Sunday, January 15, 2017

Legacy of Raaj: President Living Like Viceroy, PM like King, IAS like Lords and Sahayaks in Army

In last three days, media is in full swing to create TRP by reporting news in sensational manner over issues like food and Sahayaks in forces, crossing lines in alarming manner and creating dangerous wedge between officers and soldiers. Enemy agents are trying to exploit situation to trigger rebellion in forces. Certain posts of alarming nature are being circulated by certain political groups in Whts App suggesting rebellion. Just for votes and political power certain political groups are singing chorus with enemies. Situation surely is not healthy and causes concerns in minds of patriotic citizens. If govt fails, military is there to hold the country but if military fails even God will not save us. Shamelessly in alarming manner military is being attacked which so far has been a single institution in the country which has withstood test of time.  Worst, while sensationalising issue no media house has pointed out that an army proposal is pending with Govt on Sahayaks for few years. Why is govt sitting over it?

There is no doubt that certain legacy of Raaj are acting as barriers to delivery of good governance and efficient administration. India on the path of growth surely can not sustain it for longer times unless such barriers having roots in British Raaj are removed. Major Barriers are:

1. President lives like a British Viceroy in huge house with thousands in his service moving around in horses buggy where as government staff has no place for offices. Ideally President shall be shifted to a house like Teen Murthy Bhawan and scales of staff and facilities scaled down to level which suits a president of a poor country like India and his present house shall be used to house key offices and host key national events like cabinet oath taking, cabinet meetings ect and visiting international dignitaries

2.  PM and their families are creating new legacies like royals, Even their family members being given life time free govt accommodation, transport and huge security. Every PM on his death needs a memorial on Yamuna Bank and museum in Got accommodation where his kins can stay and have offices. 

3. MPs are not behind and scaling up their perks and benefits day by day. A MP is given a life time pension even if he attends parliament to disrupt it for one hour whereas in army a short service commission officer even after serving ten years including in operations is not given any pension. Politicians are creating new avenues of life time pensions by creating new awards. 

4. Civil administration has four tier British colonial structure which only serves IAS. A Tahseeldar or BDO who is in touch with public may retire as Tahseeldar or BDO with no motivation to work but an IAS must retire as secretory with highest possible salary grade, promotions and highest pension for life. Britsh were still considerate of some services where in they made sure that an ICS officer with minimum 15 years service and experience in district is made collector. Now we have IAS with just 3 years of service with baby experience managing key administrative unit enjoying all perks with a big staff and fleet of cars which adds on to his ego and arrogance rather then grooming him as public servant to serve people. Lack of ground experience and blind wisdom due to ego and arrogance among IAS is the single biggest reason for delay in decision makings and most of govt schemes failing due to bad planning and poor execution. No where in the world Govt administration has four tiers with separate cadre entries. It defies all logic of professionalism as required for delivery of good administration. In time of specialization generalists with no sense history, social sciences and economics are administrative leaders.  

5. India is country where British used military police to control people. Present day police structure is based on military organisation to control people rather than having a community policing model to serve people. It also follows four tier colonial model having four distinct cadres. It just can not deliver community policing and the result is that today almost 99% of the IPC officers have not even investigated and solved more than ten cases. Police leadership like IAS lacks ground experience and they move around like Military Generals scaring people.  

6. Judiciary has totally collapsed. There are huge corruptions in courts. Delivery of justice takes decades. On top of it, Judges are rewarding themselves with servants even after retirements and write Justice as title once retired. Community justice system is missing. Jury system has been destroyed. People are suffering. Good people avoid courts to accept sufferings. 

7. Military is still structured on WW II model which can not meet the requirements of modern hybrid wars. Military still follows the colonial model of having a deep separation between officers and PBORs.   It still maintains distinct JCO cadre who are actually gazetted officers but are paid and treated like non gazetted. Worst it has tried to copy bureaucracy by inflating ranks and promotions. Today Indian army companies are commanded by Lt Cols whereas worldwide   same are commanded by Captains. Army has become top heavy creating more drains on resources. It still maintains sahayak system. Effective higher management of Military is missing. Imbalance in structure is naturally creating frustrations and inefficiencies. 

8. Other govt organisations are not legging behind in this unjust race to grab resources. NFU is one such examples which rewards inefficiency. 

British created a model to control people and not to serve them. India since independence has not reviewed its governance administration structure. Present structure where cadres pay more attention to grab more share in loot, just can not deliver. It is totally unprofessional and needs major structural reforms to overhaul it to make it people focused. Unfortunately that is no where in sight. Lobbies and unions are preventing it to happen. Who so ever is in decision making is looting best. Whoever can lobby best is getting next best loot. Isolated military finds it self totally isolated and marginalized affecting its moral and functioning.  Net result is in addition to inefficiency poor country is almost spending Rs 60000 crores per annum just to feed these loots. 

Unless India overhauls its administration structure the promise of growth and prosperity will always remain a dream. Worst if it is not now and allowed to rot like this, it will turn into a security threat by giving birth to more rural insurgencies and city mafias.  

It is high time Govt forms a committee of independent expert of global standing (keeping IAS and judges away) which shall submit its recommendations to a committee of MPs/ Govt to create an efficient model which can serve the need of efficient delivery of services to people for next 25 years.
The committee of experts shall look into the structure and compensation models comprehensively. Accordingly then a law be  put in place to stop loots by various lobbies and cadres.  










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