Can India’s Inefficient Bureaucracy Be Disciplined’? Here’s How Modi Is Trying

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been spearheading a wave of reforms that have made the headlines, but that one domain he has been working on discreetly, yet resolutely, is hi-tech bureaucratic reform.

He has taken on the “daunting” task of initiating several disciplinary measures against the bureaucracy, said a report in the Economic Times.

The battles against babudom are supported by an online assessment system to track the performance of bureaucrats.

Online Probity Management System aims to assist various ministries in assessing the integrity and performance levels of officers. All officers who have turned 50 or 55 or have completed 30 years of service will have to pass the performance test to continue in service or be compulsorily retired.

The new 'Probity' portal makes the process completely online by which ministries can now submit their reports online and the government gets a bird’s eye-view of the status on one portal.

The government is using a unique system — Sparrow (Smart performance appraisal report recording online window) — to make the entire appraisal system online and accessible for review by the ministries concerned.

Another online system to track babudom is a Department of Personnel and Training portal, 'Solve', a system for online vigilance enquiry for board-level appointees.

A software introduced two months ago aims to cut delays and introduce transparency in departmental proceedings against bureaucrats for alleged corruption. The online system envisages use of cloud-based technology and provides interface to different stakeholders like the administrative ministry initiating the departmental inquiry, the cadre controlling authority, charged officer, inquiry officer, etc through separate modules.

All documents required for the conduct of the inquiry will be stored online and authenticated through digital signature/e-signature. Further, all communication between the different stakeholders will be through the system with provision for email and SMS alerts.

The multi-pronged disciplinary measures also aim to ensure that IAS officers working with central government departments, states and union territories submit Immovable Property Returns (IPRs) by 31 January 2018. This will require all IAS officers to submit details of their assets by next month, failing which they would be denied vigilance clearances needed for promotions and foreign postings.

Tracking of officers’ performance has resulted in the punishing of the rogues and the under-achievers.