Following this, Dr. R. Balasubramaniam addressed three key themes for administrative reforms—digital human resource system; minimum tenure for administrative roles; and structured lateral entry. Transforming a system that has been prevalent for 77–78 years or much longer in the Indian context isn’t easy; it demands a fundamental shift—almost like changing our institutional DNA, said Dr. R. Balasubramaniam; emphasising Indian  bureaucracy is narrowly structured and trained around two functions: to maintain “law and order” (which really meant suppressing the freedom struggle), and to collect revenue (hence the colonial title of “District Collector”). He further added that the term “District Collector” is outdated in today’s Indian context.

We handed over the country to the ‘steel frame’ of bureaucracy, which was solid, but it was forged for an entirely different purpose. Yet for 78 years, we’ve continued using the same frame, same structures, same training—and haven’t really stopped to ask whether they’re even relevant anymore, he informed.

Criticising the impracticality of expecting sudden structural reforms, which have been needed in India for over two decades, Dr. R. Balasubramaniam stated that pre-1990s, everything had to be told by the state and assured by the state. Suddenly, in the 90s, India introduced privatisation, deregulation, and globalisation—joining the mainstream global economy—and then expected the rules to change overnight. It’s like asking a lamb to grow up as a lion, which is impossible.

He further stated that the Honourable Prime Minister’s Mission Karmayogi calls for a new paradigm shift to ‘Jan Bhagidari’; which envisions India as a participatory, citizen-driven state, a partnership state. Three mandates proposed by Honourable PM Narendra Ji—first, turning karmacharis into karmayogis; second, shifting from a rule-based to a role-based mindset; and third, future readiness—are a deep and challenging call for reform. India is building some of the most powerful tech infrastructure behind the scenes.

Dr. R. Balasubramaniam gives an example of NITI Aayog’s Viksit Bharat control room, where every policy and every data point is at our fingertips. Suppose we want a new child protection policy for Karnataka. We just need to feed in the data—population, context—and in minutes it can produce a draft policy,  ready for review. That’s the power of the system today. Do our officers have the capacity to use this data?,  he questioned. 

Emphasising the role of the commission, he stated that the focus is on three components—work, workplace, and work-person. He criticises the approach of starting with ‘transforming’ the person first. The first questions to ask are: is the work clearly defined? Is the workplace equipped? Only after that should we address the person, said Dr. R. Balasubramaniam. He argued that although tools have been developed to efficiently track the work happening, whether we have people who know how to use these tools remains an important concern.

Dr. R. Balasubramaniam believes in structural reforms with functional needs in mind, without losing sight of the broader federal ecosystem. He said, Viksit Bharat cannot be delivered from Delhi. It must begin in the panchayats and urban local bodies. That’s why the Capacity Building Commission works with states—22 of them so far. Others, including UTs, are still outside this net.

Lastly, he calls for collaborative efforts from educational and research institutes to take initiatives and assist the commission unpack this agenda to make India truly Viksit.