(Sample Material) Gist of Important Articles from IIPA Journal
Topic: Public Services in India: Achievements and Disappointments U.C. Agarwal
INITIAL YEARS
To meet the huge requirement of technical manpower and professionals for the large number and size of public services, special attention was required and given by establishing many new colleges and training institutions in all fields including medical, engineering’, agricultural, basic sciences and technologies, etc. Many high level scientific and research institutions, as also IITs, IIMs, etc. were established, The foresight and dynamism shown by the Indian planners and senior administrative officers in the 50s and 60s for human resource development paid rich dividends in later years. The country could meet not only its own requirements of trained manpower but also enabled it to assist other friendly foreign countries who requested for the services of out experts, As the then Chairman of the Foreign Assignment Selection Committee (1973-78) the author had occasions to visit a number of foreign countries (like Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan etc,) where technical experts from our public services were working on deputation basis. It was quite pleasing to hear from the Director General of Health Services of Iran that they found the medical skill and performance of more than 2,500 Indian doctors working there to be of very high order and they enjoyed great confidence and respect of the people of Iran.
Similarly large number of Indian public servants serving on deputation basis in various UN bodies like the UNDP, ILO, WHO, FAO, World Bank and IMF etc. had earned good name and reputation for themselves and the country for their professional excellence and performance, As Establishment Officer (EO) to the Government of India the author had visited some of the UN bodies in (1974-75) and was gratified to know from senior UN officials that some of our officers on deputation were the backbone: of the UN organisations they were serving. In fact they wanted to retain them beyond their normal deputation periods not exceeding five years.The performance and achievements of the public servants in the home front during the first three decades of Independence can also be rated to be of very high order. Immediately after partition the country faced the great human task; of rehabilitating millions of penniless displaced persons from Pakistan. Partition ‘also caused large scale communal riots and, killings. This had given rise to serious problem of maintaining peace. The public services of the Central and State governments as also the All-India Services rose to the occasion and proved their worth ‘in restoring normalcy in the country very speedily. The 500 plus Indian native states too were merged into the Indian Union in less than two years a thanks to the strong political leadership of Sardar Patel the then Home Minister of India and the dynamism and drive shown by the senior public servants: of that time. The private property add privy purses claims of this large number of Rajas and Maharajas {more than 500) were settled within months by a few senior officers of the Central Government. Their actions were later approved by government without raising any fingers or doubts.