I came across news regarding a doctor’s visit to DC of Thiruvananthapuram. He was instructed to treat a toenail infection during office hours, while a large number of patients were waiting in the OPD queue. This incident reminded me of a session I had with a group of recently recruited IPS officers as part of their management training. I noticed that majority of them showed little interest in learning. It seemed they harbored a sense of entitlement, believing they had nothing more to learn having cleared one of the world’s toughest examinations. I have no doubt that officers recruited through UPSC are intelligent and hardworking. With the right commitment and aptitude, they can achieve wonders. Hence, I strongly believe that UPSC should review its selection process. All officers eligible for IAS and IPS cadre positions should undergo a comprehensive assessment (through assessment centre) to gauge their aptitude and commitment. Further, probation period should be a serious exercise to assess on these parameters. Officers with inappropriate aptitude and commitment must not be confirmed in these cadres of great importance. Intelligent individuals with the wrong attitude and commitment can be disastrous for a system. Conversely, with the right attitude and commitment, they can contribute significantly to the country's progress.
Sourav Sardar
1mo
Sir, training is usually seen as a time to relax from the daily grind of work. For newly appointed civil servants, the recruitment process is so gruelling that selected candidates feel that the training is a well deserved break before they are thrown into the real world environment. On the other hand from my personal experience I have seen that most academics in premier institutions are in a zone of their own with no connection with the real world. The same theoretical concepts are discussed in class which have very little real world application. Hence the disinterest in general towards training. When it comes to the entitled nature of some civil servants, I believe that is more of an attitude problem and must be discouraged at all levels. They are there to serve the society and not the other way round.
Attitude is everything and we fail to measure that adequately, both for jobs and college admissions. We still believe cracking examination is the best metric and things will follow on its own. For a job as imporant as DC or a CEO, decoding the underlying motive of candidates is important.
Sir The environment around makes one behave like what they do. There is no exception to the "sahab culture". It's quite common that we learn hatred as we climb upwards and that is present everywhere. I mean you can check at your institution also how many of them are " Taking classes for the masses "; the result will be on the lower side. Yes but true that this incidence will be taken to its course. But where even our schools are differentiating students section on basis of marks, what we can expect from the grown people. I am sure that some of the "chelas" have done this to please the "sahab". Let's spread humanity none the less at any cost. Regards Niraj
Dr Andy Anil
1mo
Sunil Maheshwari Sir , very well written article and very pertinent too. But this isn't an IAS IPS problem, this is societal problem. The rot is deep rooted and will take generations to correct itself, but that doesn't mean we will stop trying. Intelligentsia like you bringing this out in open is desirable and commendable.
Ashutosh Sekhri
1mo
I agree Prof. I think the way SSB is conducted in armed forces Officers selection need to be put into practice in all high impact/ profile portfolios. It opens up a plethora of aspects of an individual’s life. It may be a short term drain on resources/ time but will be worth in the long term.
Rajneesh Gupta
1mo
We claim to recruit the best in the most competitive exam. BUT the question is best in what⁉️ are they even aligned for public service. If not, do our training systems even trying to do so‼️ We have a lot of questions to answer Sunil Maheshwari sir..
Bishwanath Dass
1mo
Sir, it’s a noble thought. I guess this is not going to work. As such UPSC is strenuous enough. Adding another layer is one more hurdle which can be gamed by the applicants. With power and authority comes accountability. The key perhaps lies in making the officers accountable to the public and to the cadre. Like any organisation the cadre collectively need to define its values to be demonstrated by the officers at all times and punish its officers for any misconduct.
Wow, that's quite an interesting observation you made about the IPS officers! It's essential for individuals in positions of power to have the right attitude and commitment.
Bilal Neverekar
1mo
Very True sir. Attitude and commitment play a crucial role in determining the impact of intelligent individuals within a system. Individuals with the wrong attitude and lack of commitment can indeed be detrimental to a system, while those with the right attitude and strong commitment can make significant contributions to progress and development, benefiting the country as a whole. It's not just about intelligence but also about how that intelligence is utilized with the right mindset and dedication.
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1moSunil Maheshwari Sir, I am thrilled and excited to see that an ace academician, and "The Guru of All Times", a stalwart from the top management Institute of the country has tagged a red flag to the burning hot issue, and I couldn't resist posting a comment...that "how the civil servants make the common man and other intellectuals subservient to their self claimed dictating supremacy while they feel like resting on their one laurel of clearing UPSC Exam., and do not exercise their sense of responsibility that came along with the authority they get". I thoroughly respect your opinion and insight shared about the training (civil servants) they get after selection, however, I sense that more important is to correct the system for which they are being trained to work. Why our country is still a prey to the British Bureaucratic System? We are taking longer than normal to understand that "RULE IN THE BOOKS OF CIVIL SERVANTS" is different and "THE RULE ON THE GROUND THEY CREATE WITH THEIR ATTITUDE OF SUPREMACY" is different. They join as civil "SERVANTS", and once they get the authority in their hands they feel as if they can make everyone around them a civilized and obedient "SERVANT" to them. We need a big REFORM here...🙏😊💐🙏