Tundla Junction

The Administrative Reforms Commission headed by former Karnataka Chief Minister Veerappa Moily has released its recommendations. Notable among them is a call to ‘intensely review’ a bureaucrat’s performance 14 years after they have joined the service and point out their weaknesses and strengths. Then, six years later i.e., at the end of 20 years of service, a bureaucrat could be let go if they have failed to act on the earlier review. The Commission’s recommendations are considered ground-breaking, in that, a bureaucrat is not assured of a job for life. It has also been recommended that the age of entry be lowered by about five years.

We at Tundla Junction, are curious about the reasoning behind some of the numbers stated in the report and so, spoke to the Chairman, Veerappa Moily, who graciously answered our questions.

TJ: “Why 14 and 20 years? Why not, say 10 and 20 or 11 and 19 or any other combination?”

Chairman Moily: “Well, a host of factors and metrics were taken into consideration before deciding on it.

If you consider the age of entry that we have recommended, you will see that the bureaucrat will be around 40 at the time of the first review. That will give them plenty of time to get a job in the private sector or politics if the review is not favorable.

See, bureaucrats would either have to be very corrupt or very honest for an unfavorable review. For a corrupt bureaucrat, 14 years should be plenty of time for them to make their connections and set themselves up for a new, lucrative career. After all, while we may not want to give them jobs for life, we are also extremely conscious that they have families to take care of and we don’t want them to hurt financially. Now, for an honest bureaucrat, we wanted to save them from themselves when they are slogging away like martyrs at a job with no rewards.

We also looked at various studies on cognition, perception and decision making. We found that it takes at least about 41,000 hours (or about 8 hours a day for 14 years) of exposure for the human brain to register any behavior or activity and draw conclusions from it. Hence, the 14 year period for the first review. However, we found that for the human brain to change course, it only takes about 26,000 hours (six years at 12 hours a day – our bureaucrats would be sufficiently chastened we hope to put in the extra 4 hours a day to work on themselves) and so, the 20 year time frame would work for the second review.

I also drew on my own experience. I mean, look at how far along I have come from oily Moily and even the little matter of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha bribes?! I have re-invented and re-packaged myself completely in these last 20 years! If I can do it, India’s best and brightest should certainly be able to do it.

Plus, the review periods are linked to our recommended age of entry. These days anyone above 25 has already started on the path to senility. Look at our film stars – most of them enter at 16 or 17, which is when the human brain is at its peak power. After that, it’s all downhill.

And, of course, there is the song, ’14 years’, by my favorite band Guns N’ Roses. You know how that goes –

But it’s been

14 years of silence

It’s been

14 years of pain

It’s been

14 years that are gone forever

And I’ll never have again”

TJ: “Thank you so much Chairman Moily. That was really edifying!”