UN Public Service Awards Initiatives: Citizen Service Delivery at the Door-steps Gandhinagar District Collectorate

A. Problem Analysis

1. What was the problem before the implementation of the initiative?

The initiative of “Administration at your door-steps” addressed three major social groups: I. Students Every year several thousand students approach the district administration to get the certificates for Scheduled Caste / Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) and / or Socially & Economically Backward Caste (SEBC). There are related requirements of certificates for (1) Income, (2) Domicile as well as (3) Non-Creamilayer status. These certifications are necessary to claim admissions on preferred basis or to qualify for financial grants or assistance at the institutions for higher and professional education. The time gap between the announcement of examination results and application for admission is hardly 2-3 weeks. As a result, the students have to rush to the administration immediately after the announcement of examination results. The students from the remote rural areas had to go to the district or tehsil headquarters. Quite often, due to lack of awareness many of them were not able to fulfill the procedural requirements and had to go through lot of inconvenience and costs. The district administration had to handle unprecedented high number of applicants in a short span of two weeks. They had to experience lot of pressure to serve the applicants while ensuring due compliance for the important aspects of caste status. Inconvenience and associated costs, Panic and in rare cases negative impact on academic career opportunity were the problems to students. Whereas, work pressure and related extra care needed for accuracy were the concerns for the district administration. II. Illiterate & Poor Citizens residing in Rural Area The poor and illiterate rural masses are often deprived of the very benefits which are actually for them. This is primarily because of lack of awareness on their end about the concerned administration, the procedure, the requirements of documents, etc. Addition of new-born and newly-married family members in the ration card, benefits to widows and physically handicapped citizens are among important such schemes from the government. At times, even where the prospective beneficiaries are aware of the benefits, they lack confidence in the administration. They do not risk the costs of travel to the district office nor they risk the loss of their daily earnings for the day(s) they have to spend for the paperwork. They may even have to make back and forth journeys to fulfill all the statutory requirements related to the application submission. Lack of awareness backed with lack of confidence in the system causes the real beneficiary to not apply for the benefit they deserve. III. Senior Citizens There are special government privileges and schemes for senior citizens (aged 60 and above). It is always welcome to reach out to them and offer them instant & on-spot services rather than expecting them to go through multiple visits to the Government offices.

B. Strategic Approach

2. What was the solution?
Gandhinagar Collectorate proposed “Services at your door-steps” initiative to solve the problem mentioned above. The initiative was as follows: To address the needs of the school students, the administration launched one or two day service delivery camps at schools. The dates of the service camp were proactively planned even before the examinations. The onus of ensuring a complete application of a student was passed on to the school authorities. These authorities were trained by the administration well before the date of the camp. The school authorities and teachers passed the information to the students. The students with the help of their teachers and parents filled-up the application papers. The representatives from the administration pre-verified the paperwork. On the day of the camp, the tehsil and district authorities and service staff visited the school campus to complete on spot issue of the certificate. The related services such as photocopies, attestation, verification and instant photo, etc. were also handled on spot. The applicant students or their parents did not have to visit any offices or wait in any queues or face any rush. The authorities had sufficient time to ensure all compliances before the issue of important certifications. To reach out to the illiterate and poor citizens in the remote rural areas, the administration launched service delivery camps in the villages. The decision making authority, supporting staff remained present at the village. In most cases the initiative was held at the school premises along with the issue of the caste certificates and other documents to the students. In some cases the village panchayat hosted the camp. The application forms and related information were pre-distributed to the applicants through village level volunteers and local administration. The documents were verified at the camp. Necessary stamp and attestation were done during the camp. The applications were submitted to the state level citizen service delivery system software through Internet connectivity as well as State Wide Area Network. The computer generated acceptance notes / acknowledgement were given to the applicants to assure them that their part of the work is successfully completed. Later, within the stipulated time limits, after due diligence at the back-end, the final grant orders, etc. were issued to the applicants. Several old citizens, Helpless old people, widows, illiterate families came forward to receive the benefits they deserved. They could avail the same without any loss of their daily labour, at minimal costs and without travelling to any offices. In both the cases the key objectives of citizen service delivery were achieved successfully. The initiative was very well supported by the school staff, local volunteers. Leading personalities of the area blessed the events and expressed their deep satisfaction. To a good extent, the citizens felt empowered and their faith in the administration was improved significantly.
3. How did the initiative solve the problem and improve people’s lives?
The initiative was creative & innovative in the following ways:  Instead of applicants approaching an administration, the administration approached applicants under this initiative. This overwhelmed the citizens.  The citizens & students came forward and derived the benefit as they faced no uncertainty related to the paperwork process. In some cases, the same citizens had avoided visiting the district offices for several years.  The initiative has been a real example of “Technology for People”. The laptops, internet and S-WAN connectivity were utilized to serve otherwise unaddressed people.  The events were of local nature (instead of typically at the government office). So, local volunteers and people participated with great joy.  Most of the paperwork formalities were completed well-ahead of the camp day. As a result the officers only had to scrutinize completed papers. This could be handled with much greater efficiency.  The justification of the initiative was on basis of the effort and costs to the administration vis-à-vis the gross sum of efforts and costs to the citizens. This made the initiative an all-out winner!

