Public servants must reject 'my man theory': Justice B V Nagarathna

Bengaluru: The Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) Karnataka Regional Branch in Bengaluru hosted its inaugural K S Aiyar Memorial Lecture on Saturday, where Justice B V Nagarathna Supreme Court Judge delivered the address on the topic, 'Good Governance under the Constitution of India'.

Speaking to a hall, packed with senior civil servants, legal students and other dignitaries, she said that good governance is a constitutional mandate, not a discretionary favour.

Justice Nagarathna, whose lecture was instituted by S Ramanathan, IAS (Retd), in memory of his late father, highlighted the crucial role of public servants as the "steel frame" of the nation. She exhorted the audience to remember the profound message on the facade of the Vidhana Soudha "Government work is God's work".

She clarified that this does not mean divine intervention is required, but rather that public servants must perform their duties with the same devotion as one would to God.

She criticised the "my man theory" and a culture of subservience that she believes has sometimes tainted public administration. And she recalled Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's appreciation for honest opinion from secretaries, contrasting it with the modern reality where disagreement with a political executive could lead to punishment transfers.

She particularly referenced Kautilya's Arthashastra, quoting his words on the role of a king, "In the happiness of his subjects lies his happiness in their welfare, his welfare. Whatever pleases him, he shall not be considered good, but whatever makes his subjects happy, he shall be considered good." She declared that this principle should be the motto for all good governance.

In modern times, she quoted, former World Bank President Barbar Conable defined good governance as "public service that is efficient, a judicial system that is reliable, and an administration that is accountable to its public".

Justice Nagarathna stressed that a public office is not a stepping stone for self-aggrandisement, but an opportunity to serve. She urged civil servants to treat citizens with dignity and compassion, reminding them that for an officer, a file may be just a file, but for a citizen, it could represent their entire "life".

The event, organised in collaboration with the IAS Officers Association, had Chief secretary Shalini Rajneesh, T M Vijay Bhaskar, Chairperson of the IIPA Karnataka Regional Branch, Uma Mahadevan Additional chief secretary, S Ramanathan, IAS (Retd) in full attendance.