Comments on: A Tryst with Indian Administration

By: Nisha

Nisha — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 07:27:40 +0000

Hi Taruna,

Enjoyed reading your article and I share your sentiments.
Could you tell us how you got the chance to intern at the Collector’s office in Bhopal? I’m a Civil Service aspirant and would love to get such exposure to “Ground Zero”.

By: taruna

taruna — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 08:00:21 +0000

Dear Rajeev,
Thanks a lot for your highly motivating remarks. Indeed the platform of our magazine is to serve the very fundamental base of open discussions. Hope to receive more comments and analysis from readers like you in future.
Once again thanking for the appreciation and suggestions.
Cheers !!!!

By: Rajeev Parashar

Rajeev Parashar — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 05:27:29 +0000

Dear Taruna,

Thanks for taking my rant in the right spirit. You must be a sincere person to take time, think and respond to another point of view. I can only wish the very best to a person like you. However, just think if the trolley had turned the other way round AND the trolley driver killed with the young IPS officer on top of the heap! The whole country and media would be talking of Police brutality and the licentiousness of a young IPS probationer!! After all it was circumstantially clear that it was an accident AND also confirmed by a subsequent enquiry. The idiot Trolley driver may not have realised that he has been asked to stop by a senior Officer rather than the usual guys and must have thought it better to speed away into his village.
Any ways you have your heart at the right place. An unsolicited but sincere advise to you would be to temper your idealism with the pitch and groove of the world around us if you want to be effective through out your career.
All the best.
Rajeev Parashar.

By: taruna

taruna — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 17:50:26 +0000

@ rajeev parashar..
Thanks rajeev for posting your views. The article is indeed an ordinary piece of writing but whether it is contrived or not needs a little verification. I would like to clarify a few points. One,no doubt UPSC exams are all about perks and recognition but they are also about being at the bottom of the hierarchy to bring about a change. It is upto an individual what he decides to do. I would like to quote a reference here of an IAS officer who lost his life all because he dare not let the tractor(illegal mining case) move ahead without worrying a little about his life.Such is the spirit and zeal which cant be controlled once you are determined to change things. What would be your say in this case ? Blame the govt. , corruption but you cant blame those efforts which cost a valuable life.
Source :http://ibnlive.in.com/news/illegal-mining-ips-officer-killed-in-mp/237367-3.html
Two, Engineers and doctors have certainly the scope to do public good. Infact that opportunity is available with every individual like me and you.What I wanted to convey here is that there is a spark and a realisation behind most of the professionals forcing them to rethink on their decisions. The opportunity and limits of actual “public good” requires you to get head over heels for people’s and ultimately the nation’s good. Or else why anyone would leave lucrative and posh MNC’s , big hospitals ,a relaxed life, hot pay packages to end up in a very small often backward district to start his life afresh. The statement is open for debate.
Lastly, I agree that there is a dearth of Army officers and major reforms are needed in the sector. It is more of an individual’s choice in deciding the way he opts for serving the nation.
I hope I made myself clear.

By: rajeev parashar

rajeev parashar — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 10:06:15 +0000

The article is an ordinary piece of writing. Most of the sentiments are also contrived. Most aspirants for the UPSC exams are looking forward to gain a lifetime of recognition, perks and progress based on a single exam. In fact Gp A civil services are a very good way of putting out life’s grind and challenges at a young age with just one two year shot at the exams AND that is the attraction. Most folks comfortably RETIRE into a Govt job for the next 30-40 years. Expensively trained Engineers, Doctors if they were Public spirited would have enough scope for Public good available to them right after Graduation. It is this cosy and sahib lifestyle which attracts them to the grind. Note that this years topper Shena is a grad from AIIMS, was training to be an Income Tax officer and eventually topped for IAS in her second attempt. What do you have to say? Is it a good trade off for the society she says she wants to serve? So lets be real. Look at the VRSs from the CRPF, etc and the shortage of Army officers. Where is the zeal for service amongst the youth in these sectors? Extensive recruitment and career progression reforms are called for.

By: Samet

Samet — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 09:35:34 +0000

Your atrilce was excellent and erudite.

By: Abhishek

Abhishek — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 19:48:04 +0000

Well written, waiting for next one covering further details

By: Taruna

Taruna — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 16:33:26 +0000

Many many thanks for your appreciation sir. It is a pleasure to receive your comment and a motivation for us to keep publishing such articles in our magazine.
You rightly mentioned sir that being an IAS officer requires extreme hardwork and dedication on one’s part and a commitment of a lifetime. I personally draw a lot of inspiration from my experience of working with an IAS officer and learnt that even the negatives aspects can be minimised to the least extent possible if one wishes.
Thanks once again for taking your precious time out for students like us.

By: Pramod Kumar Gupta

Pramod Kumar Gupta — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 12:32:38 +0000

My compliments to Taruna for putting up her findings of the face of beaurocracy to the readers for their thoughts about joining the same or otherwise.
I am with Indian Railways for about 25 years now, and have quite a few of my classmates in IAS, IPS and other Government sectors as well as Public Sectors. I have my classmates as Enterpreneurs or employed in Private sectors abroad as also in India.
When I joined my service as a fresher, I had the resposibility to control and manage 1000+ strong workforce as their technical guide cum administrator and HR administrator; this in addition to responsibility of maintenance of 150 km of railway track alongwith the bridges and Railway stations enroute. Such was the enormity of responsibilities that question of working hours and days never occured to our minds.
With my interactions with my IAS friends, I can state with no hesitation that their responsibilities far exceed those of my service. So, I would like to add a word of caution that in IAS getting weekly or even monthly vacation may be too much to ask, even finding time to get 8 hours for daily sleep may be very rarely possible.
Salaries are not High, but more than adequate for a normal healthy living. So for the ones aiming to build up wealth, without indulging in corruption, this is not the right choice.
Power and status are achievable to very high degree.One starts working as MDs and CMDs of large public sector Corporations within 6-10 years of joining the service.
OPPORTUNITY to serve and help a very large number of PEOPLE is the REAL ENGINE to drive anyone for joining IAS.
The negative aspects, mentioned by Taruna, are in fact the challenges which an intelligent and committed IAS officer enjoys.
Thanks again for a thought provoking article.
(PS- I also have a classmate of mine Ganesh Datt Bhatt, who has recently joined IME deptt of IIT-K as faculty.)
My webpage Http://p_k_gupta.tripod.com