Japanese bureaucrats may no longer be able to practise age-old Amakudari; what’s about Indian retired babus?

WITH anti-bureaucrats party Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) registering a landslide victory in the recent Parliamentary polls in the world’s second largest economic power, senior civil servants in Japan are now in a state of nervousness. The DPJ, which has openly declared that it would bring in more elected representatives to fill up top bureaucratic posts, may end the practice of Amakudari, meaning “descent from heaven” under which Japanese senior bureaucrats take up high-profile positions in the private and public sectors after retirement. The practice is increasingly viewed as corrupt as former officials might have given preferential treatment to their would-be employers in securing key government contracts. The practice, which in a diluted form is practised in various countries including in India, is believed to have helped bringing in government expertise to private entities. But thanks to a number of corruption scandals surfaced in Japan, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe enacted new rules to eradicate amakudari in 2007, but his reforms were termed by critics as toothless. Now DPJ is determined to end this practice. In India too, retired bureaucrats who have worked in ministries such as finance, industry, power and railways are in high demand for taking up plum private sector posts. They have to wait sometime as government regulations don’t allow any retired civil servant taking up a private job within one year of retirement. However, special permissions can be granted if it’s proved that the concerned officer has not handled any file related to his would-be employer during the last three years prior to retirement. The most high profile case of Amakudari in India is that of former finance secretary Ashok Jha who took special permission last year to join as Hyundai India president with a monthly remuneration of about Rs 15 lakh. This is over 15 times of a senior bureaucrat’s salary in India, as even after the implementation of 6th pay Commission recommendations, the cabinet secretary who is the senior-most Indian bureaucrat, receives a gross monthly salary of Rs 80,000! Related stories a) It’s not funny: Japanese bureaucrats get lessons from comedians, posted on June 8, 2009. b) Global cues for Indian Babus: Retired Korean bureaucrats clinch high paying bank jobs, posted on June 10, 2009. c) Japanese bureaucrats face highest ever bonus cuts; Indian babus are still lucky, posted on August 5, 2009. CJI’s office falls under RTI purview: Delhi HC Delhi High Court on Wednesday said that Chief Justice of India was a public authority and is thereby covered under the Right to Information Act (RTI). The Court observed that the information in possession of the CJI is within the purview of the RTI Act and all such information should be disclosed. However, it added that personal information about judges need not be disclosed.

Greener pasture: 700 civil servants in India play golf regularly

IF YOU thought bureaucrats love only cricket, get your facts correct! About 700 civil servants including IAS, IFS and IPS, regularly play golf in eight zones of the country earmarked by All India Civil Services Golf Society. Even in Delhi and NCR alone, about 250 bureaucrats or former bureaucrats happen to be avid golfers out of which about 15 are secretaries or secretary-equivalent officers. Among the high profile bureaucrats who could even compete with corporate honchos in golf include deputy chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia, revenue secretary P V Bhide, former expenditure secretary Sanjiv Mishra among others. Several retired bureaucrats such as former industry secretary Ajay Dua, former finance secretary and current Hyundai India president Ashok Jha, former cabinet secretary and Planning Commission member B K Chaturvedi, and former Delhi police chief Ajay Raj Sharma are familiar faces in Delhi’s golf circles. Even former Comptroller and Auditor General V N Kaul is said to be seen on the green courses. Significantly, civil servants now just don’t wait for retirement to play golf, and instead visit the courses regularly despite busy schedules. For the last four years, pan-India golf competitions have been organized, and winners get some exciting prizes including holiday packages to hills. But yes, no outside spectator is allowed in any such intra-civil servants’ golf tournaments. The only exception is a spouse who also happens to be a civil servant! Jamia teachers oppose nomination of a bureaucrat as Vice Chancellor Fourteen teachers of Jamia Millia Islamia have opposed the government’s move to consider a bureaucrat for the post of Vice Chancellor of the University. In an appeal to President Pratibha Patil, they have seriously objected to the government’s recent move, and argued that academic centres must be headed by academicians and not bureaucrats, a media report said. Three bureaucrat contenders for Jamia's top job include Bihar’s home secretary Afzal Amanullah, retired IAS officer Najeeb Jung and Bihar's state information commissioner, Mohd. Shakeel Ahmed. babu.blogger1@gmail.com

Global cues for Indian Babus: Retired Korean bureaucrats clinch high paying bank jobs

RETIRED bureaucrats with a fair amount of financial exposure are the most sought after candidates to fill up top jobs in Korean banks, a South Korean media report has said. Among 13 commercial banks in the country, eight employ FSS (Financial Supervisory Service) retirees as their standing auditors. The FSS is a quasi-governmental organization that monitors the country's financial organizations. Also, bureaucrats with experiences in a pure government arm, Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI), are also considered for high paying banking jobs in the country, a report published in Korean Times has said. Critics have, however, claimed that the banks’ strategy to woo former bureaucrats for top auditors’ posts is mainly to lobby the iron-fisted government financial bodies there.

Babu Blogger’s Take: In India, retired bureaucrats are in demand in infrastructure sector though the most high profile instance of a retired IAS clinching a plum private sector post is of former industry and finance secretary Ashok Jha’s joining as President of Hyundai India last year with an annual pay package of about Rs 1.8 cr. Maths, Stats & Maya From the time Uttar Pradesh chief minister Ms Mayawati’s political maths went grossly wrong during the last Parliamentary polls, she has been just punishing the bureaucrats by randomly transferring them, and at times demoting them too. Here are Maya’s vital stats, as was published in a national daily. When she became chief minister for the first time for 14 days in 1995, around 578 bureaucrats were transferred. In 1997, when she became the CM again for six months, she transferred 777 babus. The third — one year three months 26 days stint in 2002 — claimed 970 civil servants. From May 2007 till date, UP chief minister has reshuffled more than 1,000 officials, including IAS, IPS and PCS officers. In UP, it’s all about illusion --- Maya.