Indian Administrative Service Research Articles

Consciousness of Religion, Mythology and Spirituality: A Study of Prof. Vikas Sharma’s Novel I.A.S. Today

Literature expresses the perceptions, feelings and desires of a writer. Indian English writers have predominantly been culturally conscious of religion. Religion and literature give peace to suffering humanity. I.A.S. Today is a novel written by Prof. Vikas Sharma. This research article delves into the intricate layering of religious, mythological, and spiritual themes present in Prof. Vikas Sharma’s novel I.A.S. Today. Sharma, a prominent figure in contemporary literature, weaves a tale that juxtaposes the bureaucratic life of the Indian Administrative Service (I.A.S.) with profound reflections on India’s rich tapestry of religious and mythological narratives. At the heart of the study is an analysis of how Sharma’s characters navigate the complex moral and spiritual terrain, influenced by ancient tales and modern-day challenges. The narrative isn’t merely a portrayal of administrative life; it becomes a mirror to society, reflecting deeply rooted beliefs, cultural norms, and the internal conflicts individuals face when trying to reconcile their professional and personal aspirations with spiritual growth. Drawing from primary textual references and contextualizing them with classical Indian myths, the article underscores the ways in which the protagonist’s journey in the bureaucratic labyrinth is symbolic of a larger cosmic journey. Sharma’s work raises questions about dharma (duty), karma (action), and moksha (liberation) in the face of modern challenges. Various characters of this novel are influenced by the teachings given in Indian scriptures like The Srimad Bhagvadgita, The Upanishads and The Ramayana. They try to shape themselves by following the teachings and look for the right aim of human life. This paper aims to study the spiritual wisdom given in this novel which will open the right path for present generation. Furthermore, the research highlights Sharma’s innovative approach to storytelling, melding the real with the mythical. Through meticulous character analysis and plot dissection, the article reveals how the novel acts as a conduit for introducing contemporary readers to age-old philosophical questions. By doing so, Sharma not only offers a commentary on the state of present-day bureaucracy but also delves into timeless existential queries. Through this analysis, the article establishes Sharma’s novel as a significant contribution to Indian literature, bridging the ancient and the modern, the mundane, and the spiritual.

Exploring the Demographic Determinants of Integrity in Careerist Senior Civil Servants: Role of Social Norms and Security

Given rising concerns over corruption globally, this research investigates the factors that influence integrity. The study found no statistically significant effect of prior education, geography, or experience on the integrity levels of careerist senior civil servants (CSCS) in India (also known as, Indian administrative service officers), which is infamous for corruption in public administration. We posit that this might be attributed to heightened social security received by CSCS amply aided by social contagion, rigorous training, and network effects, which impact the maintenance of integrity at the individual level. Our study supplements the existing rationale of bureaucratic reputation theory, social contagion theory and public service motivations. We argue that corruption in a democratic government in a lower-middle-income country is often a result of an interconnected network of stakeholders that CSCS may have a limited ability to influence, resulting in a quiet life equilibrium.

Jawaharlal Nehru’s Vision for Citizen-centric Administration

After Independence from the British rule, India adopted a new Constitution in 1950 framed by the Constituent Assembly. Under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru as the first Prime Minister, India followed the path of ‘democratic socialism’ to establish the ‘socialistic pattern of society’. Though Nehru started with a new vision and vigour, yet he was left with a traditional administrative machinery inherited from the colonial era. Nehru wanted to overhaul the Indian Civil Service (ICS) machinery to suit the objectives of new India by making it more citizen-centric and more participatory, and constituted the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in its place. This article tries to outline the vision of Nehru for a citizen-centric public administration. The article analyses the role of the Preamble to the Constitution and Nehru’s Objectives Resolution in defining popular moorings and sanctions for public administration. Delineating major colonial inheritances in the administrative machinery, the article in its later part, analyses Nehru’s thoughts on citizen-centric administration, especially focusing on a human touch in Indian public administration.

