Do IES officers feel threatened if govt hires young bright economists from private sector, academics? Ex-PM Manmohan Singh says "yes"

FORMER Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh who was credited with bringing in a number of bright economists and experts from private sector to serve the government, failed to keep up with the momentum on lateral entry when he was the PM for 10 long years. Singh, himself an economist joining the government laterally -- first in the commerce ministry and then in the ministry of finance, said, the Indian Economic Service (IES) officers later felt their opportunities for career advancement and promotions were denied because of this…

How to handle bureaucrat-turned politician Manmohan Singh? All about Modi’s warmth and Shah’s anger

PMO site describes Dr Singh as a "thinker and scholar"

ON WEDNESDAY, bureaucrat-turned former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s meeting with prime minister Narendra Modi at 7 Race Course Road surprised not just those belonging to the BJP and the Congress, but also the ones who are pure apolitical. PM tweeted “Very happy to meet Dr. Manmohan Singh ji and welcome him back to 7RCR. We had a great meeting”, with a photo of a warm handshake attached to the post. In fact, most Congress leaders were…

PM expresses happiness about more women becoming IAS; but will corridors’ history forgive Singh for his 2009 “blunder”?

IAS probationers of 2013 batch

ONE of the highlights of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s speech to the IAS probationers on Friday is his special mention of women IAS, and how the new trend of more and more women becoming IAS officers has been a good sign for the nation’s progress. But, no woman officer has ever become a cabinet secretary, the highest post that an Indian bureaucrat can aspire for. And the history of bureaucracy in India will remind Singh that there was a lost opportunity in the summer of 2009 when none other than…

Manmohan Singh asks top cops to find “creative solutions” to curb misuse of social media

PM and Home Minister with a section of cops

PRIME Minister Manmohan Singh has asked the top cops from across India to find creative solutions to curb the misuse of social media and SMSes while reiterating the merits of the social media, particularly the ease of communication through it. The following is what PM said while addressing at the annual conference of DGPs in New Delhi on Saturday:

Confidentiality Vs. Transparency Debate: Why govt wants CBI to be tight-lipped?

PRIME minister Manmohan Singh has indirectly asked the CBI to be tight-lipped, saying that confidentiality is in the interests of the integrity of an on-going investigation, and that is why the CBI has been placed outside the purview of the RTI Act. “What is almost as distressing is that sensitive investigations are increasingly becoming subjects of running media commentary, often on the basis of material that is not otherwise in the public domain…confidentiality is in the interests of the integrity of an ongoing investigation. This was precisely the…

Flashback August 15, 2004: Manmohan Singh’s definition of government & bureaucratic stranglehold

PM delivering his maiden speech from ramparts of Red Fort

PRIME Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday addressed the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort, for the 10th time in a row, on the occasion of Independence Day, 2013. A pure political document with coming elections in mind, the speech had no reference to civil services. Flashback 2004. Singh, India’s only bureaucrat-turned Prime Minister, defined “government” and talked about “stranglehold of bureaucracy” when he delivered his maiden Independence Day speech. This is what he said on August 15, 2004:

PM recalls how P Chidambaram sent civil servants to IIMs in late 1980s

ON Wednesday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh talked about his ‘reformer’ colleague and current finance minister P Chidambaram while addressing a small gathering at his 7 Race Course Road residence. Incidentally, PM recalled how Chidambaram initiated a programme for civil servants 25 years ago, and what bureaucrats participating in that programme told Singh about it…

New ministers and their would-be working relations with secretaries, a snapshot

Newly inducted ministers pose for a photo after the swearing-in

A NUMBER of Union secretaries to government of India will have new bosses, from Monday. After the massive rejig of Manmohan Singh’s cabinet, many a minister will drive down to new Bhawans today, and top bureaucrats are getting ready to brief their new chiefs. Here is a snapshot of what does each of the big-ticket ministerial changes means for top Indian bureaucrats…

