When the screen at Prime Minister Modi’s rally in Banswara went dark for ten minutes, the fallout was swift: Rajasthan’s Infotech Secretary Archana Singh lost her job. Ten minutes of blank screen, ten seconds of bureaucratic chopping.
It’s hard not to smile wryly at the contrast. For years now, taxpayers and professionals have been battling with portals run by the Finance Ministry, such as Income Tax, GST, and MCA, you name it, where glitches are practically a way of life. Courts have stepped in, professional bodies have protested, and taxpayers have coughed up late fees running into thousands of crores, all because the government’s own tech systems stumble at critical hours. Yet, no secretary has been sent packing for those meltdowns.
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The irony writes itself. A glitch that inconveniences a Prime Minister for ten minutes is career-ending; glitches that inconvenience millions of citizens for years are just “teething troubles.” It’s like Trump who recently theatrically spoke about the “escalator” incident at the UN. It made the headlines, but wasn’t exactly system-shaking. Meanwhile, ordinary professionals dealing with frozen tax portals probably fantasise about storming out of their offices daily.
Of course, political optics are unforgiving. A rally is theatre, and in theatre, you don’t dim the lights on the star. But perhaps the same urgency should apply to the everyday stage where citizens file taxes, businesses comply with regulations, and professionals keep the economy moving. If accountability is the buzzword, then let’s spread it evenly. After all, the real “screen going blank” moment is when taxpayers log in at 11:59 pm on deadline day and find themselves staring at a frozen page.
Babus love revenue, not research
When a Union Minister publicly admits that officials treat the Science Department like the last seat left on a crowded train, you know there’s a problem. Jitendra Singh’s candid lament that 24 out of 28 states have “reluctant officers” manning science portfolios, reveals what most in the innovation ecosystem already whisper: science and tech don’t excite India’s bureaucracy.
It’s not hard to see why. For ambitious IAS officers, science departments lack the glamour and clout of Home Affairs or Revenue. Those ministries command headlines, wield power, and offer far more “visibility.” Science? It’s quietly nurturing start-ups, pushing R&D, and trying to create the next big leap. Less flash, fewer headlines, and apparently, little incentive.
But here’s the irony. India’s tech and innovation ecosystem is among the fastest-growing in the world. We are a global hub for start-ups, AI development, and digital services. Yet, at the state level, the very people meant to shepherd this growth are often indifferent placeholders. It’s like asking someone who hates cricket to captain Team India; they’ll show up, but don’t expect runs on the board.
Singh is right to call it a “mindset problem.” Bureaucratic inertia, a lack of risk appetite, and a blind spot for the transformative role of science are holding back momentum. What India needs are senior officers who don’t see Science as a punishment posting, but as the portfolio that can redefine the nation’s future.
Civil Services exam needs a 21st-century upgrade
The UPSC civil services exam has steadily slipped into becoming a test of memory rather than judgment. What once rewarded depth, analysis, and the ability to argue a case has turned into a sprint through short answers, where the candidate who can reproduce facts at speed is seen as “best prepared.” But in a world where search engines and AI tools can churn out information instantly, valuing recall over reasoning looks increasingly misplaced.
Governance today is not about remembering lists or definitions but about making decisions under pressure, weighing competing interests, and showing the moral fibre to say no when necessary. Yet the exam’s design makes it fertile ground for coaching factories, privileging formulaic answers and disadvantaging those who think differently or lack the resources to spend years in a training mill. That narrows the pool, not just socially but intellectually, at a time when the country badly needs broader perspectives.
India aspires to be a hub of digital innovation and global leadership, but its most important recruitment gateway still measures success by rote. A system that prizes quick recall over critical thought risks producing administrators better at quoting than at governing. The real test should be of how future officers handle complexity, ambiguity, and accountability, which are qualities the current format struggles to capture.
By Dilip Cherian