‘Breaking Barriers: The Story of a Dalit Chief Secretary’

The book ‘Breaking Barriers: The Story of a Dalit Chief Secretary’ published by Emesco Books Private Limited in 2022, and edited by D. Chandrasekhar Reddy, is a powerful account of a journey from fear to fearlessness, from subjugation to assertion and from being no one to becoming a revered exemplary civil servant. Authored by the former IAS officer Kaki Madhava Rao, the book explores the inner mechanism of the civil service at the ground level and casts light on micro policies and governance. Rao was a 1962 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer who superannuated as Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh. He also served as a Director at the Reserve Bank of India and as a member of the Board for Financial Supervision. He was born in 1939, in Pedamaddali village in the Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh. This book is an inspiring account of an astonishing journey of the son of a Parelu,—a farmhand from a Dalit family who breaks the shackles of demeaning existence and challenges posed by the social systems and economic conditions, and emerges successfully to reach the highest echelons of bureaucracy.

Changing Leadership Styles and Strategies of IAS Lobby WRT Losing Its Swagger in Corridors of Power in India

The Indian Administrative Service is the administrative hand of all Indian services in Indian government. IAS is one of the important branches from all India services and works a lot for development of the economy. Leadership is the process of influencing others and an effective leader influences his followers in a preferred way to achieve desired objectives. Different leadership practices affect organizational efficiency, efficacy, and performance. The powerful Indian Administrative Service (IAS) lobby is losing its influence over the authority corridor in the national capital and has fallen to almost 33 percent from previous virtual control. The growth and expansion come as the government increased the appointment of the officials from services to fill important positions in different ministries. IAS officers have been found deficient in their roles and there is a sharp scarcity IAS officers in 18-25 years of superiority. The study helps in understanding the role of leadership practices in enhancing the performance of the administrative officers. Primary data collected through the questionnaire distributed manually and via mail to the IAS officers. There were 286 IAS officers both zones directly recruited or promoted in Maharashtra region and 50% of the total population, i.e. 143 IAS officers, were taken as sample for the study. Mean, weighted average, pie charts, and graphs were made and to support the study. One null hypothesis is also framed. Organizations can be successful when the followers and the leaders have healthy relationships. Leadership styles and approaches provides direction, implement plans, and motivate people.

Decentralisation, Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Governance: A Review Article

Decentralisation, Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Governance: A Review Article

Explaining High Performance Among Indian Administrative Service (IAS) Officers: A Job Demands-Resources Perspective

Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers are careerist senior civil servants (SCS) in the world’s largest democracy, holding senior roles of policymaking and implementation. Therefore, identifying exceptionally performing SCS to unravel their “job demands” along with “personal resources” should help with understanding how best to manage these critical human resources. Employing a qualitative approach, we interviewed 11 high performing IAS officers identified through a unique career progression index. Our data analysis revealed that the IAS suffers from the following job demands: difficulty in coordination with other departments and stakeholders, financial inadequacy, and dishonest subordinates or coworkers. This study also found that self-directed learning, personal reputation, empathy, and service orientation are essential personal resources for high-performing SCS. While expanding the list of job demands and personal resources in the public administration context, our research provides a deeper insight into the challenges confronting careerist SCS in lower-middle income developing countries.

Does Affirmative Action Worsen Bureaucratic Performance? Evidence from the Indian Administrative Service

AbstractAlthough many countries recruit bureaucrats using affirmative action, the effect of affirmative action recruits on bureaucratic performance has rarely been examined. Some worry that affirmative action worsens bureaucratic performance by diminishing the quality of recruits, whereas others posit that it improves performance by making recruits more representative of and responsive to the population. We test for these possibilities using unusually detailed data on the recruitment, background, and careers of India's elite bureaucracy. We examine the effect of affirmative action hires on district‐level implementation of MGNREGA, the world's largest anti‐poverty program. The data suggest that disadvantaged group members recruited via affirmative action perform no worse than others.

