PMO's Sharp Turn On Secretaries: Be Realistic Not Impressive, PM Modi Is Doing What Vajpayee Government Didn't

In 1998, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee asked the then Principal Secretary PMO Brijesh Mishra to prepare a plan for revamping bureaucracy, specifically at the Secretary and Additional Secretary level, as Vajpayee's bureaucracy was suffering from serious issues of internal politics and lost efficiency, which made Vajpayee government of face criticism at the administrative level. Though a group of secretaries through strong Sangh and political connections at that time stymied Vajpayee's attempt to revamp the bureaucracy, Now, in the present government, it seems to be happening and may translate into a big picture if the government wins a third term.

 As the Centre is gearing for an anticipated third term, the Prime Minister's Office's top brass is reviewing the work of Secretaries of significant ministries. Top sources say that one Secretary of a significant ministry was called to the Prime Minister's Office, where his work and the Ministry's profile were scanned and discussed. Sources add that the Secretary was confident with conviction, briefing the PMO about the status of affairs and the work of the Ministry. After a brief discussion, he was asked to prepare reports and presentations on the suggestions and further plans of the Ministry on various projects. But there is an interesting catch to this: he was asked to be "realistic and not impressive". Top sources said that the secretary went into the flow and suggested some sterling ideas without realising that this would practically take more time and effort. However, the secretary is now asked to work on these said "sterling ideas", which have kept him puzzled for a few days.

The Prime Minister's Office pointing towards realism quotient leads to an important lesson for senior IAS officers. One- Realistic ideas are now a key priority of the government. The Budget and Finance Ministry's approach of focusing on output rather than input to scan the need for funding schemes that have outlived their utility reflects a changing practice. Similarly, the long time utility is paramount for putting forth any idea. 

Second- There are no brownie points for being fancy and impressive and attempting hard to impress the PMO, as the PMO wants bureaucrats to have a long view of plans. Some bureucrats have the tendeancy of being so thoughtful and thoeratical that few minutes of dicussion is equivalent to implementation, for them utlity is in theories not in practicals becuase they prefer to be probelem finders and not solution finders. Such attitude will individually make a bureaucrat bright, but in terms of results, she or he might lose the sheen.

Third- A message, perhaps for the third term, is out loud to the secretaries that for translating the government's vision, being realistic is absolutely essential regardless of how ambitious the vision is. Just proposing the idea and the process will not yield the desired results, as the idea won't sustained if it's not effectively backed up. A well-placed source said that often, Secretaries propose "an idea after which she/he starts to hassle with the process which either lowers the efficiency or stalls the idea.

The question here is not displaying a stymying bureaucratic behaviour but effectively aligning the government's vision and one's ideas to bring synergy in coordination and implementation. No wonder that if the government wins the third term, a more paced and practical vision will emerge for which senior bureaucrats—secretaries of upcoming batches—must prepare.