Rajesh K Sharma
It is well known saying that experience prevails over youth and it is justified also to some extent. However, in Government Sector especially in our Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, bureaucracy prevails over professionalism although professionals are neither less qualified nor less competent. They also burn midnight oil to qualify national level examinations on a consistent basis and prove their professional acumen while dealing with their assignments in the matters pertaining to their respective fields while employed in Government Sector. Rather they sacrifice their opportunities in private practice or corporate sector when they choose a Government Job as career. Be it an Architect, Engineer, Doctor, Town Planner, Computer Expert, Chartered Accountant, Cost Accountant or Company Secretary, they join Government Sector foregoing their options of self-employment by way of setting up own practice and being their own boss or sky-rocketing careers in Corporate Sector.
Government takes these professionals into fold but career progression is never ensured and after sometime these professionals lose the charm of Government job as they get disillusioned with the red-tape and lack of opportunity for advancement in their careers. This situation worsens when they elicit less importance in comparison to those officers who enter Government Sector after passing administrative examinations like IAS at national level and KAS at local level. Although pass percentage of professional examinations is very low, even after qualifying these tough exams, professionals have to play second fiddle to the bureaucrats who have been lucky enough to qualify administrative exams by passing preliminary, mains exam and afterwards fairing well in the interview by making strenuous preparation for the same just for one or couple of years.
While framing Service Rules by the bureaucrats, professionals are cornered as they are in minority and there is nobody to voice their concerns in official echelons. Direct entry of professionals in Government Sector at senior levels is almost nil. Rather where they are perfectly apt for the posts requiring core professional skills, the posts are filled through combined competitive administrative exams which are open to candidates from all the streams. Although at Central Government level, some professionals have been lucky enough to assume the posts of heads of some Public Sector Units, UTs like J&K never allowed professionals to head any organization even in their core professional areas. Experience of professionals is made to subordinate even fresh entrants into bureaucracy. As a result, expert advice given by the professionals falls flat on bureaucrats due their ego and high headedness being at top of professionals in the hierarchy.
It is fervent need to induct professionals at senior positions giving due regard to their professional qualifications and competence at least in the Public Sector Units to start with and then ensure career progression to them to keep them motivated and well driven to the pursuit of good governance. Bureaucracy and professionalism when coupled and gelled in cohesive manner can do wonders in an efficient Administrative Setup to the ultimate aim of good governance and effective public service delivery system. Otherwise, day is not far when no professional will join Government Sector and even those who may have committed mistake by choosing Government Sector will have no option but to quit their jobs by resorting to mid-career tough decisions like resignations and voluntary retirement from service.
(The author is Practicing Cost Accountant)
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