C. Execution and Implementation

4. In which ways is the initiative creative and innovative?
Doorsteps delivery – The strategy & its implementation Process: • The administration prepared the general guidelines for the participant school or village communities. The guidelines included list of preparations expected on their end, paperwork formalities, connectivity infrastructure, etc. • On the other end, guidelines were prepared for the administration including the officers, the service provider staff. Delegation of powers and responsibilities were also a part of this process. Awareness: • The local participant organizations were trained by the administrative authorities and staff. The training was to explain the procedure to be followed by them. • The participant organizations conducted an awareness campaign for the beneficiaries. The media advertisements, press notes, local announcements and bulletins and hoardings were published. • The schools and local panchayats distributed relevant forms and information to the prospective applicants. Preparation and ground-level work: • Local people with the help of the representatives of the civic centre guided the applicants to fill-up the forms and prepare enclosures. • The supportive services such as instant photo, photocopies, attestation, lamination, etc. were made available at the camp site. • The school principal and senior staff verified the caste and birth records of the students and endorsed the authenticity of the applications in case of students. • The completed and verified applications were available to the officers for their final scrutiny. • The eligible applications were granted and the certificates, orders were generated. Outcome & Reforms: • Caste, Income, Domicile, etc. Certificates were issued to the students. Grant, Assistance orders were issued for the eligible applicants. Ration-card amendments were carried out. • During the doorsteps delivery camps, suggestions and feedbacks from all the stakeholders were sought. The same helped further improvements of the services. • The success of one event attracted its repetition at the next location. • Complete documentation including photographs, feedback notes, etc. was maintained. The documentation shall help replication and sustainability in an effective manner.
5. Who implemented the initiative and what is the size of the population affected by this initiative?
The major stakeholders involved in implementation are: • School Students • School Principal • School Staff • Citizens at large • Village Panchayats • District Administration (Collector, Tehsildar, Area Development Officer, etc.) • Civic Centre Staff • Local volunteers • Leading citizens and NGOs • Network Administrators (NIC) The district administration facilitated the intiative. They also assured the availability of officers, staff as well as information. They coordinated with all the other stakeholders to ensure effective service delivery at the doorsteps. The school authorities, staff and Village Panchayat administrators provided help at local level. They provided the furnished space, data connectivity and basic amenities. They also extend required assistance and information to students and applicants. Students and Citizens at Large are the primary beneficiaries. Students get the required certificates in quick, convenient and in-expensive way. Citizens get the government services in an assured manner. They save time and costs to avail benefits intended for them. Civic Centre staff delivers the services. They interact with the applicants. They verify the filled-up application forms. They handle the entry of the application data into the computer system. They carry out printing, lamination etc. services and deliver the reply to the applicants. Leading Citizens and local volunteers facilitate the awareness of the initiative. They motivate the citizens to avail the benefit of the opportunity of services at the doorsteps. They assist the applicants, service staff and administrative authorities on the day of the event. They also contribute in any other ways they possibly can.
6. How was the strategy implemented and what resources were mobilized?
The project was an extension of the citizen service delivery administration already in place at the district level. The state has set up a reliable, high speed wide area network to facilitate connectivity from rural areas. So there were no significant infrastructure costs. The event related costs were incurred by the host school or panchayat. Most of the awareness and assistance related work was handled by the volunteers and local people at no charge. The processing fee of Rs. 20 per application was recovered from the applicants. This fee covered the service delivery costs of the civic centre staff and other overheads. The entire initiative was facilitated in a revenue neutral manner. However if the cost savings to the citizens is considered, the initiative offered huge cost benefit. Hundreds of students and citizens saved the costs of travelling to the concerned offices. They also saved their valuable time.