Why the babu in Manmohan Singh emerges when he picks up RTI

PM with CIC Satyananda Mishra

PRIME Minister Manmohan Singh ceased to be a bureaucrat in 1991 after 20 years of civil service in ministries such as commerce, finance and Planning Commission. But the babu in Singh comes out every time he addresses issues concerning Right To Information Act. An analysis of Prime Minister’s consecutive speeches in Convention of Information Commissioners reflects the mood of…

5 ways for Indian police to break the ice and enter social media

Indian Police: New Race With Social Media

FIRST, let’s read about Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s concerns of the new challenge called social media. “The use of bulk SMSes and social media to aggravate the communal situation is a new challenge that the recent disturbances have thrown before us…

PM's thoughts on "baseless allegations and unnecessary litigation"

Scene at Red Fort as PM (not seen here) was delivering his speech

WHEN UPA-II came to power in May 2009, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asked his officers to think creatively and become the “believers in equity, innovation and public accountability at work”. But over the last one and half years, the tone and content of PM’s speeches changed, as those are now more of a reassurance to civil servants and political functionaries that the government won’t allow any witch-hunt to prevail upon. On Independence Day, the PM…

PM’s statement on red tap and tax matters, what it means for bureaucracy

PRIME Minister Manmohan Singh's statement on “no arbitrariness in tax matters” and cutting red tap in government have direct impact on bureaucracy. In a rare email interview to a national daily, Hindustan Times, Singh gave enough hints that he was not happy with the tax matters.
Here are two major points that Singh said in that interview and what those mean for Indian bureaucrats:

PM believes in “trust” while choosing officials; but why not for other ministers?

LOOK, even Prime Minister wants someone he trusts as his joint secretary. After Chhattisgarh chief minister wrote to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh asking newly appointed PMO joint secretary BVR Subrahmanyam to be repatriated to the state, this was what PM wrote to Raman Singh: “I need an officer who has the experience and exposure in handling sensitive matter. The officer also needs to be someone who enjoys my trust and confidence. Due to these reasons, I have selected BVR…”. Yes, PM emphasized on two keywords: trust and confidence. But most ministers in his cabinet or for that matter even in earlier governments have to be satisfied with the officers they are thrust upon. Even a secretary to a department can’t choose his team-mates. Why can’t the Dhoni of a government department have the liberty to pick and choose his own players?

The rationale behind this British legacy is that...

Vini Mahajan, Last of the Mohicans in Manmohan Singh’s PMO to leave soon

The Last of the Mohicans as illustrated by FT Merrill

COME March 30, Vini Mahajan, The Last of the Mohicans in Manmohan Singh’s PMO, is leaving South Block. Ms Mahajan, a 1987 batch Punjab cadre IAS, will be heading towards her cadre after completing almost eight years of uninterrupted Central deputation tenure. A confidante of PM’s adviser TKA Nair, Ms Mahajan has been continuously serving in Prime Minister’s Office since June 2005, first as a director and then as joint secretary. She had a stint in finance ministry before moving to South Block.

According to an order of Appointments Committee of the Cabinet dated March 22, 2012, Mahajan’s repatriation to her cadre is “ahead of the completion of her extended tenure”. She got her last extension for six months beyond October 29, 2011, which means she could have continued till end of April.

BoI is calling Ms Mahajan The Last of the Mohicans in Manmohan Singh’s B-Team (Bureaucrats’ Team) as she is the only bureaucrat, except Nair, who has become a part of the continuity from UPA-I’s honeymoon period to the turbulent days of UPA-II. Even PMO veteran Pulok Chatterji actually took up a World Bank job ahead of May 2009 general elections, probably with an anticipation that UPA won’t come back to power and a BJP-led government could push him to an inconsequential department.

Now, Ms Mahajan’s place in PMO would be occupied by her batch-mate and old PMO hand BVR Subrahmanyam. He is a Chhattisgarh cadre IAS who served as senior adviser to Pulok Chatterji in World Bank. In fact, Subrahmanyam, an engineer and MBA (from London Business School) was PM’s private secretary during UPA-I. He will now be a joint secretary in PMO for three years “in relaxation of the relevant rules and provisions of the Central Staffing Scheme and consolidated deputation guidelines as a special case”, according to an ACC order.

