Exclusive: IAS Officers Sinking Ships Just Because They Can't Be Captain, More To Read In Cabinet Secretary Message

A wise man once said, “Be careful who you let on your ship, because some people will sink the whole ship just because they can't be the captain.” This perhaps is turning to be a reality among Secretaries in the center. The Cabinet Secretary, T.V. Somnathan, issued repeated reminders/memos on meeting conduct of meetings and administrative and professional behavior. The reminders and memos may not have not reached everyone well, so the Cabinet Secretary held a strongly worded message meeting was held by the Cabinet Secretary  before the expected rollout of major administrative reforms in January. 

According to top sources/report, the Cabinet Secretary showed 12 cartoons or types of bureaucrats, capturing the pulse of every Secretary in the center. Among the types listed by Somnath were officers who ask women colleagues to come a bit closer than comfortable to show them a document, those who throw files and speak rudely, and those who call in staff on Saturdays and then arrive late themselves. The list also included some officers who call meetings after 7 PM, sit on files, or send ministers decisions they could take themselves. The Cabinet Secretary then ranked Secretaries on performance and asked them to revisit their administrative thinking and conduct in meetings.

Top sources add that the current matrix of Secretaries appear to be in locked in battle among themselves, especially with Additional Secretaries within the Ministries and IAS officers who are gunning hard to grab Secretary posts in reshuffles. This ego and power battle has left little room for effective continuity in the Whole of Government Approach or Smart Governance, which is what the hour needs, especially as administrative reform rolls out next year, a top source added.

Some secretaries are either just upset about the ministries they head or they just can't manage the administrative load, hence leading to administrative inertia or chaos in specific ministries, a top source added. 

“These IAS officers are sinking ships just because they can't be Captain”, a top source quipped. The realization at this level is must by IAS officers because for present government, these IAS officers have to present results not only on paper but also ground otherwise this government does not think twice in showing IAS officers their place.