Quest for Civility

The Honíble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiís criticism of a section of the civil servants in the parliament early this year triggered the author to write this narrative on public servants. The author vividly and forcefully tells the readers about the way Indiaís civil services and other public servants perform their duties based on his personal experiences while holding various senior posts in the public administration under the Government of India, State Government, autonomous institutions, academics and in public sector undertakings. He had been a brilliant, dynamic professional and an institutional builder throughout his career and is eminently suitable to analyze the fault lines in our civil administration. While lauding the stellar role of civil servants in many spheres of the governance, he incisively exposes some of the hidden facts about how some of the civil servants and others, while holding top positions in the government, grossly misuse their positions, and how such facts remain hidden in the four walls of high offices. He implores the leaders of all political parties, media and citizens to root for bringing reforms not only in civil services but also in all the three wings of government, i.e. executive, legislature and the judiciary so that people get an administration that is fair, honest, transparent, accountable, efficient and not dilatory. A must-read for those concerned with efficient governance and the academics and students of public administration.