An evening with K Padmanabhaiah
Introduction
On Friday, March 21, 2025, we had a very insightful session by Mr K. Padmanabhaiah, I.A.S.(Retd) and former home secretary. He spoke about the IAS, the duties of officers and how the IAS has changed over time.
About Shri K. Padmanabhaiah, I.A.S.(Retd)
Born on 6th October 1938 in a village in Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh, Mr Padmanabhaiah obtained a Master’s degree in Geology from Andhra University, the coveted and prestigious Sripathi Gold Medal, and a Master’s degree in Financial Management, from the prestigious Jamanlal Bajaj Institute of Management, Mumbai.
Mr Padmanabhaiah joined the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 1961 and was allotted to the Maharashtra cadre. He served the Government of Maharashtra in various important positions: Director of Sugar Co-operatives; District Collector, Nashik: Principal Secretary, Planning; Principal Secretary, Finance; and Municipal Commissioner of Greater Bombay.
During his tenure, Nashik district (1975-77) was adjudged as one of the best districts in the country in performance of the 20-point program of Prime Minister, Smt. Indira Gandhi. His work was extensively covered by the National press. His performance as Municipal Commissioner, Greater Bombay (1990-91) received wide acclaim in the press and public. He was awarded the prestigious Giants International’s Award for excellence in Civic Administration (1991).
Mr Padmanabhaiah served the Government of India as Joint Secretary, Petroleum (1982-84); Joint Secretary, Power (1984-86); Minister (Economic) in Indian High Commission in London (1986-1989); and Secretary of Urban Development and Housing (1993).
In 1993 parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka States were struck by a devastating earthquake. Mr. Padmanabhaiah chaired an Advisory Committee of International Experts on Reconstruction and Rehabilitation of the Earthquake affected. The committee’s report served as a blueprint for the rehabilitation and reconstruction work with World Bank aid.
Subsequently Mr Padmanabhaiah worked as Secretary Civil Aviation; Chairman of both Air India and Indian Airlines (1994), and as Union Home Secretary and Secretary Jammu & Kashmir Affairs (1994-1997).
Mr. Padmanabhaiah also chaired the Committee on Police Reforms (2000). Most of his recommendations on police reforms were accepted by the Government for implementation. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the President of India in 2008 for outstanding contributions to the Nation in the field of civil service.
About the Civil Services examination
The Civil Services examination is hugely popular among the youth of the country. Approximately 1.5 million candidates take a shot at the examination, one of the toughest in the world, each year. Less than 200 people get into the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).
Earlier there were only 3 chances. Today, we have many more. Earlier it was restricted to the age group 21-24. But this has been relaxed.
Some people write the exam again and again and qualify at the age of 35. What kind of attitude will they have? Gaming the exams and the proliferation of coaching institutes are also a cause for concern.
Criticism of the IAS
Some criticism of IAS officers may be a case of sour grapes or jealousy. But others must be taken note of seriously. For example, the Chief Minister of Telangana has recently remarked that the IAS officers do not give the right advice. They give advice to political leaders on how to do the wrong things correctly. The Prime Minister has also criticized IAS officers for thinking they know everything.
On the philosophical underpinnings of the IAS
The key words in IAS are Indian and Service. It is an all India service. IAS officers must have a broader perspective and act in the best interests of the country. They must do what is good for the nation. They are supposed to deliver service, not boss over people. In Maharashtra, the term used for bureaucracy is Naukar Shahi (servants of the people). That is why the culture of the Maharashtra IAS is so different from other states.
Mr Sardar Patel was the architect of the IAS which was started in 1947. He envisioned a civil service that was truly Indian, free from colonial traditions, and dedicated to serving the nation's interests. He believed in recruiting the best and brightest minds through a rigorous examination and ensuring that the civil service remained independent and impartial. Mr Patel saw the All-India Services as a tool for promoting national integration by fostering a sense of unity among people from different regions and backgrounds. In a speech to the first batch of IAS probationers, Mr Patel stated, "You will not have a united India if you do not have a good all-India service which has independence to speak out its mind.”
Organization
The actual number of IAS officers in service is 5500 though the allotted strength is 6800. Compare this with the 50 lakh people employed by the union government and the lakhs of people employed by state governments. (Telangana alone employs more than 3 lakh people.) So, IAS officers are small in number. They are required to do a lot of things.
Two thirds of the seats are filled by direct recruitment and the remaining through promotion from the state services. About 46% belong to the general category, 30% to OBC and the remaining are SC/ST.
After recruitment, the IAS officers are allotted to various states. 50% of the officers in a state are typically from outside. This mix of insiders and outsiders has been created to provide the right balance and perspectives. Unfortunately, in some states, outsiders are not given proper posts. All the good positions are given to the locals.
