It’s no longer “collector”, but “district development commissioner”: Minister Jitendra Singh

Outstanding performers of 2016 batch IAS probationers at LBSNAA

INDIAN Administrative Service (IAS) has come a long way since it reincarnated itself from its earlier "Avatar" of British "Indian Civil Services”, said union minister of state for personnel and PMO Jitendra Singh on Friday in Mussoorie while felicitating probationers for outstanding performance in different categories at the felicitation-cum-valedictory function of 2016 batch IAS probationers. The function was held at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie. The minister said, the district head is now the “district development commissioner” and not “collector”, as was…

Has the edge given to engineering students in IAS exam gone? 159 simple graduates, 15 engineers among 180 IAS of 2015 batch

A section of IAS probationers

FIVE years ago, as many as 43 IAS officers selected were engineers out of a total of 148. And only 45 of 2011 batch IAS were simple graduates. Contrast this with 2015 batch IAS. As high as 159 of 180 IAS selected as IAS were simple graduates whereas the number of selected candidates with engineering background has drastically come down to mere 15, according to…

PM's Prescription: What Modi told 170 IAS and 100 IPS officers in last 2 days

PM welcomed on his arrival for interactive session with young IAS

DURING the last couple of days, Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with over 270 young IAS and IPS officers. Whereas he interacted with about 100 Officer Trainees of the 2014 batch of IPS at 7 Race Course Road on Wednesday, it’s the turn of the IAS today, as he spent a couple of hours with 2013 batch of IAS officers, currently attached to the Central government as assistant secretaries, as a part of their extended probation. First, let’s read he told the young IAS officers:

Modi addresses 183 IAS probationers; quotes Buddha to say: “Light the lamp within you"

PRIME minister Narendra Modi on Monday referred to the teachings of Lord Buddha to motivate 183 IAS probationers who called on him in New Delhi. "Light the lamp within you", PM said while addressing the IAS probationers that included 56 women constituting 31% of the total. PM talked about the difference of bureaucracy in British Raj and today, and explained why an assured career path must not make IAS officers complacent. Here are the 10 things, Modi told those young bureaucrats:

Why 30 IAS probationers are given lessons on Karnataka’s Sakala

Shalini Rajneesh, IAS

AS MANY as 30 IAS probationary officers from Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) were in Bangalore last week to understand a unique Karnataka government scheme called Sakala that gives 447 time-bound services across 45 departments and agencies to its citizens. According to estimates, the total saving of citizens could be to the tune of…

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.

Mubarak Ho: How protesters at Cairo targeted bureaucratic hotspot -- Mugamma

Are tech-saavy IAS officers trained on dos and don'ts of internet?

THE groundbreaking social media-led revolution in Egypt that culminated in President Hosni Mubarak’s stepping down on Friday, has also witnessed another facet – paralyzing bureaucracy. During the protests, the efforts were made to block all entrances of Egypt’s imposing central administrative complex, Mugamma el-Tahrir.

Smart, young protesters were aware of the fact that they needed to cripple bureaucracy if they wanted their voice to be heard. So Mugamma that houses 14 government departments with about 18,000 employees working there, remained the target during the protests that began on January 25, 2011.

The Mugamma, the hotbed of Egypt’s bureaucracy, remained shut for first 14 days of protests before it was partially opened on last Sunday when bureaucrats were asked to take the back-door entrance to avoid wrath of the protesters.

According to media reports including one by AFP, the Mugamma over the years has become a symbol of the heavy burden that bureaucracy imposes on Egyptians in their everyday life. This 13-storey government building at Cairo was the main setting for the 1992 movie comedy “Terrorism and Kebab” with a focus on corruption. The lead character of the movie inadvertently ends up taking the mammoth building hostage.

Have these young IAS probationers (picture on top) who met Indian Prime Minister and Vice President in New Delhi, adequately been trained to tackle any crisis including new-age protests through Facebook, Twitter and Blogs? It’s the time the IAS Academy at Mussorie must emphasize on a few training modules on social media!

