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Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Bureaucracy But Were Afraid to Ask
Whatever its faults, the Indian bureaucracy cannot be accused of bias when it comes to confounding those who have to deal with it. Veteran insiders who return to it with their petitions after retirement are as clueless about how it functions as freshly minted supplicants. Outsiders in any case have little knowledge of who is responsible for what and why or how to navigate that critical proposal through the treacherous shoals of the secretariat.
At the top of the heap is the fast-tracked elite civil servant, who belongs to a group of generalist and specialized services selected through a competitive examination. The aura of the Indian Administrative Service has remained intact over the years.
Lack of awe, bordering on civilized disrespect, is a most effective learning tool. In this humorous, practical book, T.R. Raghunandan aims to deconstruct the structure of the bureaucracy and how it functions, for the understanding of the common person and replaces the anxiety that people feel when they step into a government office with a healthy dollop of irreverence.
At the top of the heap is the fast-tracked elite civil servant, who belongs to a group of generalist and specialized services selected through a competitive examination. The aura of the Indian Administrative Service has remained intact over the years.
Lack of awe, bordering on civilized disrespect, is a most effective learning tool. In this humorous, practical book, T.R. Raghunandan aims to deconstruct the structure of the bureaucracy and how it functions, for the understanding of the common person and replaces the anxiety that people feel when they step into a government office with a healthy dollop of irreverence.
- GenresPoliticsIndiaNonfiction
259 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 6, 2019
47 people are currently reading
490 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
February 12, 2021
The book provides fascinating insights into the functioning of the top bureaucracy in India. To an insider it may not provide anything new because the concerned officer would have seen it all. The most interesting chapter in the book relates to the discussion on Ethics. The classification of corruption is on the dot. The author, himself a former civil servant, does provide for some prescription. His suggestions regarding changes in the recruitment of civil servants are also worth considering. He also discusses the use of technology in administration but, despite giving a few examples where technology worked, does not elaborate how technology can be transformational.
June 29, 2020
The book is exactly opposite of its title . The book tells you about thing you already know baring few things . Content is very predictable and monotonous . This book is a good example as how bureaucracy take so much time for small thing to tell. After reading 300 pages the value addition is very low.
November 2, 2020
Everything Everyone Knows About Bureaucracy Tediously Listed In Nauseating Detail Sprinkled With Mispronounced Literary References
... would be a better title.
... would be a better title.
November 30, 2019
An excellent book on Indian Bureaucracy , if you want to know how Indian Bureaucracy works , and what can be done to improve the performance the author has nice way of conveying his thoughts in the book with well researched facts and figures , a nice read .
October 27, 2020
The book provides the outlook of how the Indian bureaucracy functions, in simple explanation with anecdotes mixed with great humour and sarcasm. Primarily emphasizing on the prime Indian Administrative Service. Citizens who are already aware of how the system functions in governmental institutions, get a clear picture of why it is the way it is. From the overrated hype surrounding the exam that recruits the officers, to the demi-god like aura that they wish to present to the world, the writer, who himself is a retired bureaucrat, dissects what goes behind the scene, and explains how there is a possibility of them getting entrapped in their own aspirations. It also validates the common knowledge of political interference in bureaucratic functioning. Anyone aspiring to be a civil servant should give this book a try, and then weigh their options to choose wisely how they can contribute the best for the country.
May 13, 2025
We need more such books by civil servants who have spent their lives in the services. And we need such accounts from every level and every department of the government. Such books go a long way in demystifying the government office. As an outsider I find this humorous account by the experienced IAS officer TR Raghunandan a great step in the right direction.
Let's talk about what makes this book really good. The author has attempted to give insights into the most talked about aspects of an IAS officer's life. From getting into the services and promotions & postings to competency of the officers and its ethical dilemmas. The chapter on files and red tapism covers one of the most frustrating aspects of going to a government office. I am at a loss of words on how inefficient documentation at a government office can be! Though I am hoping that the government's recent forays into e governance have atleast made a dent into the inefficiencies in this process. Each chapter gives the reader a slit into the opacity of governance from an IAS officer's perspective. All of which I found incredibly insightful.