Rotation
There are no permanent officers in the central secretariat in New Delhi above the level of Under-Secretary. They are all drawn from the states. Moving back and forth between Delhi and the state is an integral part of an IAS officer’s development. The movement starts from the level of Undersecretary. Officers typically go on deputation for 5 years. Then they come back to the states. After being promoted to Deputy Secretary, they again go for about 5 years and come back. At the level of Joint Secretary, they go for about 3-4 years. At the level of Secretary , they can continue in Delhi for along as required.
This movement is done deliberately keeping in mind the federal structure of India. The action happens in the states and districts. But a posting in Delhi or abroad (like World Bank, IMF) provides a larger perspective. This kind of rotation also generates new insights and enables a culture of innovation.
Unfortunately, some states do not depute officers to the centre. They claim there is a shortage of officers. Some IAS officers also manipulate things so that they can remain in the state. Things are more comfortable in the states. Transport and housing can be a challenge when posted in Delhi. (Now things are getting better for the officers.)
At the centre, there is less control over people reporting to the officer. Work happens more by influence not by doling out favours. So, there is a degree of objectivity. In the state, personal linkages are developed.
Cabinet Decision making
First the officer must check that the policy is constitutional. Then comes the cabinet decision. This is complex. Consultation of various departments is involved.
Policy making vs Execution
There are two kinds of postings: Secretaries (policy making) and heads of departments (execution). Secretarial postings are often glamorized and there is a tendency to look down upon field postings. Policy making is considered more glamorous compared to implementation. But execution is key.
Expertise
Mr Padmanabhaiah does not agree with the view that IAS officers are generalists and do not have expertise. Management itself is an expertise. In most professions, learning happens on the job. IAS officers too learn on the job and become experts in their domain. Many science departments (Atomic energy, Space, etc) are headed by experts.
During the Q&A, Mr Padamanabhaiah added that civil servants can always tap into the expertise of others. The more important requirement is to deliver action to intelligence. There must be a desire to act. Project KarmaYogi is an initiative to encourage civil servants to put their desire to act /deliver in accordance with the Indian ethos.
We can always get expertise. Advisors can be roped in if we pay them properly. But there must be a desire to deliver. Even a businessman operates this way. He brings in the capital but depends on experts to set up and run the business.
One idea being mooted is to create 5-6 broad areas of specialization and move the IAS officers within these areas rather than all over the place. But this has not happened for various reasons. Both officers and ministers are responsible. Officers tend to move with ministers and want to stick to what they are doing. Sometimes ministers do not leave the officers.
The changing face of the IAS officer
The training in Mussoorie is somewhat elitist. When Mr Padmanabhaiah underwent training, the orientation made the officers feel more grounded. He was told to be friendly with the local SBI Manager and the Civil Surgeon. Salaries being meagre those days, (Money would be over by the third week of the month.) a close friendship with the bank manager was important. And to take care of one’s health (the job was so tough), the Civil Surgeon was important. They were also told not to be seen overtly moving around with politicians and rich people. If they did so, poor people would think the IAS officers were the agents of the rich and powerful. Misuse of the official car was also not allowed. If a car allotted to an officer was spotted at a school or market or movie theatre, action would be taken. Today, vehicle misuse is more common.
In the last few decades, IAS officers have changed. There is more corruption. Officers are more removed from the public. There is no empathy. There are no minimum touring days. The British had the concept of tent camps. Officers had to camp in remote villages. Today, the IAS officers mostly sit in air-conditioned rooms.
Administration is nothing but an understanding of the conditions on the ground and application of common sense. We claim that we have found cost effective (less than autorickshaw cost per km) ways of sending man to the moon, but why are we not able to run schools and hospitals efficiently?
On how the ecosystem has changed
Politicians too have changed. No longer can politicians claim they are doing public service. They are paid huge salaries. They get wonderful perks. They also receive handsome pensions. The average assets of an Andhra Pradesh politician are estimated to be Rs 58 crores. An MP spends about Rs 100 cores on an election campaign.
Voters too have changed. They are no longer interested in good policies. They are looking for freebies.
So we cannot hold IAS officers alone responsible for what we are seeing today.
Q&A
By 1994 the entire civil administration and political process in the Kashmir valley was in disarray, and the insurgency was at its peak. Elections were being held in the state after almost 9 years. The militants were creating problems. Politicians were afraid to contest the elections. Many political leaders did not reside in Kashmir. They were either outside India or in Delhi. Mr Farooq Abdullah was based in London.
People had to be encouraged to participate. The local civil servants were not participating in the efforts (taking care of voters list, vehicles, polling booths, etc). So they had to look for people outside the state, in Lucknow, Hyderabad, Bhopal who knew Urdu, the official language of the state. Doctors were also recruited. The logistics was complicated.
