View: India needs a new service cadre

The 11th Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) report of 2008 highlighted the importance of e-governance and the consequent need for capacity-building at every level of government. Currently, new recruits to the civil services do receive training in IT and e-governance. And, as of now, the Indian Telecommunication Service (ITS) is the primary cadre from which officers are assigned to work on different aspects of technology policy and digital issues.But this is not enough. Digital now extends beyond telecom. And the civil services coursework does not offer an enhanced understanding of how technology works, its domestic and international ecosystem, and the implications of emerging technologies — all of which can enable them to identify loopholes and risks to make and implement better policy.India needs an exclusive and new all-India service cadre — an Indian Digital Service (IDS) — part of the civil service and recruited primarily by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), to serve as the backbone of GoI’s multiple digital and other emerging technology initiatives.This service will reinforce the existing institutions to deal with challenges arising out of the digital world — from data protection and white labelling to cryptocurrency, use of the dark net, ecommerce abuse, etc. It will create a roadmap for e-governance, data protection, a level playing field in ecommerce for producers, especially MSMEs, and consumers, cryptocurrency, intellectual property protection, cybersecurity, etc. The service could also use India’s attractive digital ecosystem to drive the global digital narrative.The last time a new services cadre was created was in 2018, when GoI restructured some of the existing services to create the Indian Enterprise Development Service (IEDS) for the MSME ministry. Typically, it takes years for such a cadre to be established. With galloping digitisation, India can’t wait for a new cadre to reach full maturity, or for the constitutional amendment needed for the creation of an all-India service.So, GoI can immediately begin filling the ranks of the IDS through lateral hiring, by bringing in domain expertise from the private sector. Several ministries already do this, including the commerce and industry, finance, and health and family welfare. The establishment of the IDS cadre will streamline the technology policy work currently being carried out across ministries such as telecom, electronics and IT, commerce and industry, and external affairs. The placement of the officers in these different ministries will provide the requisite knowledge and expertise.In addition to policymaking at the central level, IDS officers can play an important role at the state level in strengthening digitisation and building capacity. It will bring in the requisite institutional strength and skill-set for digital technology policymaking. This has the potential to propel not only India’s digital transformation, but also its digital economy through able preparation and administration, effective dispute resolution and a futuristic outlook.

from Economic Times https://ift.tt/3z0ZgiJ