Corridor’s other Manmohan Singh: Andhra Pradesh cadre IAS is in the dock

What's in a Name?

THE Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to Dr Manmohan Singh on a petition alleging that he helped Kadapa MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy in accumulating illegal assets. Surprised? Utterly confused? Just hold your breath. This Manmohan Singh is not the Prime Minister of India but a 1985 batch Andhra Pradesh cadre IAS.

In fact, the apex court issued notices to six Andhra Pradesh ministers and eight bureaucrats including Manmohan Singh. The other IAS officers who were also issued notices by SC were SV Prasad, now retired, 1980 batch IAS CVSK Sarma, 1978 batch IAS M Samuel, 1988 batch IAS Y Srilakshmi, 1987 batch IAS Aditya Nath Das, 1981 batch IAS K Ratna Prabha and 1983 batch IAS B Sam Bob. K Ratna Prabha incidentally is a Karnataka cadre IAS.

Significantly, IAS Manmohan Singh, originally hailing from Madhya Pradesh, was a veterinary doctor before getting into IAS. So, according to DoPT records, he is Dr Manmohan Singh. And that’s technically correct. Armed with a diploma in French, Singh is also an MBA from UK. In late 1990s, Singh was a deputy secretary and then director in rural development ministry at the Centre. Currently, he is principal secretary in charge of housing in Andhra Pradesh.

Babu Tweets

Amitabh Kant, a 1980 batch Kerala cadre IAS, has joined the world of micro-blogging. On Monday, he tweeted from Istanbul: “President of India terms the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor project as iconic and highlights the significant progress made by it”. Kant heading the USD 90 billion DMIC project was in Istanbul to deliver a talk on future trends in travel and tourism.

Action and Appointments

a) PK Das, a 1983 batch IRS (Central Customs and Excise) officer, has been empanelled to hold the post of a joint secretary and equivalent. His batch-mate Asif Iqbal is however not eligible to hold joint secretary’s post “because of incomplete ACRs”, a DoPT circular said.

b) The name of Nikunja Bihari Dhal, a 1993 batch Orissa cadre IAS, has been recommended by the state government for Central deputation.

c) Vijayendra Kumar, a 1995 batch Haryana cadre IAS, has been appointed as director in school education in HRD ministry.

d) Jagdish Prasad Meena, a 1983 batch Assam cadre IAS, has been shifted to the ministry of food processing as a joint secretary on a lateral basis. He is currently working as a JS in National Human Rights Commission.

5 reasons why Indian bureaucrats should not simply copy-paste PMO's Twitter venture

