A research essay, parts of which have been published here on my blog site earlier, has been published in the latest issue of Economic and Political Weekly, Mumbai. The link is given below. Also attached is a pdf file of the published essay. The title of the essay is ‘Grappling with Foxes and Hedgehogs of India’s Senior Civil Services’.
https://www.epw.in/journal/2018/38/perspectives/grappling-foxes-and-hedgehogs-indias.html
PE_LIII_38_220918_Praveen_Kishore
Here is the abstract (from EPW):
One of the neglected areas of reforms of India’s organised senior civil services relates to the rationalisation of its branching structure and the related debate of generalist vs specialist services. The present structure is a confusing hotchpotch of specialist and generalist branches, at different layers of government, and has largely resulted in inter-branch rivalries, dissatisfaction, and a dysfunctional organisational structure, affecting the efficiency of the senior management and governance. In light of this, a rationalised redesign, effected through a mix of mergers, abolitions, and reinvention and with specialised–generalist branches responsible for broad domains of functions, appears to be the most suitable strategy for reform.
Development and Governance 