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OC www.indiatoday.in 7 7 0 2 5 4 8 3 9 9 0 9 RNI NO. 28587/75 REGISTERED NO. DL(ND)-11/6068/2018-20; U(C)-88/2018-20; FARIDABAD/05/2017-19 LICENSED TO POST WITHOUT PREPAYMENT 9 OCTOBER 1, 2018 `60 BATTLING BABUDOM Political interference, endemic corruption and outdated procedures have crippled India’s bureaucracy. How to fix it DIGITAL EDITION OC TALE OF THE WARRING SINGHS DECODII NG RUP RUPEEN EENOMI OMICS CS OCTOBER 1, 2018 `60 www.indiatoday.in 7 7 0 2 5 4 8 3 9 9 0 9 REGISTERED NO. DL(ND)-11/6068/2018-20; U(C)-88/2018-20; FARIDABAD/05/2017-19 LICENSED TO POST WITHOUT PREPAYMENT 9 FREE WITH YOUR DIGITAL EDITION AUGUST SEPTEMBER 2018 Making a difference HOME LEARN TO LOVE YOUR BODY INSIDE Nivah, a heritage building in Moradabad NEW WAYS TO DRESS FOR WORK IN CONVERSATION With architect Akshat Bhatt RNI NO. 28587/75 Scent of Success ELEVEN WOMEN WHO HAVE MADE THEIR MARK Ekta Kapoor, Creative director, Balaji Telefilms CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE New collections, iconic designers, quick tips and clever hacks. Your guide to the best in lighting BATTLING BA Politic pr e India’s b . How to fix it EXCLUSIVE MULTIMEDIA CONTENT ONLY FOR IPAD COVER STORY LORDS OF THE FILES SPECIAL REPORT BALLET WITH THE BEAR THE BIG STORY SLIP SLIDING ON THE RUPEE THE BIG STORY BIHAR'S HORROR HOMES STATES COALITION ARITHMETIC #BattlingBabus SUBSCRIBE NOW www.indiatoday.in/digitalmagazines FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ruption Act whereby no bureaucrat can be prosecuted withn April 2008, I thought I had run out of words to out the government’s permission, there will be no excuse describe the abysmal state of the Indian bureaucracy for inaction. But it could also further strengthen the unholy when I wrote an eighth letter on the subject in 19 nexus between politicians and the babus. years. A decade and a ninth cover story later, things These problems directly impact the quality of govare where they were. In fact, a time travelling civil servant ernance. Think of the billions the government would from the British Raj a century ago would feel at home in a add to the economy if it speeded up decision-making, government oice near the end of the second decade of 21st removed regulatory hurdles and made it genuinely easy century India—armies of peons, musty oices and the slow, to do business in India; if it turned the enervating pace of decision-making bureaucracy from a power hoarder into where the march of a nation’s progress a process enabler. is measured one file at a time. A 2017 World Bank study on goverThe failure to transform the nance, which assessed the quality of a Indian civil service from a colonial country’s civil service, its independence rent-seeking institution of the Raj from political pressure and the quality era into one focused on development, of policy formulation and implementapoverty alleviation and transformation, ranked India in the 45th percentile tion is one of the biggest hurdles on globally. That this figure marked a nearly India’s road to progress. 10 percentage point decline over the past The Indian bureaucracy is an two decades tells its own story. anachronism. A bullock cart of statThe answer obviously is massive ism in an age where even automobiles reform. Over the years, several commitare poised to go driverless. Prime tees have suggested various measures Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s comment for overhauling the bureaucracy, from about just 15 paise of every governOur February 16-28, 1979, cover setting up institutes of governance to ment rupee reac