Women in Indian Public Administration: Prospects and Challenges

To achieve equitable development in society gender equity in civil service is sine qua non. It is crucial that the structures of authority, decision making and implementation should be modified to provide access and equity to all segments of society including women. But ironically, women inhabit only 20% of decision-making places in public and private realm. Further, worldwide their visibility is merely 1-5% at apex positions in organisations. Alike, Indian Civil Service (ICS) was manned exclusively by men before 1947. Since Independence, women have been permitted to ender in the public sector including All-India Services. AIS Rules, 1954 entitled the government to demand the resignation of a female officer after marriage on ground of efficiency notwithstanding the Constitutional parity. 1972 gender parity was introduced in the most prestigious services. Nevertheless, the percentage of women in the services is abysmally low. In 2015 women were merely 12 percent and 6.4 percent in Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) respectively. Further, analysis unambiguously exposes that women are confined mainly in the sectors that foster prevailing gender stereotypes of their innateness province of bear, rear and nurture. The proposed study probes gender equity in Indian civil services in general and AIS – IAS and IPS in particular. The study reveals that women are underrepresented in IAS in general and managerial/executive position(s) in particular. Mainly three layers of hurdles are stifling their participation in these services e.g. personal factors, organizational factors and institutional and cultural factors.

Cog in the Wheel of Patronage

This is a brief history of a career in the generalist higher civil service of India called the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). The article brings out the incentive structure which confronts a civil servant seeking to deliver better outcomes in the making and implementation of public policy in India. The peculiarities of India’s federal system of inter-governmental transfers, the constraints, dilemmas and limited scope for making a difference, are all explored in an anecdotal format in this first-person account of a career spanning three and a half decades. The author begins with his reasons for joining the civil service, his initial years of heading the local administration in remote mountain areas and moves on to an analysis of various postings at state and central levels, including stints in finance, rural and urban development, water, sanitation, health, land and power sectors. Each segment attempts to explain different facets and nuances of both the limits and potential of a career choice in the premier civil service of India.

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Low Back Pain in 1,355 Young Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Study DesignCross-sectional study.PurposeTo evaluate the prevalence and various risk factors for low back pain (LBP) in young adults in India.Overview of LiteratureLBP is an emerging problem in adolescents, with an incidence that is the highest in the third decade of life worldwide. Various risk factors such as obesity, smoking, family history, stress, and exercise have been described in the literature. This study was conducted because of paucity of data in the Indian literature.MethodsA total of 1,355 (741 males and 641 females) young Indian Administrative Service aspirants and medical postgraduate aspirants aged 18–35 years were enrolled in the study. The subjects completed a detailed, semi-structured questionnaire that gathered data regarding their sociodemographic profile and factors considered to be risk factors for LBP. Anthropometric measurements, including height and weight, were measured and body mass index was calculated.ResultsMost subjects (90.6%) were aged 20–29 years (mean, 24.49; range, 18–35 years). Results indicated that the following factors were associated with LBP in young adults: marital status, previous history of spine problems, strenuous exercise, job satisfaction, monotony, stress, daily number of studying hours, and family history of spine problems (p<0.05). However, age, sex, smoking, alcoholism, coffee intake, mode and duration of travel, diet, frequency of weightlifting, wearing heels, studying posture, and frequency and type of sports activities were not associated with LBP.ConclusionsThe study identified various modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors that precipitated LBP in young adult Indians. Identifying these risk factors at an early stage will prevent LBP progression to a chronic disease state, thereby improving an individual's quality of life and increasing productivity.

Leadership competencies for effective public administration: a study of Indian Administrative Service officers

ABSTRACTPublic administrative service occupies a strategic position in the public governance system of any nation. Contemporary public administration needs competent public managers who are able to make sense of the ambiguity inherent in the job. This study presents an attempt to identify important competencies needed for public administrators (specifically District Magistrates in India, a peak leadership role in the public service). Based on focused-group discussions and a survey of 218 Indian Administrative Service officers, the study identified eight competencies, namely people first; leading others; integrity; decision-making; planning, coordination and implementation; problem-solving; self-awareness and self-control; and innovative thinking. The eight competencies were further clubbed under four meta-competencies, namely stakeholder analysis and decision-making, managing change and innovation, team building and positive administrator personality. A detailed description of the behaviours included within each competency and meta-competency is provided. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

LANDac, International Land Governance Conference 2016, 30 June–1 July, Utrecht, the Netherlands

