Small Districts
Opportunities Galore for Young Collectors
Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao
Metro India (16-09-2016)
With the formation of new and
smaller districts in Telangana possibilities of young IAS officers getting
posting as Collectors and Joint Collectors earlier than the normal due time are
bright. These may include officers directly recruited as well as promoted to
IAS. These young officers at different levels are expected to make a difference
to the functioning of state’s political, social and economic life within the
broad framework of implementing a variety of schemes defined, designed and
developed during the past two years and are at different stages of
implementation. These 27 (in all probabilities) Collectors along with their
team who administer the districts are an important linchpin of the state’s
establishment and for the long term well functioning of the system.
The Collector and the District Magistrate remains even today the most
crucial functionary of the state administrative system. They are the agents of
change, of good governance and of development and welfare administration at the
very base of our democratic structure. The hopes and aspirations, the lives and
livelihood of the people are to be shaped by the Collectors. Over the years,
the role of collectors has been dramatically and constantly changing, adding on
day by day, several development and welfare related facilitator responsibilities
that might be in conflict at times with their basic regulatory function. Changing scenario demands them to work with
all people, to inspire them, to realize their latent potential and their latent
creativity. It is a job in which human resource management, strategic planning
and thinking, financial management, all need to come together. These should
ultimately lead to effective delivery of the schemes that have been conceived
and are being implemented like the Mission Bhagiratha, Mission Kakatiya, two
bedroom housing, land distribution to Dalits, Kalyanalaxmi and Shadimubarak,
pensions, completion of irrigation projects, residential schools, provision of
six KG rice, economic support schemes, SC, ST and Minority welfare and so
on.
Indian Civil Service, popularly known by its acronym ICS, was the elite
civil service of the Indian Government. It was established by the British colonial rulers in India. After independence also India retained the name Indian Civil Service for
a while. Later it was felt that the ICS was a legacy
of the imperial period and hence there was need for the All India Services for
maintaining the unity, integrity and stability of the nation. Accordingly
provision was made in Article 312 of the Constitution for creation of one or
more All India Services common to the Union and the States.
Thus, the Indian Administrative
Service (IAS), also called the “Steel frame” of India, was formed after independence for having a strong administrative network which can
be relied upon by the executive arm of the Government for implementing its
decisions effectively. The creators of this system adopted the outline of the Indian Civil Service, but,
modified it in a revolutionary
way to fit the needs of the newly created nation. The cadre controlling authority of IAS is
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension Department of Personnel and
Training. The cadre size is 5000+ posts and the source of recruitment in terms
of percentage is: by direct recruitment – 66-2/3%; by promotion 33-1/3%; and
there is no lateral entry recruitment.
These officials are selected
from a vast pool of educated individuals through an extensive and rigorous
examination process conducted by the Union Public Service Commission of India
that effectively selects only the most intelligent, responsible and capable
individuals in every domain ranging from literature to medicine. The officers
of the system belong to various cadres ranging from District Collectors to the
Cabinet Secretary to the Government of India.
Following selection and after
completion of training in Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of
Administration (LBSNAA) Mussoorie and in districts as well as in the
Administrative Training Institutes as Assistant Collector under Training for
two years they will get their first posting as Sub-Collector and Sub Divisional
Magistrate. In that capacity they look after law and order, general
administration and development work in the area under their charge. After a specific tenure they will be promoted as
Joint Collectors and or as Project Officers of Integrated Tribal Development
Agency (ITDA) before they are posted as Collector and District Magistrate.
These days some of them are also posted as Municipal Commissioners in between
depending upon necessity.
The post of the District Officer variously known as
District Magistrate, District Collector or Deputy Commissioner is the most
prestigious and exclusive post held by the members of the Indian Administrative
Service. At the district level, these officers are mainly concerned with
district affairs, including implementation of developmental programes. During
the normal course of a career, the officers also serve in the State Secretariat
or as Heads of Departments or in Public Sector Undertakings. Officers may move
from positions at the State, under deputation, to the Center and back again. At
the top of the hierarchy of IAS officers at the Center is the Cabinet Secretary
followed by Secretary/Additional Secretary, Joint Secretary, Director, Deputy
Secretary and Under Secretary. These posts are filled according to seniority.
Selected few also occupy key decision-making positions like Secretary or
Principal Secretary to a state Chief Minister or Country’s Prime Minister. It
is said that some other key decision making posts are that of Home, Defense,
Finance and External Affairs in the center and Finance, Industry, Irrigation
and Land Administration in the state.
As we are living in
a world where human knowledge is increasing at an unprecedented pace we need to
develop advanced thinking. The job of a Collector in the changing scenario is no
more standard, reproductive and mere procedure bound but as young people they
need to be sensitive to the fact that we are living in an innovation driven
world, in a demanding polity and a plural society. They should be able to provide a leadership
in tune with the demands of time.
Towards improving
service delivery the Collectors may have to draw a strategy wherein people are
placed at the center of
all developmental and welfare programmes and activities of the government beyond political
considerations. Participatory mechanisms are to be adopted.
Tony Blair former British Prime Minister once speaking on the subject of
Civil Service Reform described the Civil Service as the one which has abundant
strengths that are priceless. According to him the greatest of these strengths is
indeed its integrity that comprises not just its impartiality, but an embedded,
all-encompassing line of honesty. It knows the difference between obeying
legitimate political orders and impropriety. It knows it by instinct and it
executes it without fear or favor said Blair. He, however, also observed that
the Civil Service sees its role as serving the Government of the day to the
best of its ability.
If only the Collector who represents the Civil Service at the district
which is the important administrative unit adheres to the principles of changing
value system all over the world and also in India, then all would be well. End
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