During an interaction after I cleared the Civil Services examination in 2006, someone requested me that I should put all corrupt politicians in their place. Similar requests have been made to recent entrants of the service too. A majority of the public believes that politicians are bad and bureaucrats, particularly youngsters, are good. The tussle between bureaucrats and politicians is a favourite subject of the media and movies. Any officer who picks up a fight with a politician will be hailed as a hero.

During their student days, academically brilliant people are warned to stay away from politics. Most of the educational institutions do not allow political activities inside the campus. Parents in general also do not want their wards to wade into politics. As electoral politics is not part of the political science syllabus, many students do not try to follow political happenings. If children of political leaders clear the Civil Services exam, there are people who point to undue influence.

During the personality test, there are very few candidates who dare to admit to any political affiliation or activism. Most of them do not want to project the image of an activist. Interestingly, I remember someone who asked me whether he can talk about his participation in the ‘Kiss of Love’ campaign during the interview. In another case, a candidate had kept his hobby as “analysing political developments”, but was reluctant to comment on any analytical question and failed to take a stand on political issues. So, considering all these, let me explain the relationship between politics and Civil Services and also the importance of political awareness.

The Indian Civil Services is called the permanent executive, which does the implementation part of the governance. Bureaucrats help in policymaking by giving flesh and blood to political ideas. They should point out the problems and help the legislature in coming up with proper laws. Then, the proper implementation of the law is also the responsibility of a civil servant. In short, civil servants work hand in hand with political leaders to make things happen.

Being tactful

There could be a conflict of interest between a politician and a bureaucrat, but it need not be the case all the time. If a politician approaches an officer with a demand for some illegal favour, the latter can politely refuse, pointing out the consequences rather than picking up a fight. Most of the efficient officers say that if one explains patiently, many of the political leaders understand the situation and withdraw their claims for undue favours. Politicians usually pick capable officers for important jobs. Some politicians may become vengeful when their ego is hurt by the officers. Some officers who are frustrated during their career because of a lack of tact join politics to make up for that power deficit.

While considering the fact that civil servants need to work closely with politicians, it is important that one should stay abreast of political developments. One should follow local, national and international politics to get a clear picture of things. Unlike the written examination, which does not have politics in its syllabus, the Civil Services interview can have questions on politics. The interview board can ask pointed questions on political personalities and one cannot shy away from answering the same. Particularly during election years, there can be a lot of questions on politics in the personality test.

Student politics, if it does not succumb to violence, gives a candidate a lot of leadership experience. Nowadays, we are witness to students all over the country protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. These things are part of a student’s life and one need not keep oneself isolated from these happenings. Those who are members of political parties should try to avoid one-sided views during the interview. Once they become part of the bureaucracy, they should rise above party loyalties while implementing the law.

One cannot have an aversion to politics as it influences every walk of our life. Plato states that “one of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors”. So, even if you do not participate in politics, keep a close watch on political developments. And if you are a bureaucrat, put your elected representative as the “first among equals”.

The author is a former IPS officer and a trainer for Civil Services aspirants. The views expressed here are personal.

This article originally appeared on OnManorama.

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