The Dutch Land Academy (the Netherlands Academy on Land Governance for Equitable and Sustainable Development - LANDac) organised its annual conference on Land Governance in the Context of Urbanisation and Climate Change: Linking the Rural and Urban' on 30 June-1 July 2016. A hundred and sixty participants - who presented studies originating from 33 countries - attended the conference and discussed papers in twenty thematic sessions. Additionally, the conference had keynotes, panel discussions and special sessions (documentary viewing, film project preview, societally oriented events and a subsequent PhD summer school). With its conference theme - linking the rural and the urban - LANDac changes orientation from a purely rural focus towards inclusion of the urban landscape. LANDac previously focused on land grabbing, rural development and agricultural business, but now, as Annelies Zoomers (chair of LANDac, Utrecht University) explained in the welcome session, urbanisation seems inevitable in the context of land governance. She emphasised the sudden urbanisation of rural areas when land use is rezoned to urban, and vice versa when political mood changes, creating uncertainty for communities on the fringe. She also addressed the exclusive nature of cities, pushing out those who cannot keep up with mobilisation, digitalisation and rising costs of living, subsequently creating (more) inequality. The conference aimed to identify dynamics of urban-rural linkages to establish the LANDac research agenda for the upcoming years.KeynotesDuring the conference several keynotes were given. George Payne (housing and urban development consultant in the UK) opened with a keynote entitled 'Land governance in interesting times!'. He focused on peri-urban areas and pragmatic solutions to land tenure. According to Payne, rules are too complicated and change too often according to rezoning as rural or urban. Traditional (customary) law and statutory law meet in these areas, creating a non-understandable legal plurality. He encouraged governments to invest in (and promote) different tenure options, 'as land ownership is fine by some, but a burden for young, elderly and poor'.The next set of keynotes addressed the state of affairs in land governance in several countries and continents. Joao Carrilho (former vice-minister of agriculture, government of Mozambique) focused on Mozambique and Africa in general, Roberto Rocco (TUDelft) focused on Brazil and Latin America, and Malovika Pawar (Indian Administrative Service, Utrecht University) focused on India and Asia. The brief pitches of each of the speakers provided the opportunity to get acquainted with the different contexts and set the scene for the remainder of the conference. In all the pitches the interrelatedness and interdependency of rural and urban landscapes was at the forefront, either to 'find new paradigms to adapt to a new world of compressed spacetime' (Carrilho), to 'bridge the social-spatial divide in the face of capitalism' (Rocco), or to 'acquire farmland fairly and with just compensation' (Pawar).On the second day, Theo de Jager (Pan-African Farmers' Organisation, South African Confederation of Agricultural Unions) and Jean du Plessis (UN-Habitat) each gave a policyoriented keynote speech. De Jager took a stance for small towns in South Africa, a link between urban (large cities) and rural areas. Small towns are hubs in the agricultural value chain and create communities, but to keep the value chain, volume is needed. As such, 'we should abandon the romanticising of smallholder farming ... and create communities fit for the world market'. Du Plessis focused on the Sustainable Development Goals to promote land tenure. He focused on land rights and human rights, thereby emphasising flexibility towards tenure deeds. He gave the example of Cairo, where people have tenure rights and land deeds, but keep their electricity bills as proof of their right to stay. …

Civil Servants and Code of Conduct in India: Question of Raising Standards

Searching for compatibility between ethics and law in the terrain of human subjectivity is a perennial problem seen in the public sphere of democracy. It becomes almost an ideal of attaining a moral administrative community after prolonged failed endeavours of raising a political community. In the promiscuous public interest of the political realm, the rational sharing of accountability between the political executives and administrative executives has come to sharp resistance. Serving the public interest, customer-driven, benevolent political neutrality, and organizational humanism are increasingly contemplated. Constitutional provisions and code of conduct reflect inadequate schemes of accountability. Though various forms of control exist to resist the over-stretch of bureaucracy in a democratic set up, the idea of accountability is still highly linked with political executives. This paper examines the constitutional provisions and the code of conduct pertaining to higher civil service, the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), in relation to problems of ethics and accountability and raising standards in India. It attempts to outline a code of conduct appropriate to tackle the situation of declining ethical standards. It specially focuses on the higher civil service in Tamil Nadu, a southern state of India, to examine the above issues. Since, more and more top civil servants in Tamil Nadu have been suspended, arrested or charged with cases, it is important to examine the accountability and ethics of civil servants, Constitutional protection, code of conduct, and the process of political victimization in a democratic set up.