As Union Home Secretary Mr Padmanabhaiah played an extremely crucial role in reviving the political process in Jammu & Kashmir during 1994-1997. His work received nation-wide recognition. He was awarded the Shiromani Award for National Development and Integration (1996) and the Priyadarshini Award for outstanding Public Service (1996).
After retirement in 1997 Mr Padmanabhaiah was appointed as the Government of India Representative for Naga Peace talks. The Nagas had been demanding independence right from 1947. They had a strong underground organization. They practiced extortion. Even the legitimate government had to pay them taxes. Neighbouring countries (China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, etc.) supplied them weapons.
Under Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao, the government agreed to unconditional talks with the Nagas despite opposition resistance. Mr. Rao’s position was that any demand by the Nagas could always be rejected during the talks. To insist on unconditional talks did not amount to anything more than posturing.
Earlier the talks would happen abroad. Mr Padmanabhaiah persuaded the Naga rebel leadership who were based abroad for decades, to come back to India and move away from their rigid stand of sovereignty. The entire Naga leadership returned and began to live in Delhi next to a parliamentarian’s house. They were encouraged to move around the country and learn more about the Indian constitution. Mr Padmanabhaiah continued the dialogue with patience & perseverance. He persuaded the Naga leaders to continue the ceasefire which led to peace in Nagaland and Naga-inhabited areas of the North East.
Note: Mr Padmanabhaiah emphasised that the press has an important role to play in such situations. Questions to the Nagas such as: have you given up your demand for sovereignty would have been very provocative. It is like throwing a stone at a beehive.
Mr Padmanabhaiah’s tenure as Director of Sugar Co-Operatives(1970-74) saw a spectacular growth of the sugar industry in the State. In 5 years, 49 cooperative sugar factories were set up.
Many of the leaders of the cooperative movement had no formal education. But they had tremendous brains and brought the people together. Mr Padmanabhaiah encouraged them, put them on a high pedestal and gave them all the credit. Mr Padmanabhaiah maintained a good rapport and close relationship with these leaders. Later on, these sugar factories became centres of political patronage, and the industry suffered.
Note: Regarding industrial growth, Mr Padmanabhaiah later added that sometimes less regulation can enable growth. The IT industry has grown because till 2000 there were no laws to regulate the industry. Nasscom led by Dewang Mehta played a major role. NIIT trained people and during the Y2k transition, thousands of Indians got assignments in the US.
A district collector is always thinking: will I be there for 3 years or 3 months? In states like UP, transfers can happen within 3 months. So, some collectors do not plan their work. But that is a wrong approach. It is important to assume that we will be there are for 3 years and plan accordingly. Of course, we must also have shorter term plans so that we can prioritize what needs to be done first.
There is no major problem as far as politicians are concerned. Unfortunately, many IAS officers choose between collusion and collision. Both are not desirable. Politicians should not be opposed just for the sake of opposing. What is needed is cooperation between the officers and politicians.
The Supreme Court has ruled that ministers must give written orders to government servants. (Former Cabinet secretary TSR Subramanian had gone to the supreme court in this regard.) This further empowers the officers to do what is right and constitutional. If they do something without a written order, officers have only themselves to blame.
Note: Many sanctions are given by politicians without any budget provisions. Civil servants should exercise their powers for the benefit of the country. Perennial write offs of agricultural loans is something which is difficult to understand.
We should cut down the levels of decision making. Mr Murali Manohar Joshi, then home minister once made a note on a file:” I agree and marked an arrow towards the Section Officer.” All the officers had just signed on top of and endorsed the Section Officer’s comments. At the most 3 officers should be involved in a decision. A note should not start with the section officer. Otherwise, officers will become instruments in the hands of the section officers.
Sometimes a long internal note is prepared to justify why something cannot be done. But the petitioner is given a cryptic one-line response saying: “No. Your petition cannot be accepted.” The final communication should be detailed and self-explanatory. We should not be afraid of the petitioner going to court.
They must show more interest. They must play the role of true leaders. They must go around, inspect schools, hostels, hospitals and motivate people.
This is a self-created mess. It was running smoothly for hundreds of years. We need not try to fix something which is not broken. What was the need for Dharani?
Yes. A clean up is required and wasteful government spending should be eliminated. But actions should not be arbitrary. The statistics being reeled out by political leaders in the US also sound absurd. In India, also, there is scope for reducing wasteful spending. There is a secretary for administrative reforms in India, Mr B Srinivas. With the old records, 5 mn cubic metres of office space have been freed up.
With GPS/ space technology, we know what is happening in real time. But we must learn to use technology to our advantage by taking appropriate action. Geotagging can helps GHMC officials to understand where the drains are leaking and where the manholes are missing. Ms Ila Tripathi, the Nalgonda collector (earlier Additional Municipal Commissioner) has done some good work in this regard.