IF YOU are an Indian bureaucrat getting tempted to be on social media like Twitter, Facebook and blogger after Dr Manmohan Singh’s office began to tweet, here are five reasons why should not jumpstart before understanding the nuances of the virtual world.
1. First, Twitter is not meant for boring press releases. If you are a secretary in a ministry trying to dump boring sarkari releases, young men and women active on the net could tear you apart, virtually. Already, the @PMOindia account has received many negative reactions from angry netizens because of the boring nature of the 12 tweets that were published so far.
2. Secondly, the moment you maintain a successful account there are chances that some one else could clone your site to make fun of you. Remember, this is not your own power corridor, and you have lesser clout in this virtual world. For example, someone has replaced PMO’s O with 0 (zero) to make another similar looking Tweeter account. And that account has attracted over 700 followers mainly because of its funny tweets.
Indian team was not forced to follow on despite trailing by 300 runs. This will boost bilateral ties between India and Australia.
Government will not allow Facebook to launch its IPO in India. They have still not removed the picture denigrating Sonia ji.
These are two sample tweets of the fake PMO account, meaning these are not said by Singh or his team.
3. Thirdly, will you be able to block the negative publicity that may come from any quarters? For example, one of the tweets on PMO that became popular on Sunday evening came from someone who called herself “cool and confident girl”. She wrote: SC vs Govt in 2G, People vs Govt in Lokpal, CVC vs Govt, Chidu vs Court in scams Govt vs Army Chf, Govt vs Scientist? Govt vs net?
In fact, if you spend some time scanning hundreds of reactions on PM’s tweets, you will find more negative and nasty comments. The PMO can still use its muscle to remove really bad and damaging tweets, but don’t expect minister Kapil Sibal to rescue you if your tweets generate hundreds of really low-quality negative comments.
4. If you are a bureaucrat with a sense of humour or an open mind, you could land yourself in trouble because of your tweeting enthusiasm. For example, if you are a home ministry official publishing a frank comment on a finance ministry misdeed, there is a chance that someone takes a screenshot and sends it to a news channel. You never know, that could find prime time slots on yet another Pranab-PC debate.
5. Finally, fun elements at times could divert the readers from the real issues which you would like to highlight. Mumbai-based model Poonam Pandey’s tweets on Prime Minister Singh, for example, would not have received so much of attention from Indian media, had Miss Pandey’s twitter account not carried her bikini-clad photo.
Yet, PMO’s Twitter venture is not a failure either. There are many young Indians who have praised Singh for his talents, image and understanding of economics. Some have called Singh their role model. One Ishan tweeted: Honourable PM saab ur the best pm India has ever seen. planning to visit the gallery specially to watch u in the budget session
babu blogger (https://twitter.com/babublogger) too followed PM on Monday morning and became the 32,562^nd follower.

Prime Minister bats for bureaucrats during Lokpal debate; refers to honest mistakes

Dr Manmohan Singh on May 22, 2004, the first day in office

INDIA'S Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has bated in favour of bureaucrats while admitting that bureaucracy has been at the receiving end from the time the debate on anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal began. “I don’t think all public functionaries need to be painted with the same brush just as all politicians should not be presumed to be corrupt,” said Singh while taking part in the Lokpal debate in Lower House of Parliament, Lok Sabha.

He has also termed the current environment as “environment of distrust”. “While I agree that public functionaries must be above board and that delinquents must be dealt with expeditiously and decisively, I must express my deep appreciation for many a public servant who have shown exemplary integrity in discharging their functions in an environment of distrust,” said Singh.

Also, PM talked about the need to distinguish “honest mistakes” that could have been committed by bureaucrats from patently illegal acts. In fact, chief vigilance commissioner Pradeep Kumar has been saying from the day 1 of his assuming office as CVC that he would make a distinction between corrupt officials and those who might have committed honest mistakes.

“Very often our public servants have to take decisions under conditions of uncertainty. The future being inherently uncertain, it is possible that an action which ex ante appears to be rational may ex post turn out to be faulty. Our systems of reward and punishment must not lose sight of this fact,” Singh said in the Parliament debate.

For the record, Prime Minister Singh remained a bureaucrat for 20 years till he was made India’s finance minister in 1991. Singh has been India’s Prime Minister for the last seven and half years now.

Action and Appointments

a) Rita Menon, a 1975 batch UP cadre IAS and currently textile secretary, has been appointed as chairman and MD of India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) for a period of two years.

b) PK Basu, a 1976 batch Bihar cadre IAS and secretary in the department of agriculture and cooperation, will hold additional charge of the post of secretary, animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries during absence on leave of Rudra Gangadharan, a 1975 batch Kerala cadre IAS from December 23, 2011 to January 8, 2012

c) Ajay Chadha, a 1977 batch AGMU cadre IPS, has been appointed as special secretary (internal security) in the ministry of home affairs.

d) Chandra Bhushan Paliwal, a 1981 batch UP cadre IAS and presently chief vigilance officer of Steel Authority of India Limited, has been appointed as MD of National Cooperative Development Corporation under the department of agriculture in the rank and pay of additional secretary in place of Govindan Nair, a 1978 batch UP cadre IAS who has retired.

Read PM’s Mind: IFS officers should enable release of resources from defence to development

RERRING to an increasingly inter-depending and uncertain world, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh said Indian Foreign Service had an important role to play in steering the country. The Prime Minister noted that foreign policy should enable the release of resources from defence to achieve our development goals. He was talking to probationers of the 2009 batch of IFS on Wednesday.

