'CRUCIBLE 2006' Brings Together Most Eminent Thought Leaders & Policy Makers at IIM Kozhikode

'CRUCIBLE 2006' Brings Together Most Eminent Thought Leaders & Policy Makers at IIM Kozhikode
Post-event Press-release

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Systemic reforms require a strong, performing bureaucracy, and thus, public servants have played, and are still playing an integral role in development. However, this demands a radical role shift, from that of being active participants in the market process to that of setting and enforcing the rules of the game for the market competition.

Thus, now they need to become facilitators, and stay alert to emerging global opportunities, along with their associated risks, if the country is to be an attractive investment destination.

There are enough success stories that bear testimony to successful policy mechanisms, he said, citing the examples of IT & Telecom. He praised visionary leaders like the late Smt. Indira Gandhi, who understood the critical importance of science and technology, and Shri Rajiv Gandhi. We should be grateful to the late PM Raijiv Gandhi, he stressed, since it was he who established the telecom committee under Mr. Sam Pitroda in 1985, and introduced computers in India at a time when they were nascent even in advanced countries.

He stressed the need for providing global opportunities for all-inclusive growth, since there are still millions who have little assets or skills to participate in the growing economy. Thus, he said, public servants have a greater role in ensuring growth with a human face. It is their responsibility to implement policies that upgrade status of old economy sectors like agriculture, while remaining sensitive to environmental sustainability concerns. In such a scenario, he said, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme of the UPA Government assumes added significance, since it tries to spread the benefits of liberalization across all segments of society.

Shri Pachauri quoted Kofi Annan, "Good governance is perhaps the single most important factor in eradicating poverty and bringing growth." Therefore, he noted, professionalism in public servants is an overarching value, as they seek to balance the old values of Neutrality, Transparency, Diligence, Probity, and Fidelity, with the new imperatives of Innovation, Initiative, and Creativity. The key to gaining public trust, he said, is to focus on results, but not at the expense of process. Since erosion of public trust and cynicism towards governance can lead to loss of public order, he said public servants needed to be committed to ethics, and use their judgment and discretion while carrying out official duties.

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Contributed by -
Malavika Narayan,
Media Cell,
IIM Kozhikode.

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