Two features of the civil services selection stand out. More than a third of the selected candidates are women. And reservation has ensured much-needed diversity. The spectrum of academic disciplines — electrical and mechanical engineering, architecture, anthropology, medicine, and geography, among others — that the new recruits come from adds strength to the bureaucracy. No longer are the IAS and IPS the preserve of arts and science graduates. A substantial percentage of the selected candidates belong to the lower economic stratum. This is how it should be in a country where a large section is still poor.

These factors would lull us into a belief that everything is hunky dory. However, many aspects of our civil services remain disappointing. The Union and state governments have ushered in many schemes that benefit the poorest. However, many beneficiaries still have to bribe the lower levels of government to access these. To an extent, the direct crediting of benefits to the beneficiaries’ bank accounts has remedied this. But, what about non-monetary benefits? Substantial leakage still occurs here and has proved almost impossible to plug. The entrants to the civil services have a huge duty to excise this canker. Unfortunately, junior civil servants trying surgical interventions have been intimidated and forced to look the other way.

The greatest harm done to a well-conceived machinery is entrenched corruption. The economic progress made in the past few decades is getting eroded by this evil, especially in rural settings. The common man still complains about the money he has to shell out to buy services to which he is entitled to as a citizen. There are no signs that this will change in the foreseeable future. What can a young IAS or IPS officer do to pull us out of this morass? This is a question that is rarely asked, and rarer still, answered satisfactorily.

The minimum we can demand of young officers is that each of them should set an example for rectitude. Unfortunately, however, there is growing evidence to the contrary. The high levels of political corruption prevalent in almost all regions of the country are often cited as being responsible for the young officers falling prey to corruption early. This explanation is only partially acceptable.

The building of moral fibre among young recruits is the responsibility of both institutions and senior officers. There has, however, been no major exercise in this regard at the national level. Ultimately, it is the individual officer who should choose honesty over graft. Fortunately, a majority of recruits currently seem to believe in this ideal. That however is no guarantee that they will not throw in the towel later.

Another disconcerting feature of government offices is that senior officials are seldom accessible to the public. Given the incredible advances in communication technology and their percolation down to the lowest layers, is there a need for physical meetings which become a barrier between officers and the common man?

Simple devices and procedures will facilitate face-to-face interaction with the common man who has many grievances but rarely gets the opportunity to voice these before the relevant officials. New entrants to the civil service must usher in a new culture of access.

It is difficult to exaggerate the joy of the poorest in a rural area who get to meet a senior officer and convey their genuine problems to a sub-collector or an assistant superintendent of police, two critical functionaries at the sub-division level. A posting in a semi-urban area may be low on personal comfort, but the satisfaction that one derives from working at the grassroots is extraordinary.

I remember how my superintendent of police cut my travelling allowance during my training days in Thanjavur because I returned home after a village visit without halting there for the night and making myself available to the local people to hear their representations. Such rigour prepares you to meet the challenges in a democratic system.

RK Raghavan is a former CBI director and former Indian High Commissioner to Cyprus. The views expressed are personal