System Overhaul - heardling a new India

Steps forward

Given that the political system is the one big change we need to make to cleanse the country of all its perils, how do we go about it? Where do start and where do we take this? To know where we need to start, let us look at what we need to stop.

The right to govern

Strange, but the job of a minister must be the most enviable. No qualifications, no appraisals, no roadmaps or targets (we are not talking about personal amassing targets here), no retirement date. Yet the job comes with enviable perks, no-hold barred earning opportunities, immense power, unquestionable wealth and a whole lot of perks that would put a Microsoft CEO to shame.

T.N.Seshan took the bull by its horns, and gave many ministers sleepless nights. We now know how many criminal charges a minister faces, how much wealth he and wife have and how much he spends on elections. But what we don’t know is why the charges remain charges; how he accumulated that ‘miserly’ wealth and how he managed a mega campaign on a paltry spend. The only way to rot this system is to make a complete makeover of the political class.

1. IMS – the Indian Ministerial Service – on the same lines as IAS, IPS & IFS, this would be a mandatory requirement to work as a minister.
2. Compulsory Military Service – Mandatory 3 years’ stint in any of the armed forces, police or home guards to be a central minister or chief minister, 1½ to be a state minister.
3. Change in constitution – people only have the right to vote to elect a member, not to bring him down when he fails to deliver. Introduce a citizen’s right that gives them the mandate to withdraw a candidate.
4. Annual Progress Reports – A people’s forum monitors performance of ministers. Minister is accountable to this forum, needs to have an appraisal every year (failing which point 3 comes into play). This makes the going good for a capable minister, and absolutely tough for the hopeless.
5. Adhere to criminal charges rule – no person with a criminal charge in his name can stand for elections. A court order clearing the person of all the charges is necessary to even file nomination. Therefore, any minister who is charged when in power needs to relinquish his seat as soon as the charge is filed.
6. Resignations or dismissals – a minister who has been dismissed or has resigned can become a minster again only after the next elections – this will ensure adherence to all other regulations like charges, performance appraisals etc.
7. Take anti-defection seriously – how does one put the Rane kinds on leash? Switching parties shamelessly, simply chasing a personal goal? Once elected on a party ticket, if the elected candidate resigns / or is dismissed from the party, he can hold no posts till he is elected again.
8. Curb Perks – cases of ministers over staying at once-official residences / offices, enjoying extra perks, abuse of power, free electricity are all immense benefits ministers enjoy. Curb perks and introduce benefits directly linked to tenure. For example, a minister who has been a Lok Sabha member for 25 years can be accorded the same status of a PSU employee of same service. Equate ministerial posts to that of PSU employees and ensure equal perks and retirement benefits. Use same benchmarks to introduce retirement criteria.
9. Increase accountability – personal trips, international tours, perks, telephone, electricity, house rentals – the list is endless. Create a special wing under the AG’s office called the CME – Controller of Ministerial Expenses that monitors, authorises and pays all ministerial expenses including constituency development funds.
10. Meet the people – once elected, meeting the minister becomes difficult, a privilege. Till election day, they camp in roadside tents, dalits’ houses and caravans – but once elected, they are behind an iron curtain, protected, inaccessible and unavailable. This needs to be totally reversed – ministers will set aside fixed hours every week to meet people in an open forum and closed door meeting for private meetings sought by the citizens, address issues and answer questions. Record these and make ridiculous ones available to channels to disgrace hopeless ministers.

Empower the Police

Most cases of riot, looting, rape and criminal disputes are because of police misdemeanours. Police find themselves enslaved and accountable to politicians rather than the people. Fear of incurring the wrath of politicians drives the police to towing their line, and once crossed they enter a zone of no-return. Powers wresting with politicians gives them terrible power to arm twist and corrupt officials, making them a deadly combination. The only way to combat this menace is to separate them, in fact turn the police against politicians to ensure law enforcement across all levels.

1. The Central Police Force – bring all state divisions under the direct control of the defence forces. The chiefs of the armed forces control the police – making them more powerful, enforce better discipline and give them better access to good training. The senior officers of the State police report to the defence chiefs at the appropriate levels. Appointments, transfers and promotions are handled on a national level, will thus reduce regional level influence and interference. Where the police fail, the higher boy of the armed forces automatically take over – especially in cases like Godhra and Mumbai terror attack.
2. Enforce discipline – let’s face it, the new wave of love and respect for the police is an act of sympathy. Otherwise, people look at the police as extremely corrupt, ruthless and menacing anti-social elements in uniform. There have been more rapes, suicides and rioting with police support than without. Recruitment to the police is a strict schedule – in height, weight and fitness – but what happens after the first 3 years isn’t difficult to imagine. Overweight, pot-bellied, sunken eyes and limbs turned rigid are not uncommon images of a typical policeman. The regimental control of the military will ensure fitness, of body and mind
3. Empower them continuously – like the defence, provide for the police through a central budget allocation to improve their facilities and infrastructure every year.
4. Incentivise - Introduce performance monitoring benchmarks to allow senior state level officers occupy national posts, motivating them and giving them better recognition. This will also ensure that good skill sets are used for national benefit.
5. Speed Courts – to dispense with cases that go through long winding legal labyrinths simply because of procedural shortcomings. From petty thieves to terrorists, there is no fear of the law or punishment. Set examples of quick justice, punish the guilty and free the innocent to increase respect. Combine legal bodies and police forums to hear such cases, make court bandwidth available for complex cases, civil proceedings etc.
6. Define KRAs – from constables buying vegetables for the commissioner’s wife or an ACP at the feet of an MLA, free the policemen from excess baggage and ensure they work within their periphery. This will ensure the Police are available for the people and to maintain law and order.
7. Bank on experience – make the most of retiring officers – their experience, knowledge and the respect they command need to be exploited – allow them to occupy posts of importance like heading commissions, advisory panels, recruitments benches, speed courts etc. Involve them in special combat sessions like the Mumbai tragedy, draw upon their capabilities – involve them from strategy discussions to crisis management, personnel motivation to media control – there’s a lot they can do.

To be continued....