The author has stuck to a simple and light style of writing with big helpings of humour and sarcasm. It makes for a really fun read, that is difficult to put down. He has drawn upon his own service stories to drive home points that he makes in the book.
The book also has an afterword by the author's sister Renuka Vishwanathan, an IAS officer herself. She presents a stark picture of women IAS officers. Her stories of struggle and challenges in getting the various stakeholders to accept a woman at her position was quite thought provoking.
I wish the title of the book was not as dramatic, because the book has a limited scope. There is so much more that I want to know about. Alas! the author is limited to picking the most talked about elements. Maybe he will bring out a follow up book - who knows? Some elements of the ethics chapter were too dry. The author could have added more of his anecdotes to bring more life into the ethical values he talks about.
Overall, this book is a must read for all civil service aspirants and new joiners (maybe even the senior officers!). Anybody who wants to begin a journey into the life of an IAS officer, should definitely consider picking this book.
Let's talk about what makes this book really good. The author has attempted to give insights into the most talked about aspects of an IAS officer's life. From getting into the services and promotions & postings to competency of the officers and its ethical dilemmas. The chapter on files and red tapism covers one of the most frustrating aspects of going to a government office. I am at a loss of words on how inefficient documentation at a government office can be! Though I am hoping that the government's recent forays into e governance have atleast made a dent into the inefficiencies in this process. Each chapter gives the reader a slit into the opacity of governance from an IAS officer's perspective. All of which I found incredibly insightful.
The author has stuck to a simple and light style of writing with big helpings of humour and sarcasm. It makes for a really fun read, that is difficult to put down. He has drawn upon his own service stories to drive home points that he makes in the book.
The book also has an afterword by the author's sister Renuka Vishwanathan, an IAS officer herself. She presents a stark picture of women IAS officers. Her stories of struggle and challenges in getting the various stakeholders to accept a woman at her position was quite thought provoking.
I wish the title of the book was not as dramatic, because the book has a limited scope. There is so much more that I want to know about. Alas! the author is limited to picking the most talked about elements. Maybe he will bring out a follow up book - who knows? Some elements of the ethics chapter were too dry. The author could have added more of his anecdotes to bring more life into the ethical values he talks about.
Overall, this book is a must read for all civil service aspirants and new joiners (maybe even the senior officers!). Anybody who wants to begin a journey into the life of an IAS officer, should definitely consider picking this book.
July 15, 2020
The book gives you a good perspective how the bureaucracy works and what influence it and also the social spectrum in the services.
June 19, 2022
The Book "claims" to provide fascinating intricacies of the bureaucratic functioning in India. But barring a few humorous remarks here and there and enjoyable personal anecdotes, the content is predictable and monotonous. One cannot get accustomed and relate to the vague discussions of different concepts throughout the book. An average ,one time read.
2.5/5
2.5/5
October 20, 2019
I read the paperback and this did explain as to why the bureaucracy in India attracts the (perceived) best but then fails to deliver. By a mix of wit, logic and research, the author provides solutions for this. A good read to reflect as a citizen of how to make our governance better.
I docked a star because it was (too ) Karnataka centric and could profitably have brought in more experinces like C&AG audits etc
I docked a star because it was (too ) Karnataka centric and could profitably have brought in more experinces like C&AG audits etc
September 29, 2019
More like a 3.5 stars. The book has many moments of great writing about Indian bureaucracy but is let down by the poor editing by the publisher. Worth a read nevertheless.
August 11, 2020
Most of us have experienced the torture of running from pillar to post, and desk to desk, desperately wanting to get some work done at a government office while you see the authorities indifferent to your misery. For a layman, dealing with the bureaucracy is a tedious task. I thought, how boring would it be to read a book about it? It isn’t. T.R. Raghunandan’s recent book helps deconstruct the the structure of the bureaucracy and how it functions for the understanding of the common person. And while he is at it, he makes us laugh out loud.