Life is a process of learning and re-learning: PM to IAS probationers

ARE you an IAS officer with a belief that you have gathered enough knowledge and skills before entering into this elite service? Just think twice. Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh wants the officers to operate on the frontiers of knowledge. While addressing the 2010 batch of IAS probationers, Singh said that their attitude to acquisition of new knowledge is critical determinant of where India would be in 20-30 years from now.

“When you join the IAS, please do not think that now that you have entered the IAS, you don’t have to gather more skills. And if India is to realize its full development potential, it is really essential that our officers operate on the frontiers of knowledge. Life has to be viewed as one long continuous process of learning and re-learning. So therefore your attitude to acquisition of new knowledge is critical determinant of where India will be in 20-30 years from now,” PM said.

PM also emphasized that IAS officers need to undertake continuous adjustments in thinking in the light of latest development in human knowledge. “It is equally important that there should be emphasis on character, on probity in public life,” he said.

PM also reminded IAS officers that they have to work more on urban areas as 50% of India are likely to be living in urban areas in the next 20 years. “The management of urban chain, the management of infrastructure, the role of local level administration in meeting the needs of urban development, the needs of law and order, special problems that arise when large conglomerations in metropolitan towns become a fact of life,” PM said.

(In Picture: Dr Manmohan Singh with the IAS probationers of 2010 batch in New Delhi on February 10, 2011)

Nitish government undertakes first major administrative reshuffle

In a major administrative reshuffle, the NDA-II government under chief minister Nitish Kumar shuffled 55 IAS officers and 99 IPS officers. The IAS officials shifted include DMs of Patna, Bhagalpur, Darbhanga, Saharsa , Samastipur, Gaya and Kaimur. The government promoted two IGs of 1983 batch to ADG rank and 11 SPs of 1996 batch to DIG rank. 

Dr Manmohan Singh’s prescription for IAS

PRIME Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh terms Indian Administrative Service (IAS) a very privileged service and expects IAS officers to have an all-India perspective with a strong commitment to the goals and ideals enshrined in the Constitution. Based on his speech to the IAS probationers of 2008, (See picture above) delivered on April 4, 2009 in New Delhi, BoI (Babus of India) has made an attempt to figure out what PM wants out of an IAS officer.

Here are a few selected excerpts of PM’s speech: On All India Mindset We are a Union of states and we must never forget this all India perspective. When you go to various states, you are in-charge of various departments, you look after the interests of your departments, the interests of your states but you must never lose sight of the wider perspective that there is a wider perspective of strengthening the unity and integrity of our country which must be the paramount concern of all Services in our country and foremost of a Service like the Indian Administrative Service.

On Imbibing Latest Trends

It is very important that you must pay particular attention to equipping yourself with latest trends in thinking about development, about environment and all other aspects which have a bearing on the processes of governance.

On Explosion Of Knowledge Today, the world is changing at a pace which was unthinkable even a decade ago. Science and technology have become the principle determiners of the wealth and well being of people all over the world. Human knowledge is therefore exploding and it is therefore very important that our civil servants should keep abreast of the latest trends in the development of human knowledge, knowledge which as I said is growing at a speed which was unthinkable even a decade ago. On Duties Of Civil Servants There is growing concern that civil servants are not mindful of their duties. I would therefore urge that you must be mindful of the fact that the people of India have entrusted you these responsibilities and it is your solemn obligation to serve the people with the greatest dedication. On Our Neighbourhood We are today faced with a neighbourhood which is far from peaceful. You all know about the developments in Pakistan. You all know about the developments in Nepal, you all know about the recent developments in Bangladesh, you all know about the recent developments in Sri Lanka. They all impinge on our development. South Asia is in turmoil. And therefore in planning for our own development, we have to be mindful of the environment within which we have to operate. So you have enormous opportunities but also enormous challenges.