A misnomer for meritorious entry to administrative services, not by breaking preserved queues but of necessity, welcomed to improve services to citizens: it being the primary duty of government servants, its abject failures is what is being corrected. For, those with high IQ selected, trained and posted, most often fail to perform due to various reasons including their own incompetencies, inability to adopt and adapt: get along with the system, improvise and improve within elbow room under pressure, elected and their cronies not excluded!
As clear in many services and professions, intelligence or IQ – in this context – is not the sole criteria, though a door opener. It could open cans of worms with natural and acquired biases viz caste, creed religious, political etc. KQ, EQ, AQ, HQ, PQ, MQ, BQ, SQ (A to Z) should be developed and availed off. As best exemplified by doctors when attending to patients -examining and prescribing within few minutes- the correct drug and dosage of affordable brand: APPLICATION Quotient supported by attention quotient stands out as THE basic requirement. Teachers and lecturers do it regularly, not forgetting bus drivers, train drivers, aircraft pilots -though they do go instrumental most time, and the mariners who risk everything -cargoes, ships and themselves in marine adventures in public service!
Typically in above is where the powers that be and are, and their ilk fail miserably, as they are system driven with no time bound targets and responsibilities that they can be held liable for; yes, not just responsible for! A solution? Tame and Train Bureaucrats, as published earlier!
For, it’s not like being a fit and mentally agile person as with IQ, wanting to play -meaning manage- in all sports and pastimes at highest level with authority. Various ministries, their sectors and segments at centre and State levels call for specialist acumen for judgmental decision making after hearing out the citizen’s/group’s travails of who come calling and leading. Time frames and deadlines are a must, as also monitoring implementation, progress -correction of course as mariners always has to resort to, to balance external effects and impacts- cost and quality controls, target focus, followed by audits.
Outsourcing intelligentsia from sector professionals is a must; more than from Consultancy firms who dress to suit! To educate oneself in the specified area of posting, self-study and homework is called for. Rapport with honchos, techies, nerds etc will help, but fundamentals must be strived to learn. AI is beginning to help, but like ChatGpt, they will register their own imprints.
Sabbaticals are musts, refresher courses and addon qualifications to cope up with changes too! For, the world is changing, fast, expectations, possibilities and deliverables also to appease the public! It ain’t just basic needs. As Maslow said, creativity is what drives. It should be exploited from within populous themselves, to reduce burden on government arms.
Very few indeed have made the grade. They could turn mentors and trainers for select deserving few to elevate levels of services.
Marex Media