Moily panel suggests radical changes to weed out babudoms

In a bid to make bureaucracy more accountable, the second Administrative Reforms Commission headed by senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily has proposed the government to implement some radical and far-reaching changes in the form and procedure of appointments and continuance of employee’s service based on their performance.

So if the Moily panel are given a go ahead, the common attitude of babu’s the chalta hai, chalne do habit will have to die down or else they should be ready to be sacked.

The ARC report— Refurbishing of Personnel Administration— stated that all public servants should be subjected to two intensive reviews: first, after completion of 14 years of service and second and last, after 20 years. The first review of service would primarily serve the purpose of acknowledging to the public servant about his or her strengths and shortcomings and would give them a chance to wipe out their shortcomings within six years, while the second review will decide their further continuance of service based on their performance, means, they would be sacked if are found to be unfit.

To ensure better accountability, the Commission in its 377-page report says: “The continuance of service beyond 20 years will depend on the outcome of these reviews. Also, all the new recruitments will be for a period of 20 years and their continuance beyond would depend on intensive reviews.”

For this, the panel suggested to bring a new comprehensive civil services law with provisions of performance-based continuation of service, code of ethics and new system of promotion and cadre allotment.

Briefing the media in New Delhi on Friday, Moily noticed the nexus between the political executive and civil servants as a worrying factor. The panel said there was a need to safeguard the political neutrality and impartiality of civil services. The politicians and civil servants should be made equally responsible for this. This aspect should be included in the comprehensive code of ethics for politicians as well as for civil servants.

The Moily panel in its report also suggests mandatory training at different stages of a civil servant’s career, and there was a need to recognise their outstanding work to motivate them.

Moily said that every government servant should undergo mandatory training at the induction stage and also periodically during his or her career. Successful completion of these trainings should be the minimum criteria for continuation of service and subsequent promotions.

Apart from all these recommendations, the panel has also suggested for revamping the Civil Services Examinations system that include alteration in the age criteria, number of attempts, automatic entry from state civil services into the IAS or the IPS, and subject requirements at the graduation level for aspirants of IAS, IPS, IFS and other Group A and B central service.

Under the recruitment process to CSEs, the ARC has give preference to younger men and women by reducing upper age limit for general category aspirants to 25, for OBCs 28 and for SC/ST, it suggests 29 years instead of lifetime in the current system.