Yoga, 99 orders and problem-solving: Newbie IAS officials being put through the grind

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is known to be a workaholic, and since his coming to power, government employees who have had to keep up with him haven’t been finding it easy. Even the newest batch of IAS officers (2013 batch), who are still undergoing training, haven’t been spared. The Economic Times reports that they have been asked to come up with ideas to simplify at least two government processes before 30 November when they meet the PM after their three-month training session. [caption id=“attachment_2443144” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. PTI[/caption] The report says that the training programme with the Centre has been keeping these new IAS officers on their toes. Apart from dealing with files and meeting officers, they also compulsorily have to do yoga at 6.30 am. The Economic Times reports that the Department of Personnel and Training has issued as many as 99 orders over a month on how they should work, including a detailed 13-week work calendar. These diktats don’t come as a surprise. Gone are the days when government employees could take it easy. Since Narendra Modi, they have been working hard, and as we pointed out  earlier this year , they aren’t happy about it. From accepting gifts to enjoying holidays, the privileges once taken for granted have been curbed. On 21 June,  the International Day of Yoga, the government had made it compulsory for all officials to attend and perform yoga asanas at designated places despite it being a Sunday. But that was not the first time they were made to give up a holiday. On 2 October, 2014, they were made to go out and sweep roads as the PM launched his pet project Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. After that was the re-branding of Christmas vacation with Good Governance Day , effectively ending another confirmed holiday. This was part of Modi’s plan to link 25 December with good governance in honour of BJP leader and former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, whose birthday falls on the day. Foreign trips for IAS officers too have been curbed under the governments cost cutting measures. On top of that they have to submit an “outcome report” when they return. Foreign junkets are also being discouraged by the Prime Minister.