The Civil Services Day on 21 st April is an annual ritual celebrated year-after-year. For the past two years, it is a two-day extravaganza, not one as before. I attended the first Civil Services Day on April 21, 2006. Attendance was compulsory. Usual rhetorics, sermons by dignitaries. All very de-motivating, uninspiring. Sheer waste of public time, public money with no value addition to attitudinal change in “rededicating themselves to the cause of citizens and renew their commitment to public service and excellence in work “. 5-star coffee/ tea and lunches are the star attractions. Junior bureaucrats rushing to shake hands with the high and mighty, falling over each other to have favourite picks in lunch.
The 2007 event was a repeat of 2006. Come 2017, awards to 500 civil servants against 100 last year. Considered a “quantum leap “. What were the short listing criteria? Who were members of the Jury? How were selections made? Was it based on pick-and-choose, arbitrary and discretionary considerations? The anguish expressed by other Services, is justified. Selection of theme, manipulated to highlight achievements of single Service .
DOP&T ,PG & AR will have much to explain. Let it upload details of total expenditure on mega event including to-and fro travel expenses, officers’ absence from public duty . Time to introspect. Mollycoddling of civil servants should be strictly no- no. Let civil servants celebrate the Day by observing punctuality and work harder.
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