7. Who were the stakeholders involved in the design of the initiative and in its implementation?
Convenience to the students: The students no longer have to stand in queues and experience any delays or uncertainty. Their work gets ready ahead of time. Such a service to the citizens of tomorrow is a matter of great satisfaction for the administration. Reaching out to the under-privileged citizens: Helpless old people, Physically challenged citizens, widows and hundreds of illiterate citizens residing in rural villages hardly come forward to seek the benefits meant for them. They either do not know about those or they lack assurance about their success in tapping these benefits. Delivery at the doorsteps comes to them as a big blessing. They have hardly anything to lose or risk. Such a successful reach is also a success for the government. Participation & Involvement of Stakeholders: As the service delivery event is focused for the local people, volunteers contribute their best to the event. The event in true sense becomes of the people, for the people, by the people. Cost & Time Benefit to Citizens and Administration: Students & Citizens save lot of time as they receive benefits without having to visit a government office. They don’t have to go back and forth for paperwork compliance. The poor and deprived beneficiaries save their hard earned money. The administration on the other end achieve greater level of efficiency due to pre-verified, completed paperwork and instant disposals. Faith in the Government Administration: As the government administration reaches out to the people, a positive feeling prevails among the citizens. They are inspired to expect more from the government. Their faith in the administration gets a boost.
8. What were the most successful outputs and why was the initiative effective?
Presence of Senior Officers at the Camp: Every camp was attended by a senior government officer. The district collector himself attended most of the camps. This helped in boosting the confidence of all the stakeholders. The beneficiaries and the officers had highly effective interactions. The officers also derived the first hand information through the events. Documentation & Phases: As the events were carried out in a routine and regular manner, the procedures were formalized. Several phases including Promotion of Awareness, Involvement of local people, Planning & Preparations before the event, Paperwork formalities on pro-active basis, Approvals & Decision making and Distribution of Certificates & Awards, etc. were defined and time tagged to streamline the proceedings. Delegation of Roles & Responsibilities: The officers, Service delivery work force as well as the host institutions were conveyed their roles and responsibilities. This ensured a healthy teamwork leading to the success of the initiative. Criteria for Success & Report: The objective focused on both the qualitative & quantitative ends. We tried to involve as many citizens as we could. More the beneficiaries, greater the success of the initiative. We also tried to cover more and more services as we progressed. The involvement of local stakeholders was also a parameter to consider for success. The feedbacks and suggestions were crucially important for future events. The formalized reports helped the evaluation of the success of the initiative.
9. What were the main obstacles encountered and how were they overcome?
The main obstacles against implementation of the initiative were as follows: Response of the Beneficiaries While the school level events met with good success since the start, the citizen services took a while to succeed. For a common citizen it was difficult to believe that he / she does not need to travel to a government office to get the work done. It was difficult for them to accept that the volunteers and service staff will handhold them to complete the paperwork. As the initiative progressed from village to village, more and more people turned out to avail the benefits. At some of the places, the event sustained two days beyond the date of the camp. Involvement of local hosts: As the initiative was proposed by the government administration, some of the schools expressed reluctance to participate. They were likely to have anticipated some inspections and audit as a result of the visit of senior officials. After the initial experiences, a wave of comfort prevailed and the local bodies started expressing their enthusiasm to host the event. Availability of Services: The facilities such as photocopiers were not available at some of the villages. People had to visit near by places to get those done. Later a portable copier was added along with the computer equipment for the camps. This resolved the problem. Similarly, the stamp papers were not available as there were no vendors in those villages. The Tehsildar arranged to have a stamp vendor from the headquarters to remain present at the camp. Network Connectivity: Initially the work was handled off-line due to lack of computer network connectivity. Later with the availability of S-WAN and mobile internet, the problem was resolved.

