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| AN Jha |
THE Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on Monday approved designating AN
Jha, 1982 batch Manipur cadre lAS and secretary in the department of expenditure, as the new finance secretary. Jha will be the finance secretary for a little less than three months, as he will retire on January 31, 2019. Incumbent Hasmukh Adhia, a 1981 batch Gujarat cadre IAS, retired in the end of the last month. An alumnus of St. Stephens College of Delhi where he did his post-graduation in history before getting selected into IAS, Jha is the…
HIS room in North Block is one of the busiest places these days thanks to the Income Tax department's massive searches all over the country to trace over Rs 2000 cr allegedly unaccounted assets of former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda. Amid constant buzzing of at least one of his three mobile phones, he gives instructions to his visitors, all I-T officials who don't need to ask his permission before stepping into his room located in the same floor of India's all powerful finance minister Pranab Mukherjee. After all, he never allows his peons to switch on the red light outside his door even when he conducts very significant and sensitive meetings. And he gets upset only when a junior official takes his permission before entering his room!
That's Sudhir Chandra, Member, Investigation of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and a 1973 batch Indian Revenue Service official. Mr Chandra, who micro-managed the entire show witnessing over 400 taxmen taking part in the Koda operation, is a confirmed believer of divine strength. He has kept the photographs of his religious guru all around the wall of his official room, possibly to draw strength against any political interventions while handling such sensitive I-T search cases. He has asked his officials to be extremely polite in handling the operations, but at the same time wanted them to be as courageous as "Rani of Jhansi".
But what this tax hound does when he ends his busy day in North Block? He goes back his own little world and starts playing Lara’s Theme to Strangers in the Night... in his piano. Yes, he had public performances of playing piano during his time of probation 36 years ago. (Picture: 1973 batch IRS officers during training at NADT)
INCOME tax officials dealing with former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda regarding a case of an alleged involvement in illegal transactions worth over Rs 2,000 crore, are given special instruction by the North Block to be extremely polite and clam while conducting searches and asking questions to the politician. Also, tax officials have been asked to address Mr Koda, now an independent MP from Jharkhand, as "Koda sir" all the time. In fact, it's mandatory for bureaucrats to call political leaders as "sir" though it's not practised all the time. (Picture: Koda with model and actress Koena Mitra who was Jharkhand's brand ambassador)
In fact, over 400 I-T officials were deployed in the biggest ever search operation in a politician's premises, and it was done at the stewardship of Sudhir Chandra, Member (Investigation) of the Central Board of Direct Taxes. Despite handling sensitive issues in CBDT, Mr Chandra always keeps the green light outside his cabin on, and hardly refuses anyone from meeting him.
IF all-powerful Indian bureaucrats feel that they will someday be able to wipe out the word babu, which still carries a negative connotation thanks to the colonial baggage, it’s just impossible. It’s a small and sweet-sounding word which people would continue to use and hear in lieu of the tongue twister “bureaucrat” or more official type “civil servant”. Though most civil servants blame media, and probably rightly so, for corrupting the word babu to make it synonymous with comfort and laziness, it’s a fact that media will continue to use it for humour and space. It’s space because “bureaucrat” is a lousy word for a headline, and “civil servant” is too big to fit into a space which demands large font-size! Mind you, the word “bureaucracy” is no longer a positive word, and it won’t take much time for the media to belittle the word “civil servants” either.
Before I air my views, let’s first see how popular dictionaries are interpreting the word. In dictionary.com which is considered to be the Bible for tech savvy netizens looking for word meanings, here are the meanings for babu:
a) Hindu title of address equivalent to Sir, Mr., or Esquire.
b) A Hindu gentleman.
c) A native Indian clerk who writes English.
d) Usually Disparaging. Any native Indian having only a limited knowledge of English.
Will you agree with this set of meanings for babu? I don’t.
Let’s now read what Wikipedia, which is the most respected free encyclopedia used by net users across the world, has to say. It says, “In British India, ‘babu’ was a term used to describe a native Indian clerk. The word was originally used as a term of respect attached to a proper name, the equivalent of ‘mister’, and ‘babuji’ was used in many parts to mean ‘sir’; but when used alone without the suffix, it was a derogatory word signifying a semi-literate native, with a mere veneer of modern education. In the early 20th century the term babu was frequently used to refer to bureaucrats and other government officials, especially by the Indian media; in this sense the word hints at corrupt or lazy work practices. It can also mean the pimp or client of a sex worker. The term babu has thus fallen out of favour in polite society, since it may be taken as an insult.”
I strongly feel that Indian bureaucrats should engage in a brand-building exercise to convert “babu” into a neutral word if not bringing it straight into the positive zone. First, the connotation of the word will automatically change if administrative reforms are being carried out from time to time. I feel many Indian bureaucrats are very hard working and disciplined and there are cases where they have proved to be better managers than India Inc’s top ranking CEOs.
I personally know many bureaucrats who are not only the products of top Indian B-schools, but have the quality of the best managers of the country. Here is my big dilemma: If a St Stephens pass-out or an IIM guy joins Infosys or HSBC, he earns respects and reputation, forget his fat salary for a moment. But how can the same person turn into a lazy babu if he cracks the UPSC exam to join as an IAS? That’s the irony which administrative reformers need to look at very carefully.
