Civil services- bridge between the state and society
By: Dr Satywan Saurabh
The role of civil servants in the field of policy formulation and policy implementation is crucial as they help in identifying major policy areas such as formulating policy proposals, analysing various options and solutions to social problems requiring immediate attention, dividing major policies into sub-policies, determining programs of action, and suggesting amendments.
They engage in the collection of relevant data and information to identify key issues. The type of information required, the extent of substance in the information collected, and the assimilation of the information is the task of the civil servants. They then assist the government in terms of providing relevant data to substantiate policy proposals. Due to his vast administrative expertise and ability in civil services, he is aware of various problems and issues faced by the country.
The knowledge and experience acquired by them are put to use by acting as a ‘think-tank’ of the government. Civil servants assist the political executive in identifying policy issues by suggesting the nature of problems and the need to take them up for consideration at a higher level. Civil service is engaged in examining the issue raised for policy formulation, it prepares and re-formulates policy proposals keeping in view its feasibility, prospects, available resources, acceptability, etc. It is also the responsibility of the civil services to analyse policy proposals about the provisions of the Constitution, laws made by the Parliament, and other existing rules and regulations. In this way, civil services help in making sound and effective policies.
Civil servants are responsible for implementing the laws and policies of the government. It regulates the behavior of the people in the society by enforcing the laws. The ideals and objectives of the government may be very popular, the plans for national development extremely progressive, and the country’s resources abundant, but without civil services, not much can be achieved. An efficient civil service can avoid waste, correct errors, and limit the consequences of inefficiency or irresponsibility when implementing laws and public policies.
To set the right developmental goals and priorities in the areas of education, health, communication, etc.
Formulation and implementation of strategies and programs for the development and modernization of the nation viz., formulation of plans at the district, state, and national levels. Creation of new administrative organizations and improving the capacity of existing organizations for developmental purposes. To develop agriculture, civil servants have to properly manage community resources such as land, water resources, forests, wetlands, and wasteland development. For example, Dewas district collector Umakant Umrao helped farmers fight drought in Madhya Pradesh by building over 16,000 ponds.
To facilitate industrial development, infrastructural facilities like roads, electricity, communication, market centers, etc. have to be provided. In these countries, the civil service manages state-owned businesses, industrial enterprises, and public utility services. IAS officer Ritu Maheshwari installed new electricity smart meters to combat power theft prevalent in Kanpur. Development and mobilization of natural, human, and financial resources and their proper utilization for meeting developmental objectives. P Narahari, as District Collector in Madhya Pradesh, worked towards creating a barrier-free environment that ensures that people with disabilities can move around safely and freely. By involving people in the process of development, their support for developmental activities was secured. With a proper attitude towards the socio-economic changes taking place in the society, IAS officer Smita Sabharwal, popularly known as ‘Janata ki Adhikari’, started a campaign called “Fund Your City” in Warangal. He appealed to the residents to help build the infrastructure of Naxal-affected areas, which resulted in the construction of traffic junctions and foot over-bridges.
Citizens have become the focal point of administrative and development discourse. As one of the most prominent agents of governance, civil services constitute the connecting bridge between the state and society. This interface is important both for administering programs and for receiving input in the form of feedback. This especially gains currency as policy areas are intertwined in many ways and the citizen becomes the main focus. Most government programs today are managed by civil services and provide citizens with access to a quick and personalized grievance redressal mechanism. Therefore, they hold importance, especially in the context of bridging the gap between expectations.
The writer is Poet, freelance journalist and columnist, All India Radio and TV panellist.