D. Impact and Sustainability

10. What were the key benefits resulting from this initiative?
Citizen Empowerment, Public-Private Partnership (Teamwork), Efficient Operations, Technology for People The initiative of a government administration to deliver services at the door-steps of the citizens was welcomed by the citizens. Many of these citizens had avoided approaching the administration for the benefits they really deserved. They were not sure that they would qualify for the schemes. They were not aware of the offices they needed to go to. They did not know which forms to fill-up and what to enclose. In case of some of the common services like ration card amendments, etc. where there was a greater level of awareness, the citizens were hesitant to spare 2-3 days for the procedural work. They had to lose their daily earnings and spend for the travel in order to visit the district or tehsil offices. Yet, they were not sure of the completion of the paperwork. At times they had to count on touts or agents to get the work done. “Services at the doorsteps” resolved all these issues. Citizens derived a great sense of satisfactions as they were served at their home place without any time delays or travel expenditure. Citizens had the taste of the power of democracy where they felt that the administration was really meant for them. Citizens felt empowered. More and more services were covered in the “door-steps” initiative. The local people realized the value of the initiative. They appreciated the effort and formed a positive image of the administration. They welcomed the effort and participated by offering their infrastructure and support. At Patnakuva village, the primary school teachers offered their computer lab for printing of the certificates on spot. The initiative reflected a good example of Public-Private Teamwork. The students did not have to face any panic or rush to avail the required certifications within a small time period. They did not have to stand in queues and wait for hours to get their work done. Their parents appreciated the initiative. While the government administration had to incur the additional costs of travel and temporary set up of infrastructure, people at large benefitted much more. Hundreds of students saved hundreds of rupees of travel and related expenses. Hundreds of citizens saved time and money. The value of small amounts to poor people was far more than that absorbed by the administration. The initiative guaranteed and justified the cost benefit. With the availability of ICT, the initiative clearly expresses relevance. The data required to process an application is always available locally. It can easily travel to the servers located remotely. So it makes all the sense if services are catered at the door-steps instead of expecting the beneficiaries to travel to the central place. This was a perfect example of use of “Technology for People”.
11. Did the initiative improve integrity and/or accountability in public service? (If applicable)
“Citizen Service Delivery at the Doorsteps” has elevated the expectations of the citizens. Driven with success, the replication is obvious and natural. The beginning was from the district administration. However the village or local NGOs would invite the administration to come to their locality for doorsteps services. Ultimately, Citizens, the prime beneficiaries shall sustain the initiative. The doorsteps services initiative has been an “All-Win” initiative. Every stakeholder is a gainer and there is no loser. Citizens and School Students & Parents are the prime beneficiaries. They have so much to gain and nothing to lose. They save costs and time. The local schools and NGOs and leaders are more than happy to host the camps. They feel proud to be a part of the service that benefits their community. All they have to spare is their existing infrastructure and their time. They do so with pleasure. The government officers see their success in the initiative as they find the benefits reach to beneficiaries in the most efficient and effective manner. The technology beautifully ties up all the wings of the citizen service network. There are practically no additional costs or investments. As there are schools in every part of the country and the needs of the citizens in the rural areas are similar in nature, the initiative has a tremendous scope to replicate. Over the replication, the initiative shall further mature. More and more G2C services and some B2C services may get included with the spread of the initiative.
12. Were special measures put in place to ensure that the initiative benefits women and girls and improves the situation of the poorest and most vulnerable? (If applicable)
The district administration derived great satisfaction through the “Citizen Services at the Doorsteps” initiative. The officers and the ground level staff enjoyed serving the people. As we served people, we could see them on the same side of the fence. The organizations and volunteers participated with enthusiasm. People appreciated the care and concern the administration offered to them. As all the energies align, the positive outcomes multiply. Such “All-win” initiatives can establish the faith of the citizens in the governing bodies. Empowered citizens and Efficient Administration can be pillars of a healthy democracy. We sensed that cost is practically a no factor. As all stakeholders offer what they can, no single stakeholder bears the burden. The administration may only serve as a trigger and play their formal role. Later people catch up and enjoy serving people. While the initiative may sound creative and innovative, it also seems natural and obvious. The technology has removed the place barriers. So it makes all the sense to serve people where they are. While we shall make every effort to spread the initiative within our administration, we shall also make efforts to publicize so that the same gets replicated. We find it our responsibility to further fine tune the initiative. We expect to add more services including B2C services. We expect to launch services on wheels so that the administration can reach out to every citizen in every corner. Such models of distributed service delivery should be studied collectively to prepare a model for the nation. Through the policy support, the model should be replicated and spread in every part of the country.     Article courtesy:   https://publicadministration.un.org/en/Research/Case-Studies/unpsacases/ctl/NominationProfilev2014/mid/1170/id/2795

PUBLIC SERVICES: VALUES, CODE, CONDUCT – LEGAL FRAMEWORK

1. Public Services Bill 2007(Chapter III):

Values of Public Services:

The Public Service and the Public Servants shall be guided by the following values in the discharge of their functions:

(a) Patriotism and upholding national pride;

(b) Allegiance to the Constitution and the law of the nation;

(c) Objectivity, impartiality, honesty, diligence, courtesy and transparency; (d) maintain absolute integrity.

Without prejudice to the provisions of this Act, the Central Government may, on the recommendation of or in consultation with the Central Authority, notify from time to time other values in this Section

Public Services Code:-

(1) The Government shall promote the Public Service Values and a standard of ethics in the Public Service operations, requiring and facilitating every Public Service employee –

(i) To discharge official duties with competence and accountability; care and diligence; responsibility, honesty, objectivity and impartiality; without discrimination and in accordance with the law;

(ii) To ensure effective management, professional growth and leadership development;

(iii) To avoid misuse of official position or information and using the public moneys with utmost care and economy; and

(iv) function with the objective that Public Services and Public Servants are to serve as instruments of good governance and to provide services for the betterment of the public at large; foster socio-economic development, with due regard to the diversity of the nation but without discrimination on the ground of caste, community, religion, gender or class and duly protecting the interest of poor, underprivileged and weaker sections. 

