Dr. JP underlines need to restore Service Ethos in bureaucracy

Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan (Dr. JP) today counseled Civil Service entrants to regard their career as an opportunity to serve the public and not to make money.

“Service in armed forces, bureaucracy and politics has long been regarded as a badge of honor and dignity in the U. K. But in India, the ethos of public service in politics has almost vanished while it is compromised in armed forces and the bureaucracy in India.”

Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan, who quit the IAS to launch the Lok Satta movement 13 years ago and the Lok Satta Party two years ago, was addressing a meeting in Chennai today. Sri Kala Sudha Telugu Association organized the meeting to present ‘Telugu Tejam’ awards to nine students selected for Civil Services. The following are the receipients of the awards... Mr. C. HariKiran (18th rank), Mr. N. Venkatesh (19th rank), Mr. B. Goutham (23rd rank), Mr. U. Krishna Mohan (24th rank), Ms. Dasari Sindhuri (43rd rank), Mr.KR Lavanya Kumar (54th rank), Ms. Akurati Pallavi (55th rank), Mr. D. Prashanthi Reddy (64th rank), Mr. Nanduri Sandeep (91st rank), Mr. P. Srinivasa Reddy (583rd rank). Though visually impaired, Mr. Srinivasa Reddy acheived his goal of civils.

Dr. JP called upon the civil service entrants to appreciate that India is one nation although it is multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-lingual. Unless the bureaucracy made a conscious and determined effort to foster national unity and integrated development, parochial tendencies stemming from caste, religion, region and language raise their ugly head and threaten India’s unity and integrity.

Dr. JP, who had observed bureaucracy from close quarters for a decade and half, and made far-reaching recommendations as a member of the Administrative Reforms Commission, regretted that it had become dysfunctional, hierarchical and inward looking. “We cannot allow bureaucracy to degenerate into permanent priesthood. Bureaucrats think they belong to a higher caste order based on their entry into service and not their competence or efficiency in serving the public.”

Dr. JP said the point of entry should not dictate the growth path of an IAS official. One’s growth in career should be determined on one’s competence in delivery of high quality service. “A solution lies in lateral recruitment to all key positions in civil services and fostering of competition among the incumbents.”


“You are the servants of the people and the Constitution and not the party or politicians in power. Let public service be your motto, national unity your goal and creation of equal opportunities for growth to every child irrespective of its accident of birth in a certain caste or family, your sacred duty. Do appreciate that most children in India have not been able to realize their true potential for no fault of theirs, and do your best to go to their assistance”.