Who wins?
If the unprecedented one-year extension to Cabinet secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar caused considerable heartburn among civil servants, the government’s decision to now ratify a fixed four-year term for Cabinet secretaries is equally surprising. Henceforth, the nation’s top babu could enjoy a four-year term regardless of the age of superannuation.
Some babus fear that the move is actually a disincentive for everyone else. The babu who becomes Cabinet secretary would continue in the post for four years, while many other eligible babus will retire without getting even a potshot at the prized position. Still, it is an attempt by the government to ensure that the position is not subjected to the vagaries of whichever government is in power. And in the future, stable coalitions is the best that’s on the cards.
The extension granted to Mr Chandrasekhar ends the possibility of any Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of 1972 and 1973 batches being appointed Cabinet secretary, because by the time his/her term ends in June 2011, all officers of these batches would have retired. But babus are now speculating whether this move actually clears the path for the ascension of Pulok Chatterji, a 1974 batch Uttar Pradesh cadre IAS officer, currently on a World Bank assignment, who enjoys the confidence of the Prime Minister’s Office and beyond.
***
The logo rush
The adoption of a symbol for the rupee seems to have opened the floodgates for several sarkari departments to scout around for a new identity. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Vinod Rai, for one, seems to feel that the staid Indian Audit and Accounts Department needs an image makeover. Even as the CAG seeks more authority and a bigger role in government, the auditors are also keen on getting an exclusive logo for the department. Meanwhile, sources say, the Indian Railways is also seeking a new logo for itself.
Mr Rai seeks to expand his department’s ambit and has urged the government for the authority to oversee the functioning of sectoral regulators that do not fall under the direct oversight of any independent body. If Mr Rai’s efforts succeed, sectoral regulators like the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority, Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority, Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board and Central Electricity Regulatory Commission could come under the direct oversight of the CAG. The new logo then would symbolise CAG’s authority and independence. Is this, then, the beginning of a new logo rush in babudom?
Post new comment