India News | Vice-Prez Asks Civil Servants to Stand Up for What is Right, Speak Truth to Political Executive

New Delhi, Apr 21 (PTI) Expressing concern over the perceived rising "nexus" between politicians and civil servants, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday asked bureaucrats to stand up for what is right and speak the truth to the political executive.

He also said that instead of preferring to be indecisive and evasive and defer a decision, every civil servant has to be dynamic, initiative-bearing and problem-solving.

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"This calls for reorienting bureaucracy into meritocracy. Mediocrity should be disincentivised," the vice-president asserted.

Naidu made these remarks while addressing officer trainees from various services on Civil Services Day in Hyderabad.

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According to the text of his speech made available by the Vice-President's Secretariat, he said, "I can assure you all that the politicians are wise and receptive to good suggestions if they are presented to them convincingly and rationally."

"This is because no minister would like to risk being punished for wrongdoing or a bad decision. The growing nexus between the political class and civil servants being widely referred to as a matter of deep concern."

The vice-president was of the view that civil servants need not take an adversarial position "on all matters".

"When you are instructed to present a particular issue in a certain manner that suits the political executive, all you need to do is to speak for the right and, if required, do so in writing.

"If you are overruled, the authority concerned would be taken to task. The political and permanent executive should work in tandem and in the right manner. The political executive should definitely change," he said.

All that the officials have to do, Naidu said, is to show up their character and be on the right side of the law.

"If not, you will be conceding ground to your political masters from which neither of you will benefit. On the contrary, the country and the people will suffer that much. So, I advise you to strictly stand up for the right," he advised them.

Citing his experience, the vice-president said 'yes sir' types are not respected in the long run while "speakers of truth" are.

Referring to the financial stress of certain states with a "growing mismatch between the needs of welfare states and that of long-term development", Naidu said he has been told the revenues of some states are not enough to even run the administration and borrowings are being increasingly resorted to for extending "freebies" with "utter neglect" of growth concerns and asset creation.

"The concerns of welfare need to be harmonised with the needs of development which, in turn, open up new opportunities for the people to benefit in the long run and stand on their own.

"Senior civil servants, in particular, have to shoulder the responsibility of enabling such harmonious development by being frank and honest to the political executive," he said.

Referring to frequent transfers, he said it does not permit internal specialisation.

"Handpicked officials are given plum postings so that you toe the line of the political executive. Rising expectations of people coupled with their impatience, changed socio-economic scenarios, rapid technological advances and rising public scrutiny through RTI activism and civil society, growing inter-connectedness globally bring along new complexities and challenges. You are under pressure all the time to deliver and quickly," Naidu said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)