Energizing Indian Bureaucracy - Inputs on Solutions

Dear Friends:

Thanks for your inputs on Issues and Root Causes for Current State of Bureaucracy in India. They are listed below.

Please review them and give your inputs on specific solutions that must be implemented to Energize Indian Bureaucracy.

This was a top priority for 2015 and with this subject we want to give our Government Leaders a whitepaper on the subject so they can take specific actions.

I look forward to your participation!
Rajendra Pratap Gupta

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State of Bureaucracy in India – Root Causes

1. There is a lack of vision and mission at the top level of bureaucracy
2. Bureaucrats are appointed by political leaders, hence they become more subservient to their political masters and not the common man
3. Politicians dominate decision making and honest bureaucrats do not get any chance to bring in any significant changes in the functioning of state and central Governments
4. Bureaucrats are afraid and do not speak out during their stint in Government departments
5. Bureaucrats simply do not think out of box and just follow the outdated rule books that offer no solution for current realities
6. Most bureaucrats are not up to date on the latest innovation and development
7. Most bureaucrats lack the “Find a Way” approach and the focus is on “How/Why something cannot be done”
8. Most Honest Bureaucrats have no risk taking ability and are therefore unable to take decisions
9. Some bureaucrats delay things in the expectation of bribes
10. Bureaucrats and Government Departments have no penalty for causing delays
11. The appraisal of bureaucrats is not linked to their performance
12. Yearly goals are not effectively set for bureaucrats or government departments
13. Little action is taken against bureaucrats for delay or cost escalation of projects
14. Vigilance against bureaucratic corruption has been ineffective
15. Most bureaucrats do not have a sense of respect towards citizens, businesses, customers


State of Bureaucracy of India – Key Issues

1. Bureaucrats are rude with people
2. The state bureaucracy is more interested in politics than in people welfare
3. Bureaucrats have slowly started taking orders from the politicos
4. Bureaucrats are not sincere towards their work
5. They think that they are superior than the common man and look down upon them
6. Bureaucrats are like a law unto themselves
7. Bureaucrats are more procedure-oriented rather than result-oriented
8. Customer-centricity"/"Customer orientation", in this case citizen-centricity/orientation - is not something that they may necessarily have
9. Bureaucrats do not think of Indian citizens as their "customers", whom they have to serve
10. Whether the organisation they are working for, does well or not - Bureaucrats may not be bothered
11. Bureaucrats are usually rigid and lack speed
12. Corruption, nepotism, red tapism etc. in large part is driven by bureaucrats
13. Bureaucrats are groomed only with a basic clause that they are the masters rest are their servants
14. Bureaucrats misuse their powers for their own benefit at the cost of public money and property
15. Many Bureaucrats work with the mind set of “Mera Kya, Mujhe Kya”
16. Bureaucrats use their power to get jobs to their relatives and friends
17. Worked is postponed and many unnecessary documents are asked for
18. Many a times, excuses about ministerial level permissions or lack of government funds are made
19. Bureaucrats concentrate more on the benefits that come with their jobs and ignore their core duties
20. Some bureaucrats are extremely corrupt and make a lot of money in under the table or underhand deals
21. Bureaucracy lacks ideas to effectively implement decisions of state and central Governments
22. Indian Bureaucrats do not keep themselves updated about various technological developments, due to which they lag behind their counterparts in the developed countries more