The Endless Illusion of IAS Babus!

A few days ago a delegation of senior officers belonging to a specialized cadre met the head of a regulatory body to discuss their problems. The 'head', if you're an Indian you can easily guess, was an IAS officer who had, as usual, 'managed' his way to the present sinecure after retiring as the Secretary of a Govt. Department dealing with the very subject he was now to regulate!

During discussions it soon became apparent that the elderly gentleman had little to offer except the usual advice (available in plenty on Indian streets as well) about how best the officers in the delegation should learn from what was going on in other countries about doing their jobs! Out of inexperience, or perhaps unfamiliarity with the way these generalists usually 'think', the delegation leader made the mistake of harping on the specifics of their roles and responsibilities once too much. No doubt this was like showing a red flag to a bull, and the gentleman thundered words to this effect: "Then go on doing what you are doing! You chaps will never go beyond where you are."

When this was told to me by one of the delegates, I couldn't help thinking about the reasons for such an attitude in a person whom I consider to be an exceptionally gifted human being (Please! That is not the case with all of them by any stretch of imagination!!) . The net result of my deliberations can be summed up in the following few lines:

1. The basic qualification for becoming an IAS officer is just a graduation degree in any subject, be it English, Commerce, History, Physics, Psychology, Medicine, Engineering or even Veterinary Science!

2. The 'training' the young IAS recruits get is a mix of various subjects of general nature, with the euphoric feeling of belonging to a "superior Service"! In the largely feudal society of India it definitely makes for a heady mixture.

3. Right from the beginning of their career these youngsters' egos are boosted sky-high when they are placed as 'heads' of Districts where they are free to summon and give orders to specialists like the Medical Officers, the Agriculture Extension officers, the Executive Engineers, etc. - are all much senior to them in age and experience.

4. Thus commences the unending ego-trip of the IAS babus. They forget that like others they are also merely servants of the Government, and that their only claim to fame is the chair given to them by a medieval System (the Govt. machine) that is being perpetuated by their superiors, often in connivance with the political bosses, for their cadre's benefit.

5. Be that as it may, the only thing an IAS babu actually needs is to be clever. Nothing else really matters. The politicians are generalists too, but come from outside the System. So a clever IAS man can fool their kind, and also the public (with a high level of illiteracy) eternally in his climb to the very top, and even beyond retirement.

6. Almost all human beings can talk in general terms. Politicians are essentially experts in this domain. And the IAS babus are trained 'generalists'. So, the two make an excellent combination. Most specialists, on the other hand, have not only spent their pre-job years mastering the skills of their respective professions, but even on job are destined to spend most of their energy and time to tackle the nuts-and-bolts issues of their respective specializations.

7. It's for this reason that a wit once summed up the sad state of affairs in the 'Indian System' as one in which the best produce of its educational system (viz. the professionals) are ruled by the second best (generalists) and the latter in turn by the leftovers of the educational machinery. Isn't politics reported to be the last refuge of scoundrels?

8. Over time, the medieval Indian Govt. System, in which they are NEVER allowed to be accepted as equals by the power-wielders, leads them to a situation of utter helplessness. Unfortunately, their very expertise - and ignorance of the way the System runs in India - proves to be their nemesis. Slowly but surely the System kills their spirit, unless they are ready to ditch it and seek a more equitable career elsewhere. In India it's certainly not easy.

9. Power is vested in the politicians who, being elected for a maximum term of five years at a time come and go. On the other hand, the IAS babus are permanent government employees - sorry, officers! - and constitute the politicians' sole links to the System. You may ask why it must be so. I too wonder... Well, the fact remains that the two invariably join hands and freely exploit the Govt. machinery for achieving their respective agendas. With the heavy veils of secrecy and opacity covering almost all their transactions, who can challenge them?

10. Today, nearly six decades after India became independent, you'll find that the IAS babus have managed to occupy all key slots in the Govt. in ALL Ministries in the Union and the States. The C&AG of India is an IAS, despite the existence of a specialized Indian Audit and Accounts Service (IAAS)! The regulatory bodies that are getting created in the name of liberalization of the economy are also packed with IAS! The powerful Central Administrative Tribunals (CAT) and the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) are also full of IAS! Go where you will in the country, there is no escaping the vice-like grip of the almighty-IAS network.

11. One can now begin to appreciate.... mafia is nothing before them!

12. The country has been their playground since the British left us in 1947. The sting of these "Brown Sahibs" is more deadly than that of our erstwhile foreign masters. At least the British gave us much that we cherish even today, including the laws and the constitution, not to name the posts, the telegraphs, the railways and a whole lot of magnificent infrastructure. The IAS only seems to know how to extract the most from the system, whatever the situation! How well its members have mastered the art can be gauged from from the latest announcement by the Govt. earmarking as much as Rs. 400 million for the training of these babus in Harvard, etc.

13. Coming back to the theme of the IAS babus' superior attitude, I wish someone told them that there is nothing great about the 'perspective' they seem so fascinated by. It's their grand delusion. After all, a vulture doesn't become superior by flying high and thereby gaining a better 'perspective'. To me, the creatures they resemble the most are... vultures... picking on the talent, skills and hard work of generally much more qualified and professional fellow Indians and enjoying life at their cost...

14. How much longer shall the party last? Your guess is as good as mine.