PM Modi can consider B-school graduates for civil services: Narayana Murthy

Amid the ongoing debate over lateral entry into civil services, Infosys co-founder and industry veteran N R Narayana Murthy on Thursday suggested that Prime Minister Narendra Modi can consider tapping civil servants from management schools to improve the overall delivery of public services.

Speaking at the CNBC-TV18 Global Leadership Summit, Murthy argued that a “management-oriented” approach could reinvigorate India’s bureaucracy, which he believes is still influenced by an “administrative” mindset dating back to colonial times.

“Maybe Prime Minister Modi, who has done a brilliant job so far in terms of accelerating our economy, may want to look at whether we need more managers in the government rather than administrators,” he said.

According to Murthy, graduates from premier management schools could bring the skills needed to address modern governance challenges. He proposed that these recruits could undergo focused training at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie, specialising in sectors like agriculture, defence, or manufacturing.

He said the administrative approach has its roots in 1858, when the East India Company transferred the dominion to the British crown, and the objectives of the then civil servants was to go slow because the natives were to be kept under control and delay implementation.

"I hope India becomes a nation that is more management-orientated than just administration-orientated," the Infosys co-founder said, making a plea for changing the mindset of people.

In August, the Union government asked the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to withdraw its advertisement for lateral entry into bureaucracy after a row erupted over reservations in the advertised posts.

Making an oblique reference to the setback faced by the government, Murthy said he hopes the Opposition will not have "much objection" to such a shift as they recently did.

Asked about his controversial comment on the 70-hour work weeks, Murthy said he stands by the remarks and added that Modi also works 100 hours a week.

"I think in this country, we have to work very hard because there is no substitute for hard work. Even if you are the most intelligent guy, you need to work hard. So therefore, I am sorry, I have not changed my view," he said.