visited both by the UPSC and the States PSCs to eliminate mediocrity in the quality of civil servants.
More importantly, the marginalised sections of society especially those from the rural areas must be given opportunities including access to free coaching facilities. At present, the benefits of reservations in services are cornered by the more fortunately circumstanced urban youths. Those in the rural areas continue to stoically suffer untouchability.
Another point. Granting endless number of attempts and increased eligibility age limits available to various categories, defeat the purpose of selections. These criteria must be reviewed so that civil servants from all categories get equal opportunity to reach the top echelons of bureaucracy.
Under the present dispensations followed by the Union and States public services commissions, the quality of selected candidates become the casualty. No initiative, no service-oriented mindsets. This leads to poor public services delivery mechanism. The weightage of marks earmarked for interviews must be increased
Concentration of decision making authority in the PMO and CMOs, must be minimal. At present, the administrative ministries especially in the States, have been robbed of initiatives in decision making. The authority lies in the hands of select coteries of pliable bureaucrats, carefully chosen by the respective chief ministers. The coteries behave like powerful bureaucrats-turned-politicians. The public services delivery act remains unimplemented with no penalties imposed on the defaulters.
A K Saxena ( A former civil servant)
The present selection methodology is elimination-based rather than merit-based. The scheme of examinations must be re-visited both by the UPSC and the States PSCs to eliminate mediocrity in the quality of civil servants.
More importantly, the marginalised sections of society especially those from the rural areas must be given opportunities including access to free coaching facilities. At present, the benefits of reservations in services are cornered by the more fortunately circumstanced urban youths. Those in the rural areas continue to stoically suffer untouchability.
Another point. Granting endless number of attempts and increased eligibility age limits available to various categories, defeat the purpose of selections. These criteria must be reviewed so that civil servants from all categories get equal opportunity to reach the top echelons of bureaucracy.
Under the present dispensations followed by the Union and States public services commissions, the quality of selected candidates become the casualty. No initiative, no service-oriented mindsets. This leads to poor public services delivery mechanism. The weightage of marks earmarked for interviews must be increased
Concentration of decision making authority in the PMO and CMOs, must be minimal. At present, the administrative ministries especially in the States, have been robbed of initiatives in decision making. The authority lies in the hands of select coteries of pliable bureaucrats, carefully chosen by the respective chief ministers. The coteries behave like powerful bureaucrats-turned-politicians. The public services delivery act remains unimplemented with no penalties imposed on the defaulters.
A K Saxena ( A former civil servant)