2. CCS CONDUCT RULES 1968:

Every member of the Service shall:-

(i) commit himself to and uphold the supremacy of the Constitution and democratic values;

(ii) Defend and uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of State, public order, decency and morality;

(iii) Maintain integrity in public service;

(iv) Take decisions solely in public interest and use or cause to use public resources efficiently, effectively and economically;

(v) Declare any private interests relating to his public duties and take steps to resolve any conflicts in a way that protects the public interest;

(vi) Not place himself under any financial or other obligations to any individual or organisation which may influence him in the performance of his official duties;

(vii) Not misuse his position as civil servant and not take decisions in order to derive financial or material benefits for himself, his family or his friends;

(viii) Make choices, take decisions and make recommendations on merit alone;

(ix) Act with fairness and impartiality and not discriminate against anyone, particularly the poor and the under-privileged sections of society;

(x) Refrain from doing anything which is or may be contrary to any law, rules, regulations and established practices

(xi) Maintain discipline in the discharge of his duties and be liable to implement the lawful orders duly communicated to him;

(xii) be liable to maintain confidentiality in the performance of his official duties as required by any laws for the time being in force, particularly with regard to information, disclosure of which may prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of State, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the State, friendly relation with foreign countries or lead to incitement of an offence or illegal or unlawful gains to any person;

(xiii) Perform and discharge his duties with the highest degree of professionalism and dedication to the best of his abilities.

3. Do’s and Don’ts for Central Government Employees as per CCS (Conduct) Rules:

Do’s:

1. Maintain absolute integrity at all times.

2. Maintain absolute devotion to duty at all times.

3. Maintain independence and impartiality in the discharge of your duties.

4. Maintain a responsible and decent standard of conduct in private life.

5. Render prompt and courteous service to the public.

6. Observe proper decorum during lunch break.

7. Report to your superiors the fact of your arrest or conviction in a Criminal Court and the circumstances connected therewith, as soon as it is possible to do so.

8. Keep away from demonstrations organized by political parties.

9. Maintain political neutrality.

10. Manage private affairs in such a way as to avoid habitual indebtedness or insolvency.

11. If any legal proceedings are instituted against you for the recovery of any debt or for declaring you as insolvent, report the full facts of such proceedings to the competent authority.

12. Act in accordance with the government policies.

13. Observe courtesy and consideration to Members of Parliament and State Legislatures.

14. In performance of duties in good faith, communicate information to a person in accordance with the ‘Right to Information Act, 2005′ and the rules made thereunder.

Don’ts:

1. Do not enter into any private correspondence with Foreign Embassies or Missions/ High Commission.

2. Do not accept lavish or frequent hospitality from any individual, industrial or commercial firms, organizations, etc., having official dealings with you.

3. Do not accept any offer of the cost of passage to foreign countries or hospitality by way of free board and lodging there, if such offers are from foreign firms contracting with Government.

4. Do not accept invitations to you and members of your family for free inaugural flights offered by Air India, Indian Airlines Corporation or Foreign Airlines.

5. Do not accept any gift from any foreign firm which is having official dealings.

6. Do not encage yourself in canvassing business of Life Insurance Agency, Commission Agency or Advertising Agency owned or managed byte members of your family.

7. Do not lend money to or borrow money from or deposit money as a member or agent, with any person, firm or private company with whom you are likely to have official dealings. Do not otherwise place yourself under pecuniary obligation with such person, firm or private company.

8. Do not approach your subordinates for standing surety for loans taken from private sources either by you/your relations/friends.

9. Do not undertake private consultancy work.

10. Do not speculate in any stock, share or other investment.

11. Do not purchase shares out of the quota reserved for friends and associates of Directors of Companies.

12. Do not bid at any auction of property where such auction is arranged by your own officers.

13. Do not stay as guest with foreign diplomats or foreign nationals in India.

14. Do not invite any Foreign Diplomat to stay with you as your guest in India.

15. Do not accept or permit your wife or dependants to accept passage money or free air transport from a Foreign Mission / Government or Organization.

16. Do not bring any political influence in matters pertaining to your service.

17. Do not consume any intoxicating drinks or drugs while on duty.

18. Do not appear in public place in a state of intoxication.

19. Do not indulge in any act sexual harassment of any women at her work place.

20. Do not employ children below 14 years of age.

21. Do not accept award of monetary benefits instituted by Private Trusts / Foundations, etc.

22. Do not make joint representations in matters of common interest.

23. Do not indulge in acts unbecoming of a Government servant.

24. Do not be discourteous, dishonest and partial.

25. Do not adopt dilatory tactics in your dealings with the public.

26. Do not convey oral instructions to subordinates. If any oral instruction is issued due to urgency, confirm it in writing as soon as possible.

27. Do not practice untouchability.

28. Do not associate yourself with any banned organizations.

29. Do not join any association or demonstration whose objects or activities are prejudicial to the interest of the sovereignty and integrity of India, public order and morality.

30. Do not give expressions to views on Indian or foreign affairs, while visiting foreign countries.

31. Do not get involved in unauthorized communication of any official document or any part of thereof or classified information to any Government servant or any other persons to whom you are not authorized to communicate such document or classified information.

