*Think Globally Act Locally- What stops “WE the Sovereign People of India”
in getting world BEST Public Service Model for our democratic secular
country.* *De**ar All*, *There is an urgent need for an all India debate on the subject of
continuation of Colonial Model of IAS Bureaucracy.* Views of some former Retired/Ex IAS officers (B.S.Raghavan, Shankar Sharan,
Dr S Sanjeev and many others) are given below. *A. Views of B.S Raghvan IAS (Retd Secy Govt of India )* Appointments based on one time competitive examination with no periodical
weeding out of the incompetent and corrupt induces smugness and militates
against accountability. 2. Healthy debate on some alternate model is necessary. 3. Originally IAS was seen as replica of the ICS- incorruptible,
independent, public spirited and result oriented. Unfortunately the system
did not work as originally contemplated. All this has been eroded in the
last 60 years. 4. While the Armed Forces, Foreign Service and many other Central Services
are indispensable and necessary for nation building, but without IAS country
would not come to stand still. There is no similar service in any
progressive developed country of the world. India is lone exception of
continuation of Colonial Model 5. There are instances when non IAS persons when posted into top echelons
usually earmarked for IAS, distinguished themselves by their higher caliber
and competence. *B. Views of Dr. S. Sanjeev PhD- former I.A.S officer and Secretary and
Commissioner* If IAS as a Service does not want to be ousted, it must establish as its
role mission the delivery of world-class standard…. Otherwise IAS is
destined to be guillotined in the not too distant future. 2. Today IAS is a smashed up auto-riksha. They are busy in filling TA/DA
forms, chasing after their pay slips, ensuring their pay scales/pensions
remain higher than other services, chasing car/house loans and other bits
and pieces of Personnel ministry, local treasury pursuing with Accountant
General office lest they have trouble on retirement in getting right amount
of Pension. 3. Most of the IAS officers confirm their own poor ability of leadership by
passing the buck to politicians. There are umpteen areas where political
leaders do not play any role in their work and functioning….Dr. S. Sanjeev
has mentioned a large number of such areas in his well known book *"Breaking
Free of Nehru. Let’s Unleash India*" available on Website <
http://bfn.sabhlokcity.com> 4. Whole world public services are evolving and reforming. In IAS it is
total stagnation in ideas We apply principle of competition and merit in assembling cricket team but
do not apply in IAS bureaucracy. 5. Till date in the last six decades IAS officers have not made any
distinction between Independence , Freedom and Swaraj (governance to
citizens). This lack of distinction has led to ineffective and weak local
governments. Cities after cities are becoming urban nightmare under their
non accountable and non transparent administration. Etc etc…** *Views of others* Politics the noblest Endeavour of Gandhi, Nehru, Patel under the strong
steel frame of ICS officers has been made the dirty mafia Politics by the
rusted steel frame of IAS bureaucracy’s selfish, non transparent and non
accountable advice by ensuring that needle of blame always moves towards
political leaders. The famous saying In Bihar mentioned by an IAS former Secy to Govt of India-
Bihar cadre- “IAS officers are *“Garam, Naram and Be-Sharam”* After training
in the IAS Training Academy they are *garam-* highly enthusiastic, soon
under political and senior officers pressures they become *Naram-*insensitive
and players in shuttlecock game in regard to taking decisions and later they
become *Be-Sharam- *freely resort to corrupt practices and encourage young
IAS officers who are inclined to corrupt practices. All honest IAS officers
are sidelined as OSD (officers on Special duties). * * *Ground Realities* Many Newspapers mentioned during recent Parliamentary Elections that in
Mumbai many urban voters’ names were eliminated in the Voters lists. A study
was made for Gurgaon Parliamentary Constituency. For a population of over 20
lakhs, the voters names in the lists were about 8.5 lakhs i.e. about 40% of
the population against all India 71% of the population.  Again out of 8.5
lakhs urban voters were 2.36 lakhs and over 6 lakhs were rural voters. *Thus
Gurgaon a Millennium Urban City became a Rural Village as per Voters Lists*.
Clearly about 6 lakhs urban voters names (about one lakh having voters ID
cards) were removed by/under orders of the District Electoral officer i.e.
D.C Gurgaon (an IAS officer) CEC of India on residents’ complaint removed the D.C and asked the new DC to
prepare an up to date correct Voters list. New DC also could not do so. He
was also removed on complaint from residents/political parties. In future Murder of Democracy is likely to happen if vested interests over
take the democratic rights of the citizens. IAS officers need to become
transparent, accountable, public spirited and result oriented to save the
country being rated as a failed state. The worst activity of IAS bureaucracy was they have virtually destroyed
Local Governance system established by British Govt. Under their rule we had
some of the world best cities Bangalore, Delhi, Lahore, Lyallpur, Hyderabad
and many others.. IAS bureaucracy by destroying local governments, have made
Indian cities as urban nightmare. They devise all arguments so that Amendments numbers 73 and 74 to the
Constitution of India are not implemented. They pass on this blame on
political leaders and continue avoiding effective and strong local
governments in India. Under IAS bureaucracy maladministration, India is now visualized as a
nearly Failed State as per World Development Report 2009 based on the
analysis of an International Agency on 12
indicators/parameters.........................Prem Sabhlok P.S Some more views received from IAS officers (Retd) 1. Millions of confused socialist bacteria swarming in the brain of Indian
leaders and IAS bureaucrats has become the cause of national cancerous
disease of corruption and poverty.. 2. ICS officers were never accountable to the people of India but to the
British rulers. IAS officers are trying to perpetuate the same and have
become non transparent and non accountable to people of India but only to
their political bosses Thus feudal outdated colonial structure continues. 3. IAS officers’ interest is not aligned with public interest and they feed
public on false promises. 4. There is no internal competition and as such 100% reach the top level in
bureaucracy. Now lately they have started grabbing Head of the Department
posts of Central Services as well- it can lead rebellion within the
different services. 5. We are not making IAS as whipping boy but IAS as Service. It is now
neither a Service nor Administration. Need to have accountable, specialized
contractual officers on hire and fire basis at the Top in ALL services. 6. Malady is far deeper than projected in terms of simple IAS bashing.
British style colonial service neither civil nor service should be replaced
by American style Civil Service. IAS is no longer the first/top choice of
bright candidates. Revenue Services are becoming the top choice. All
services should terminate at Joint Secy level or even Director Level. (Retd
IAS Chief Secy Maharashtra) 7. Sardar Vallabh Bahai Patel saw IAS as Steel Frame of Bureaucracy like
replica of ICS- incorruptible, independent, public spirited and result
oriented. Now after 60 years all this has been eroded and the perception is self
serving, insensitive and non accountable.. (Retd IAS Secy to Government of
India ) 8. If IAS as service is scrapped country would not come to stand still..  (Ex
Dy. Army Chief) I have received umpteen more views BUT not a single in support of
continuation of IAS as Public Welfare Service. *We do not need to abolish
this service but to make it useful as a Public Welfare Service and not as
Feudal Adminstrative Service.* *The country is anxiously waiting for some remarks in favour of IAS as
Public service even from retired/serving IAS officers*