The 6th Pay Commission has introduced, though symbolically, a performance incentive for those who are better than the rest. I feel it’s the high time healthy competition should be encouraged within the government. The time-bound promotion needs to be weeded out if the government wants its schemes to be successful, and more significantly, if India aspires to be a truly developed nation by 2020.
Also, why not encourage entry of professionals into the bureaucratic set-up at mid-career level? If Nandan Nilekani can join the government, or Cornell professor Kaushik Basu taking up a full-time job in North Block sacrificing his high salary, there would be many mid-career professionals with rich experiences in their own domain, won’t mind taking a joining bureaucracy and becoming babus? Let’s induct professionals at the joint secretary level and make them the mission heads of various programmes across the country.
Yes, babu remains in your mind-space. Let’s change its meaning forever. If you spot a smart bureaucrat call him a smart babu, if he is lazy call him a lazy babu. And those who are smart, dedicated and yet powerful, babu blogger loves to call them, babuz --- both for singular and plural. babu survives, and maybe for a better tomorrow…
HE IS one of the rare breed of senior officers in India who is a darling both to the Congress and the BJP leadership. Finance secretary Ashok Chawla, a 1973 batch IAS from Gujarat cadre, would have been equally powerful today, had the BJP come to power after the last general election.
Yes, he is babuz no 4, or India’s fourth most powerful bureaucrat, according to feedback received by babu blogger from senior bureaucrats and politicians who have a direct knowledge about equations in Delhi’s power corridor. Former civil aviation secretary, who had earlier played a successful innings in North Block first as a an additional secretary and then as a special secretary in the ministry of finance, Mr Chawla returned to Finmin in September 2008 as a secretary of department of economic affairs (DEA) only to be elevated as finance secretary eight months later, leaving his batch-mate and revenue secretary P V Bhide behind.
No wonder, Mr Chawla who is in full charge of the department of financial services which is now headed by an additional secretary level officer, was also given additional charge of the ministry of disinvestment for sometime. Significantly, Mr Chawla and urban development secretary M Ramachandran are the two key contenders for cabinet secretary’s post to be vacant next year. Babu blogger had first reported on April 28, 2009 that DEA secretary Ashok Chawla would be India’s finance secretary a fortnight before the announcement of his appointment. Read, 
THE Indian government has finally resorted to placing an advertisement in national newspapers to locate A K Lal, a research officer in the department of economic affairs (DEA) under the ministry of finance who has been missing for about 10 years now. After being charge-sheeted on May 8, 2009, a letter was sent to two addresses, one at D-44, Chander Nagar, Ghaziabad, and another in the USA asking him to report to Room No 58, department of economic affairs in New Delhi’s North Block within 10 days of the issue of the press note.
It’s now believed that the missing officer, who has been absenting himself unauthorized from August 30, 1995, is somewhere in the USA as his charge-sheet sent to his Ghaziabad address was received undelivered with the remark from the postal department that “there is no house numbered as D-44 Chander Nagar. Now, an inquiry officer and a presenting officer have been appointed to conduct an enquiry about the missing finance ministry official.
INDIA'S two most important bureaucrats, cabinet secretary and home secretary, may now be able to discuss security related matters in Malayalam. There is no prize for guessing who is India’s next home secretary! Present commerce secretary G K Pillai, a 1972 batch Kerala cadre IAS, will move to North Block as an OSD (Home) now, and will finally take over as home secretary on June 30, 2009 when current incumbent Madhukar Gupta, a 1970 batch IAS, retires. Mr Pillai, who was also a contender for the post of cabinet secretary along with his wife labour secretary Sudha Pillai, will have a now have a two-year-term in North Block.
The government had earlier given one year extension to K M Chandrasekhar, Mr Pillai’s senior from Kerala cadre.
Mr Pillai is quite familiar with the home ministry where he was the joint secretary in charge of North East from 1996-2001 before becoming the principal secretary to Kerala CM A K Antony, now defence minister in Manmohan Singh’s cabinet.
This has led people in power corridors speculate that Mr Pillai could be selected for defence secretary after the incumbent Vijay Singh retires next month. Now, there have already been speculations over who would become the next defence secretary. Keep reading Babu Blogger’s posts.
Govt employees in India take pledge on anti-terrorism
(In Pic: Home minister P Chidambaram, second from left, administering the pledge)
Anti terrorism day was observed throughout the country on Thursday, May 21. Employees in government offices, PSUs and other public institutions in the country took a pledge in connection with the anti-terrorism day. The Union home minister P Chidambaram administered the oath to the officers and staff of the ministry of home affairs in North Block lawns. Secretaries of other departments too administered the pledge. The objective behind the observance of anti-terrorism day is to wean away the youth from the violence cult by highlighting the suffering of the common people and showing how it is prejudicial to the national interest.
Special allowances for Central Govt employees in Kashmir
The government has extended the package of special concessions and facilities to employees of the Central government and its public sector undertakings (PSUs) working in the Kashmir Valley till the year end, the government said in a release. The employees posted to Kashmir Valley will continue to be entitled to additional HRA and messing facilities. Employees who have migrated from the Kashmir Valley would be accommodated to the extent possible in Delhi and its vicinity.
Justice Upadhyaya, Justice Mridul appointed HC judges
Justice Janakray Chandubhai Upadhyaya, additional Judge of the Gujarat High Court, was appointed a Judge of the Gujarat High Court with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office. In another development, Justice Siddharth Mridul, additional Judge of the Delhi High Court, was appointed a Judge of the Delhi High Court with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office.