32. Do not join or support any illegal strike.

33. Do not give or take or abet giving or taking of dowry or demand any dowry directly or indirectly from the parent or guardian of a bride or bridegroom.

34.Do not address the higher authority prematurely on the same issue unless it is established that all the points or submission made earlier have not been fully considered by the immediate superior head of office or any other authority at the lowest level competent to deal with matter.

35. Do not use your official position or influence directly or indirectly to secure employment for any number of your family in any company or firm.

 

4. A CASE STUDY: MISSION SATYANISHTHA BY INDIAN RAILWAYS

Indian Railways Launches “Mission Satyanishtha” a Program on Ethics in Public Governance

In first of its kind event held by any government organization, the Indian Railways organized a programme on Ethics in Public Governance and Launched “Mission Satyanishtha” at a daylong event held at National Rail Museum, New Delhi, today i.e. 27.07.2018.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Piyush Goyal said “People define an organization and an organization defines its people, hence, work culture has to be improved and transparency brought about, data should be displayed on public domains so as to get constructive feedbacks from the users”. He further added “Lack of interest towards work in any system, may be termed as unethical amounting to corruption”. 

Earlier in the day, Sh. Ashwani Lohani, Chairman, Railway Board inaugurated the event and introduced the subject to the participants. The Senior Officers and Staff members of  Railways  also participated in the event. The event was webcast live to all Zonal, Divisional and Production Units from the National Rail  Museum.

 

The issue of Ethics, Integrity and probity in public life have been a matter of concern all over the government sector. In this context it is also extremely important that all railway servants adhere to impeccable conduct and integrity at all times. “Mission Satyanishtha” launched on 27^th July 2018 aims at sensitizing all railway employees about the need to adhere to good ethics and to maintain high standards of integrity at work. Talks and Lectures on the subject are being organised all over the Indian Railways today for this purpose. 

 The objectives of the Mission are:

1. To train every employee to understand the need and value of ethics in Personal and Public life.
2. To deal with ethical dilemmas in life and Public Governance.
3. To help understand the policies of Indian Railways on ethics and integrity and the employee’s role in upholding the same.
4. To develop inner governance through tapping inner resources.

Watch videos relating to Mission Satyanishtha:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YAYmMrYHtQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRjeFTRm1Fs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAanzbs5jQU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuQrOqYx-Iw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8tnd4Cm7xY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-21dqpj-Y3M&list=PLytOFe_5gcnINyvrXbQCqi1beN6F_Jmae&index=7&t=0s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLR0sKfirME&list=PLytOFe_5gcnINyvrXbQCqi1beN6F_Jmae&index=6&t=0s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMNEzPvO7Xc&list=PLytOFe_5gcnINyvrXbQCqi1beN6F_Jmae&index=5&t=0s

Women in Administration in India - Jayasheela George

Abstract:

Administration is the performance of the executive functions of the state and it differs from legislature and judiciary. In the present research study, administration refers to Managerial view of administration and here the study is on women administrators of All India Services - Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFS). Though the services were in existence from the Britishers Period, the entry of women into these services was very late and in two of these services, women got in only after few decades of independence. 

This article is written based on the primary data collected through a questionnaire and interviews conducted, case studies done, meeting women IAS, IPS and IFS officers, analysing the Civil lists, Police lists and Forest lists of Government of India. It focuses on the position of women in All India Services, the experiences of women officers, their opinion on other women in the services, existing discriminatory factors in the services, the attitude of their male counter parts in services and at home and their satisfaction and happiness with their family life. Keywords: women in administration, Indian women, Indian Administrative Service Introduction Administration is the performance of the executive functions of the state and it differs from legislature and judiciary. It is one of the most important instruments available to the Government to achieve the goals of the nation. In the present study, the term administration refers to public administration that includes the management of affairs of Government at all levels- national, state and local. In India, Government services are divided into All India Services, Central Services and State Services. In the present research study, administration refers to Managerial view of administration and here the study is on women administrators of All India Services - Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFS). All India Services are divided into different cadres based on the states. Some states have a separate cadre where as the union territories and few states have common cadres. 

Women in the Indian Administrative Service After Independence the first competitive examination for the AISs -IAS and IPS was held in 1948. The monopoly of male existed till 1950 in IAS and only in 1951 the first lady got into IAS. Though the constitution of India ensures equality, the Indian Administrative Service Rules of 1954 was discriminatory and disadvantageous to women as „no married women shall be appointed to the service and resign from the service in the event of marriage‟. This disqualification and restriction was removed by deleting the very provision from the IAS recruitment Rule in 1972 and married women were allowed to join the service and an additional provision of maternity leave was granted under this recruitment rule. Analyzing the Civil Lists Published by the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India depicts that the women‟s entry in to IAS is not increasing much and has been fluctuating from time to time. This is corroborated by the random analysis of the data for few years from the Civil list shows that in the year 1951 only one woman got into the service, after ten years that is in the year 1961 also only one woman entered the service. In the last decade that is in the year 2000 only 9 women got into Indian Administrative Service.

