Press Releases Archive

Dr. JP underlines need to restore Service Ethos in bureaucracy

Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan (Dr. JP) today counseled Civil Service entrants to regard their career as an opportunity to serve the public and not to make money.

“Service in armed forces, bureaucracy and politics has long been regarded as a badge of honor and dignity in the U. K. But in India, the ethos of public service in politics has almost vanished while it is compromised in armed forces and the bureaucracy in India.”

Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan, who quit the IAS to launch the Lok Satta movement 13 years ago and the Lok Satta Party two years ago, was addressing a meeting in Chennai today. Sri Kala Sudha Telugu Association organized the meeting to present ‘Telugu Tejam’ awards to nine students selected for Civil Services. The following are the receipients of the awards... Mr. C. HariKiran (18th rank), Mr. N. Venkatesh (19th rank), Mr. B. Goutham (23rd rank), Mr. U. Krishna Mohan (24th rank), Ms. Dasari Sindhuri (43rd rank), Mr.KR Lavanya Kumar (54th rank), Ms. Akurati Pallavi (55th rank), Mr. D. Prashanthi Reddy (64th rank), Mr. Nanduri Sandeep (91st rank), Mr. P. Srinivasa Reddy (583rd rank). Though visually impaired, Mr. Srinivasa Reddy acheived his goal of civils.

Dr. JP called upon the civil service entrants to appreciate that India is one nation although it is multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-lingual. Unless the bureaucracy made a conscious and determined effort to foster national unity and integrated development, parochial tendencies stemming from caste, religion, region and language raise their ugly head and threaten India’s unity and integrity.

Dr. JP, who had observed bureaucracy from close quarters for a decade and half, and made far-reaching recommendations as a member of the Administrative Reforms Commission, regretted that it had become dysfunctional, hierarchical and inward looking. “We cannot allow bureaucracy to degenerate into permanent priesthood. Bureaucrats think they belong to a higher caste order based on their entry into service and not their competence or efficiency in serving the public.”

Dr. JP said the point of entry should not dictate the growth path of an IAS official. One’s growth in career should be determined on one’s competence in delivery of high quality service. “A solution lies in lateral recruitment to all key positions in civil services and fostering of competition among the incumbents.”

“You are the servants of the people and the Constitution and not the party or politicians in power. Let public service be your motto, national unity your goal and creation of equal opportunities for growth to every child irrespective of its accident of birth in a certain caste or family, your sacred duty. Do appreciate that most children in India have not been able to realize their true potential for no fault of theirs, and do your best to go to their assistance”.

Sunday, June 7, 2009 - 19:10

Let parties field women in one-third seats: Lok Satta’s alternative

The Lok Satta Party today wholeheartedly welcomed the UPA Government move to provide for reservations to women in legislative bodies as part of its 100-day program.

Addressing a media conference, party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan recalled that that a Bill to provide for women’s reservations had been introduced many times in the last 13 years but had not been passed apparently because most parties were not serious about it.

Dr. JP pointed out that the Bill as it is conceived is seriously flawed. The Bill proposes reservation of one-third seats for women and the rotation of such reserved seats once in every general election. As a result, two-thirds of incumbents will be forcibly unseated in every general election. When male incumbents are forced out, they field their womenfolk as proxies and hinder development of natural leadership. “Such compulsory unseating violates the very principles of democratic representation and jeopardizes the possibility of any legislator choosing a constituency and nursing it. When legislators do not have the incentive to seek re-election from the same constituency, politics will become more predatory and unaccountable. The Bill in its present form is silent about women’s representation in the Rajya Sabha and the Legislative Councils. In addition, the Bill warrants a constitutional amendment.”

Studying all these, the Lok Satta had as early as 1999 presented an alternative for consideration by all political parties. It calls for an amendment to the Representation of the People Act making it mandatory for every recognized political party to field women candidates in one-third of constituencies. To prevent a party from nominating women candidates only in States or constituencies where the party’s chances of winning are weak, the Lok Satta proposes that each party should consider the State as a unit for fielding women candidates in elections to the Lok Sabha. In other words, a party has to field one-third of women candidates in every State. A party’s failure to field the requisite number of women entails a penalty. For the shortfall of every woman candidate, the party cannot field male candidates in two constituencies.

The Lok Satta Bill proposes that for reservation of seats for women in a State Assembly, the unit shall be a cluster of three contiguous Lok Sabha constituencies.

Dr, JP said that the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act should be amended to provide for reservation of one-third of seats to women in the Rajya Sabha and the Legislative Councils.

The Election Commission had endorsed the Lok Satta Bill, Dr. JP said.

Dr. JP appealed to all political parties to adopt the Lok Satta’s hassle-free and flawless proposal, and ensure adequate representation to women in legislatures.

Smt. N. Saroja devi, convenor of Mahila Satta, Party spokespersons Katari Srinivasa Rao and V. Vijayendar Reddy were also participated in the press meet.

Friday, June 5, 2009 - 17:26

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