TIME TO CHANGE METHOD OF INDUCTION IN BUREAUCRACY
Pakistan is facing multitudes of problems in every aspect of life. Governance of the country is basically conducted through the bureaucracy after the relevant laws are promulgated. After partition we inherited bureaucrats selected by the British colonial masters. They were no doubt well educated and people of integrity.
Well suited to tackling the problems of a nascent state barring a few dishonourable exceptions. The state was functioning well and economic activity was seen although not very visible because of the absence of a vibrant media. The laws coming into force during the infancy of Pakistan were the not the laws prevelant in Britain but were British Colonial laws to tackle the needs of an Imperial power which were more to help the colonial masters rather than the subjects of the Emperor. Post 1970 we were again in deep crisis.
The country was torn asunder more because of our own follies than outside intervention. On the big stage came an excellent orator who mesmerized the masses. Sadly he was at heart another emperor who tried to masquerade as a common man in in a peasant clothes and suitably added Mao’s Dress as official party uniform Lateral entries were introduced in the bureaucracy and scions of favourite families were inducted. Massive nationalisation of industries and banks took place and favourites were put in charge of management/mismanagement.. With the passage of time new problems arose which were above the capabilities of the people inducted under the CSS/PCS mode. We then found Electrical engineers incharge of Agriculture and so on.
Development authorities like CDA, LDA, KDA and other were manned not by City planners but by generalists who were more well versed in the art of sycophancy than governance and planning.
Today is an age of specialization and we are very far behind in the ability to tackle the new problems. The need of the day is to change the system of induction of bureaucrats. The various ministries should induct only those people who have education in that field. The age of generalists is over as we recently discovered the absence of a world class Economist in the Ministry of Finance.
It would be not a surprise to find absence of city planners and waste and sewage disposal specialists in the relevant ministries. Moreover when we get such specialists who are educated in their relevant fields we should give them time to produce results. An arbitrary 3yrs time for planning and develpement is too short. Obviosly an oversight is needed to monitor the progress. As far as AC/DC posts are concerned they should a mandatory qualification of Matser/M.Pil in Public Administration
Pakistan is facing multitudes of problems in every aspect of life. Governance of the country is basically conducted through the bureaucracy after the relevant laws are promulgated. After partition we inherited bureaucrats selected by the British colonial masters. They were no doubt well educated and people of integrity.
Well suited to tackling the problems of a nascent state barring a few dishonourable exceptions. The state was functioning well and economic activity was seen although not very visible because of the absence of a vibrant media. The laws coming into force during the infancy of Pakistan were the not the laws prevelant in Britain but were British Colonial laws to tackle the needs of an Imperial power which were more to help the colonial masters rather than the subjects of the Emperor. Post 1970 we were again in deep crisis.
The country was torn asunder more because of our own follies than outside intervention. On the big stage came an excellent orator who mesmerized the masses. Sadly he was at heart another emperor who tried to masquerade as a common man in in a peasant clothes and suitably added Mao’s Dress as official party uniform Lateral entries were introduced in the bureaucracy and scions of favourite families were inducted. Massive nationalisation of industries and banks took place and favourites were put in charge of management/mismanagement.. With the passage of time new problems arose which were above the capabilities of the people inducted under the CSS/PCS mode. We then found Electrical engineers incharge of Agriculture and so on.
Development authorities like CDA, LDA, KDA and other were manned not by City planners but by generalists who were more well versed in the art of sycophancy than governance and planning.
Today is an age of specialization and we are very far behind in the ability to tackle the new problems. The need of the day is to change the system of induction of bureaucrats. The various ministries should induct only those people who have education in that field. The age of generalists is over as we recently discovered the absence of a world class Economist in the Ministry of Finance.
It would be not a surprise to find absence of city planners and waste and sewage disposal specialists in the relevant ministries. Moreover when we get such specialists who are educated in their relevant fields we should give them time to produce results. An arbitrary 3yrs time for planning and develpement is too short. Obviosly an oversight is needed to monitor the progress. As far as AC/DC posts are concerned they should a mandatory qualification of Matser/M.Pil in Public Administration