Moreover in between years also there is an increase and again there is a decrease in the number of women getting into the service and women‟s entry is not on the increase every year. In the contemporary period women IAS officers are not debarred from any kind of postings within the service. They are working in all the states and union territories and holding a variety of ranks from senior most to junior most level. Women in the Indian Police Service Women were barred from recruitment to IPS till 1971 and in the year 1972 the discriminatory rule was removed and the first woman entered into IPS and the data in the Police Lists published by the Department of Home Affairs shows the less representation of women in IPS. Though numerically they are less in number, a few of them excel in  their performance and were honoured with awards and medals. Women in the Indian Forest Service The entry of women into IFS was very late, comparing with other All India Service and it was only in the year 1980 the first women got into the service. The Indian Forest Service Civil Lists, the Ministry of Environment and Forest, and the Government of India show that the number of women in the service is very less. Research methodologyThe list of women administrators in Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service and Indian Forest Service were taken from the Civil list, Police list and the Forest list published by Government of India. 
 
There are 24 state cadres in All India Services, from which a few women administrators representing the different parts of the country were selected for the study using simple random methodology. Among the data collected from a vast sample, only data related to four significant samples were given in this article. An in-depth unstructured interview and observation were used by the researcher as a tool to collect data related to women administrators. The researcher herself met the samples and did the interview with women administrators in their offices, focusing on the areas such as the motivating factors for them to get into the services, the problems they face at home and office being a woman and the changes they brought out in the administrative system. During the course of interview the administrators further shared information related to the functioning of the administrative system and the changing position of women in administration and other related aspects. The qualitative data is structured and a part of data is presented as it was given by the samples during the interview.  

This study brings out the facts related to the position women in administration and reveals that women are equally capable to occupy the top most services of the nation. It is just that women need to come out of the age old traditions and clutches of customs, prove their talents and get into administrative services, make a change in the society and lead the nation towards development. It removes misconception regarding All India Service and suggests measures to increase the entry of women into administrative services. It also provides suggestions regarding women administrators balancing work at home and office.  

Among many a number of women officers interviewed, four of them are given here, naming them and identifying them “A” to “D” and just a very significant portion on each study is given below.  


Madam. “A’’ is an Orissa Cadre Secretary level officer, having a non-service partner, belonging to 70s batch was one among the few to get in to the cadre in the early duration of service. She says, “It was very difficult days for women to be an AIS officer as practically women did not occupy the top-most position in the initial stages and those services were mostly branded as men‟s positions. Now, the situation is changed and the number of woman getting into the services increased considerably. Till 2002 none of the Orissa girls got home cadre and it was only in the year 2003 the first Orissa girl got her home cadre and she was the topper of her batch”.She further states, “Even though the number of women getting into the services increased over the years, the stereotype ideas of considering women as inferior to men is not changed. Even now, women officers are not preferred for sensitive, crucial, important and heavy money transacting postings”. She explains of the discrimination in postings, “Mostly, politicians do not feel comfortable with lady officers and do not like women to occupy the top-most positions. As such men do not like to share power with women. Moreover, women are not power-oriented and money minded and they do not usually go for political influence or other measures to get plum postings and favours. Men go for these things as they are familiar with the ways and means to achieve the targets. Women do not bother much about the post allotted and they perform their duties and excel in their given postings. Women are streamlined in administrative services even if they are meritorious and competent enough as men have been holding so called plump postings for years together and rarely women get such postings”. On the attitude of men she states, “even now, the attitude of men is not changed; they still wonder why women have to work as women are not the breadwinners of the family whereas men are in reverse. They fail to understand that women also contribute to family income”

Madam “B” an IAS officer from Gujarat cadre, married to an IPS officer, very active and challenging. Describing the extent of freedom given to women officers by their partners to choose the post she states: “Men are not able to accept women being in top most positions. Even the so-called educated men are not able to accept it. In some cases women are forced by their partners and family to take up sideline postings that are less challenging. Women officers for the sake of their family life accept them”. Explaining her heartbreaking family life, she says, “I have undergone dowry torture and wife beating. I have applied for a divorce. My partner does not want me to continue the service as he is suspecting me of extra marital relationship. He has gone to the extent of threatening me to death. I have requested the Government to give protection to my life and my baby‟s and to take action against him. I have made complaints against him to the Government but no action was taken for a long time and now he is on suspension”.