Preparing Indian Administrative Service Officers for Public Service: A Competency-Based Approach

The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) occupies a strategic position in Indian public governance system. In this paper an exercise has been undertaken to identify the key competencies that are nee...

The Masculinities of Post-colonial Governance: Bureaucratic memoirs of the Indian Civil Service

AbstractThis article examines the memoirs of Indian Civil Service officers as they continued to work in what became the Indian Administrative Service after independence. Rather than being understood solely as historical archives, these texts constitute a genre that can be called the ‘bureaucratic memoir’ which reveals masculinities that are both colonial and post-colonial. These memoirs, and their publication decades after independence reveal attempts by elites to preserve the power of the bureaucracy into subsequent decades. The texts hope to disavow but instead also reveal the patriarchal intimacies of these elites, even as these were challenged by charges of corruption and failure which emerged almost from the first moments of independence.

National Policy on Rental Urban Housing in India (NPRUHI)

A National Policy on Rental Housing was presented as a simulation exercise to senior Indian Administrative Service Officers in the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration. It details the first steps towards evolving a rental housing framework in India.

Preparing IAS Officer Trainees for the Role of District Magistrate: A Competency-Based Approach

The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers occupy a strategic position in Indian public governance system. Government has generally laid a lot of emphasis on the training programmes for IAS officers to ensure that they are equipped with the right set of knowledge, skills and attitude to effectively perform in the varied assignments that they occupy. It is increasingly being recognized that more than knowledge, skill and attitude, proficiency in certain deep seated abilities result in superior and more effective performance of an individual in an organizational setting. These deep seated abilities are commonly termed as competencies. In this paper an exercise has been undertaken to identify the key competencies which are required for effectively performing the role of a District Magistrate (DM). The focus of the two years training programme at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, (LBSNAA) is to equip the officers for the first decade of service during which they are also expected to serve as District Magistrates (DM). It is expected that clarity about the competencies required to become an effective DM will facilitate more efficient human resource management of the cadre of IAS officers including training, placement and performance management. This research paper based on extensive survey methodology is an attempt in that direction.

What Do Indian Administrative Service Offcers Learn from South Korea Exposure Visits?

The purpose of this article is to assess the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) Exposure Visit Programme to South Korea in 2008 and 2010 with respect to the content of its training programme and its effect on the IAS officers’ learning and leadership development. The study adopts multiple research methods, including participatory observation of the programme, an evaluation by Indian participants, and content analysis of self-assessment learning papers. The results of the content analysis of the programme lessons are that 58 percent of the 2008 programme participants and 47 percent of participants in the 2010 programme had a clear understanding of the key lessons from the Korea visit programme and proposed how India might apply or replicate them. The study finds that there are eight core lessons and application areas from the Korea visit programme identified by programme participants: change of mindset and attitudes of government officers and citizens; leadership and vision; citizen participation; enacting social policy; increasing resources for infrastructure building and development; administration capacity; training of government officers and citizens; and a competitive approach for rural development. Several ideas are suggested for enhancing the quality of future exposure visit programmes for civil servants.

Specialization and Career Dynamics

In this article, we attempt to resolve the tension between two conflicting views on the role of specialization in workers’ careers. Some scholars argue that specialization is a net benefit that allows workers to get ahead, while others argue that broad experience across several domains is the only way to be truly exceptional. We use rich longitudinal data from 1974 to 2008 on the careers of Indian Administrative Service officers, members of the Republic of India’s elite bureaucratic service, to test both these hypotheses. We find that specialization benefits officers throughout their career. We distinguish between skill-based and signal-based mechanisms that relate specialization to promotion, by exploring the match (or lack thereof) between the skills officers acquire and the jobs to which they are promoted, and we find that both mechanisms operate, but at different points in the career. Specialization is rewarded later in officers’ careers because of the skills they acquire by specializing. Earlier in their careers, skills are less important; it appears that specialization benefits officers because it is a signal of general ability. These results contradict studies that find that specialization helps early in careers but fades with experience, but they also call into question the idea that specialization always reflects accumulated skill. Our results support both types of theories but suggest important scope conditions for when one mechanism or the other is likely to dominate.