Issues

♤ Ministers or Bureaucrats: Critics argue that appointing legislators on the executive post is faulty practice and rife with perils. Elected representatives should look to resolve social issues and form laws, not become administrators. To expect them to deliver quality services in the age of specialization and technology is absurd. When career politicians are placed in charge of career administrators, it defeats the purpose of both.

♤ Politicization of bureaucracy: This defeats the bureaucrats' primary purpose of providing non-partisan and efficient administration. As soon as the government changes, the administrators have to train and teach ministers about the finer aspects and technicalities of departments. Also the authority granted to politicians begets patronage, not performance. And with no other oversight and scrutiny, they become cohorts in corruption.

♤ Politicians – bureaucrats – Businessman nexus: The nexus was borne out of license quota raj where politicians and bureaucrats had discretionary power over allocation of natural resources in the country. This led to this unholy nexus and crony capitalism. It has undermined the democratic credentials of the country.

♤ Attitude of the bureaucracy: Subsequent to the structural adjustment of the economy consequent to liberalization, there have been perceptible shifts in the attitude of the bureaucracy. In the initial phase, they were openly hostile to these reforms. They proved to

the obstruction to development, instead of being a facilitator. However, this trend has changed over the years.