A question of answers

"You are an MBBS. Don't you think you can serve your country better by remaining a doctor and treating poor patients? Why do you want to be a civil servant?" a doctor from Kerala was once asked by the UPSC selection board. "Because I want to treat the primary malady that afflicts our country, that creates so many poor in India. As a doctor I can treat only secondary maladies," came the prompt rejoinder from the sharp-witted 30-something doctor. She even came up with exact statistics and suggestions on a  rubber plantation for poverty alleviation indicating  that  she had spent considerable time and thoughts on her future plans. She was awarded a score of 85 per cent, the highest a candidate can get at the interview session.

"What are the problems faced by wheat cultivators in your state?" an M.Sc. (Agriculture) student from Palanpur was once asked. "The problem is not so much to do with agronomy but with the lack of a seed bank in Palanpur," came the reply and the candidate walked away with an 80 per cent score.

"Is there a law in physics, which is relevant to administration?" a law graduate was prompted. "Yes. Newton's third law of motion: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." He scored a cool 80 per cent.

The three instances quoted above are not indicative of the general pool of talent who gets past the Civil Services Examinations. In fact, they could be just one-off cases, but the reason they have been cited is that it's this calibre of students that the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is looking for amongst the lakhs of students who take the exam every year.

But if you stop to look at the present state of the Indian bureaucracy, the question that arises is: has UPSC delivered on the role assigned to it?

During its inception in October 1946, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, as Deputy Prime Minister under Pandit Nehru, was clear that the Indian Administrative Services (IAS) had to be the successor to the British-instituted Indian Civil Services (ICS). Since then, there have been three reviews ordered into the pattern of the UPSC-conducted Civil Services Examination. But has it delivered on the objective for which it was created - putting together a cadre of highly motivated, incorruptible individuals devoted to uphold the democratic, secular principles of the country? The government ordered a third review in July 2001 under Y. K Alagh (which has been tabled but awaits government ratification).

Since the ball is now in the government's court, the Chairman of the UPSC, P.C. Hota, declines to comment on the proposed changes, willing only to say, "We will give sufficient time to students to adjust to the changes. Maybe three years advance notice. So they need not worry," he asserts.

One area that needs change, according to most constitutional experts, relates to the appointment of the office bearers of the Union and the State Public Service Commissions. The recent scams in Punjab, Haryana and Maharashtra, perhaps might not have happened if Article 318 did not vest the President with the authority to appoint the UPSC Chairman while the Governor appoints the Chairmen of the various State Public Service Commissions. As a result, it is left to the discretion of these distinguished quarters to choose appointees from any walk of life. Prithipal Singh Sandhu, for instance, was a journalist with the Hindu before he was appointed Chairman of the Punjab Service Commission. Another change required is in Article 317, under which only the President or the Governors can remove these Chairmen, virtually giving them immunity from being prosecuted.

The new recommendation is that the government should constitute a high-level committee comprising the Chief Secretary of the State; Chairman, UPSC; Chairman, State Public Service Commission and the senior-most Vice Chancellor of a University in that state to shortlist a panel of three candidates. From this list, the President and Governors can then appoint the Chairman of the State Public Service Commission.

Such a system would effectively rule out the appointment of any unsuitable person.
One common thread running through all reviews is the desire to make the central services democratic and non-partisan in terms of ethnic, linguistic and socio-economic biases. All along, experts have been clear on one point - the All India cadre is not meant for the privileged. What is important is that even an average man/ woman in India, who otherwise has a high degree of social commitment, be interested in the Services. Therefore, the most sought-after traits that the UPSC interview panel tries hard to spot in a potential candidate are: a high degree of empathy with India's poor, someone who is less concerned about material gains but has a definite public agenda in hand and, above all, someone blessed with tremendous motivation and displaying an open mind on all issues.

Only time will tell whether the recommendations of the Alagh Committee are successful in delivering this kind of a candidate.