Madam “C” an IAS officer, holding the post of Chief Secretary in one of the northern states. She brings out the excellence of the service as, “the hidden power of administrative service can‟t be compared with any other service despite IT and other fields are flourishing. Administration can reach anywhere and exist everywhere. It is the best career”.Towards increasing the number of women in to the service, she quotes, “we need to educate women, develop self-confidence and make them realize that they can contribute to the nation apart from being domestic women. Girl children are getting less nutrition comparatively and Government needs to take more effective steps to rectify that”.Bringing out the lapses in administration, she states, “We experience shortcoming in administration. There are lapses - not able to reach the poorest of the poor because of the procedures involved for an example if an old age lady applies for pension under National Old Age Pension scheme, she has to give certain documents required by the Social Welfare Department, even after giving the required documents she has to wait for years to get the pension sanction by the government officials due to the slow and long procedures involved. Giving orders is time consuming. A few officers are afraid to give orders related to sanctioning of government aid. Auditing is becoming demoralized as they use their power to give wrong accounts and influence the persons doing auditing of government projects. Moreover there is significant level of corrupt practices with administrators. The other difficulty is that we do not have quality administrators who are not trained well for the job i.e. the generalists and professionals”..She makes the generalization regarding women officers based on her experiences with her colleagues and she states “women officers are honest, simple, understanding, forward looking and conservative. There is no difference in performance between men and women officers. Politicians are reluctant to approach women officers directly as women are less influential compared to men. As a consequence of that there is less of political interference”

Madam “D” an IPS officer from Karnataka cadre, married to an IAS officer, having two children, posted as a Superintendent of Police in a northern state. Talking about the service and the performance of women officers, “All India Services are prestigious, excellent and challenging career in spite of a number of problems. Women officers are performing excellently whatever the post may be. I can say that the unnecessary interference of politicians in administration is very less and rarely do they interrupt”. In general, women officers are less corrupted and yet to be corrupted compare to their male counterparts but they are not fully away from corrupt practices, which are visible from the news from the newspapers and Television about the corrupt women administrators who were dismissed or suspended from the service and Women IAS Associations. Regarding the administrative capacity of women and the co-operation from subordinates she opines “Women are known to be efficient administrators. They are hard working and honest. The subordinates are very cooperative. They respect women for their efficiency. They find women officers approachable and less hesitant to share with them”.Explaining her entering in to the service, she says, “I have undergone my coaching for the competitive examination in our state Government coaching centre. The number of students getting into service from Delhi is more as they start preparing for the competitive examination from their school onwards”.She advocates dedication to the service saying, “Officers can do a lot of work. Women need to involve in decision-making. Attitude of women pertaining to family life need to be changed ; they need to think beyond family life and try to be successful career women”

Conclusions and recommendations: The study shows that the number of women getting into the services is not steadily on the increase in spite of the steps taken to promote women entrants to the services and it fluctuates from year to year. 

The measures identified in the study to increase the number of women in AISs are:  

(i)Giving awareness and removing the misconception regarding the services.  

(ii) Providing quality education and designing the curricula apt for civil service examinations.  

(iii) Free and affordable coaching and scholarships.  

(iv) Provision of a national academy for coaching women aspirants from all over the nation.  

(v) Career counseling centres in colleges.  

(vi) Reservations for disadvantaged women. 

(vii) Making working conditions pro for women. (vi) Bringing out changes in the mind set of parents and society, considering women inferior and pressing them to be family- oriented and not career - oriented (v) Doing away with the undesirable social customs on women 

(viii) Highlighting the success stories of women in AISs and the advantages of the services.  

The study reveals that after the entry into AISs, the main problem the women officers face is to balance their work at home and office and the researcher suggests the following measures: -  

(i) Women should be clear and specific about their responsibilities at home and office. They need to channel their time. They ought to be self-dependent, have right attitude and open communication with the family members for better understanding, developing positive attitude of spouses and others in the family about their carrier. 

(ii) The mindset of men needs to be changed and they need to consider their partners as their equals, understanding their difficulties, they need to support them to balance their work at home and office so that they could be just to both family life and career.  

(iii) The participation of the in-laws and other members of the family enhance women officers to climb up in the professional ladder. 

(iv) Female matrons for women officers having small children to lessen their responsibility, reducing tension to look after children at home. Government plays a role in this regard, allotting female matron to such officers. This sharing of responsibility invariably boosts their performance in their job. This arrangement would be of much help especially for those who are in the field postings and on tour.  

(v) Family needs to realise the difficulties of women officers in balancing their work at home and office and show a positive attitude towards them, giving co-operation and sharing the burden of work at home and create a happy home environment.  

The study identifies that woman officers do not have sufficient time to spend with the family. The researcher suggests that:  

(i) Women officers need to habituate themselves to allot sufficient time for spending with the family in spite of their busy schedule. Women are accredited of their multiple role play and if they carefully channelise their time factor, this multiple role players can effectively manage time. For them, it is the quality of time that matters to spend with the family and not the quantity.

Article courtesy: https://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1089&context=jiws