In his remarks to the probationers, Singh highlighted issues of environmental security, the role of the international trading system and regional trading arrangements in overcoming the limitation of natural resources in the country. On national security, he said the country required special attention to relations with India’s neighbours and extended neighbourhood (South East Asia, Gulf and West Asia, Central Asia, Africa) and the importance of maintaining productive relations with the world’s major powers.

Action and Appointments

a) The ACC has approved the appointment of Desh Deepak Verma, a 1978 batch UP cadre IAS, presently in the cadre, as Director General, Sports Authority of India, in the rank and pay of additional secretary in place of Sayan Chatterjee, a 1976 batch Kerala cadre IAS.

b) Vivek Dewangan, a 1993 batch Manipur-Tripura cadre IAS, has been appointed as private secretary to the minister of corporate affairs Murli Deora at director level.

c) RK Mishra, a 1999 batch Indian Postal Service officer, has been appointed as Officer-on-Special Duty of coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal at deputy secretary level.

PM refers to R Vineel Krishna kidnapping saga to say civil servants enjoy goodwill

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has referred to the spontaneous support of the people of Malkangiri for their collector and 2005 batch IAS, R Vineel Krishna to drive home a point that some civil servants still enjoy the goodwill of the people. “The spontaneous support of the people of Malkangiri, when the Collector of the district was kidnapped by left-wing extremists, is a pointer to the extent of goodwill that well meaning and honest civil servants can achieve,” PM said while inaugurating the 6th Civil Services Day in New Delhi on Thursday.

In mid-February 2011, R Vineel Krishna was abducted on Wednesday by a group of 50 Maoists in Orissa, but was released later.

Prime Minister further said that the core of the Civil Services is sound and rooted in values of integrity and fair play. “It is a pity that instances of individual waywardness, of lack of moral courage, and of surrender to pressures and temptations tarnish the image of the Civil Services and lead to immense criticism and dissatisfaction. Disapproval and even ostracization by peers and colleagues can be a powerful deterrent for those who tend to stray from the path of rectitude,” PM said.

He further said that civil servants should fearlessly advise the political class. “I expect you to be honest and fearless in advising your superior authorities, especially the political leadership,” Dr Singh said.
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Civil Services Day: PM's Awards for Excellence given for 5 outstanding initiatives

PRIME Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is inaugurating the Civil Services Day in New Delhi on Thursday. On this occasion, he will also give away the “PM’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration” for the year 2009-10. Those who are receiving awards are:

a) Bridging the Gap –Turnaround of Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam

b) Success Story of Malkapur 24x7 Water Supply Scheme (Maharashtra)

c) Education and Training Centre – Dreams to Reality, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, (Maharashtra)

d) Sickle Cell Anemia Control Programme, Government of Gujarat

e) Sustainable Plastic Waste Management, Himachal Pradesh.

All officers of Central and state governments individually or as group or as organization are eligible. The award includes a medal, scroll and a cash amount of Rs 1 lakh. In case of a group, the total award money is Rs 5 lakh subject to a maximum of Rs 1 lakh per person. For an organization this is limited to Rs 5 lakh.

Minister of state for personnel, public grievances and pensions and PMO V Narayanasamy, cabinet secretary KM Chandrashekhar and principal secretary to Prime Minister TKA Nair will be among those present on the occasion.

Transparency and ethics in governance, improvement of public service delivery systems and challenges of economic management are among the issues that will be deliberated in the day long proceedings.

Action and Appointments

a) Kapil Dev Tripathi, a 1980 batch Assam cadre IAS, has been appointed as secretary, Central Vigilance Commission, in the rank and pay of additional secretary in the vacancy of KS Ramasubban, a 1976 batch West Bengal cadre IAS who has retired.

b) Atul Chaturvedi, a 1974 batch UP cadre retired IAS has been appointed as principal adviser in the Cabinet Secretariat on contract basis for a period of three months from the date of assumption of charge.