The executive arm of the government is composed of ministers or politicians and bureaucrats who assist the ministers in the discharge of their functions. In a democracy, politicians are elected by the people whereas bureaucrats are appointed through a process of recruitment.The former are in office for a fixed term co-terminous with the duration of the legislature while the latter enjoy a long career after which they retire.

Of late, there has been a tendency on the part of bureaucrats to enter politics after retirement or after resignation even during the course of their career. Is this a healthy trend?

The argument against a bureaucrat joining politics lies not so much in what he does after entering politics but whether the intention to do so affects the discharge of his duties even while holding office.

In the Indian system, a civil servant is expected to be apolitical or neutral, and be objective and impartial in taking decisions or rendering advice. If a person makes up his mind to join a political party while in office, it is possible that his decision-making gets coloured by his future expectations of getting a party ticket for contesting an election or the benefit of some other favour. This can pose a risk to the proper functioning of government.

It is said that politics is anybody’s cup of tea and why shut its doors only to a bureaucrat?. In his favour, it is argued that his knowledge, administrative experience and technical expertise can enrich the political domain and he can make useful contribution as a legislator or minister or in some other capacity. Morarji Desai worked as a Deputy Collector before he joined politics and went on to become Prime Minister.

Manmohan Singh, though not a career civil servant, occupied a bureaucratic office as Finance Secretary before he became Finance Minister and Prime Minister.Yashwant Sinha resigned from the IAS to join politics and occupied the posts of Finance and Foreign minister. Examples can be multiplied.

In recent years, politics has come to be painted with a dark brush. It is associated with opportunism, corruption and even crime, given the number of persons with criminal background getting elected to our legislatures.

The bureaucracy’s image has also got tarnished by charges of corruption and lack of sensitivity. Even senior civil servants are willing to bend backwards to get what are termed “prized postings.”

This leads to collusion between the politician and the bureaucrat and if the latter nurses political ambitions, the chances of collusion get enhanced. It is the fear of such collusion, which more often than not can result in a kind of a “spoils system” that prompt some to argue against the bureaucrat entering politics.

The answer, however, does not lie in banning entry of civil servants into politics. After all, the number of persons quitting service to join politics in India is still very small.

In France, the system itself permits such a practice. In fact, the rules that govern their civil servants encourage bureaucrats to enter politics, and if unsuccessful, return to administrative posts.

In the French government of 1962, as many as 27 per cent of all ministers were from the senior civil service.

Whether such a system that allows free flow between politics and administration will suit India is debatable. In the present circumstances, it will perhaps lead to greater politicisation of the bureaucracy.

On balance, it can be said that there is no nothing wrong in bureaucrats entering politics. India is an evolving democracy and needs persons from diverse backgrounds, particularly those with professional experience.

In a way, the process of bureaucratisation of politics is preferable to the politicisation of the bureaucracy.

If at all, a restriction may be placed that a civil servant cannot contest elections for a period of one or two years after retirement or resignation.

This will prevent the civil servant from quitting service on the eve of elections and the politician from holding out carrots to entice him. Such a restriction exists even now in respect of accepting employment in the private sector.

(The writer is former chief secretary, Karnataka government.)