“Everything You Wanted To Know About Bureaucracy But Were Afraid To Ask” by T.R. Raghunandan is a simple, insightful, irreverent, funny, witty, satirical & thought-provoking book about India’s bureaucracy, particularly the IAS, the steel frame that governs India. The author, a retired civil servant, by virtue of 27 years of experience in the IAS brings forth a fresh look at examining the problems that ails the civil services, criticizing the shortcomings & at most times laughing at the IAS.
The book follows a thematic approach at the civil services starting from the most important topic, THE GOVERNMENT FILES. The most interesting chapters cover the dirty business involving postings, transfers & promotions. Ethics & the IAS is the most important part which discusses red tapism & the omnipresent problem of corruption.
The author opines that the anti-corruption laws in India are outdated and to deal with the devil, the approach and interpretation of the term corruption has to be expanded.
According to the author, over the years the colonial era District Magistrate along with his ‘magisterial’ and ‘regulatory’ roles has taken up ‘developmental’ functions too. “A civil servant, who holds this post, gets a heady taste of concentrated powers and all kinds of diffused responsibility”. Over the years the IAS has overburdened itself with accumulated powers it is not ready to let go. Proof lies in the fact that IAS has not wholeheartedly nurtured the decentralisation of power and authority to local or district level or Panchayats brought through the 73rd and 74th Amendments to the constitution. This in turn has greatly hampered and obstructed the socio-economic development or the country.
Last but most importantly, the foreward by accomplished IAS officer Renuka Vishwanathan on the role and status of women in the IAS amongst other things was deeply insightful and showed what a long way we still have to walk.
What impressed me the most about this book is the unabashed manner in which the author deals with a service he once worked in. It does not have a didactic tone nor has the tone of a “When I was a civil servant” brag or the rant of an officer who left it out of frustration. It is a simple yet funny book written for the lay reader which not only examines and points out problems that ail the system but also provides well thought-out and practical solutions to cure them. I cannot recommend this enough. Happy Reading.
“Everything You Wanted To Know About Bureaucracy But Were Afraid To Ask” by T.R. Raghunandan is a simple, insightful, irreverent, funny, witty, satirical & thought-provoking book about India’s bureaucracy, particularly the IAS, the steel frame that governs India. The author, a retired civil servant, by virtue of 27 years of experience in the IAS brings forth a fresh look at examining the problems that ails the civil services, criticizing the shortcomings & at most times laughing at the IAS.
The book follows a thematic approach at the civil services starting from the most important topic, THE GOVERNMENT FILES. The most interesting chapters cover the dirty business involving postings, transfers & promotions. Ethics & the IAS is the most important part which discusses red tapism & the omnipresent problem of corruption.
The author opines that the anti-corruption laws in India are outdated and to deal with the devil, the approach and interpretation of the term corruption has to be expanded.
According to the author, over the years the colonial era District Magistrate along with his ‘magisterial’ and ‘regulatory’ roles has taken up ‘developmental’ functions too. “A civil servant, who holds this post, gets a heady taste of concentrated powers and all kinds of diffused responsibility”. Over the years the IAS has overburdened itself with accumulated powers it is not ready to let go. Proof lies in the fact that IAS has not wholeheartedly nurtured the decentralisation of power and authority to local or district level or Panchayats brought through the 73rd and 74th Amendments to the constitution. This in turn has greatly hampered and obstructed the socio-economic development or the country.
Last but most importantly, the foreward by accomplished IAS officer Renuka Vishwanathan on the role and status of women in the IAS amongst other things was deeply insightful and showed what a long way we still have to walk.
What impressed me the most about this book is the unabashed manner in which the author deals with a service he once worked in. It does not have a didactic tone nor has the tone of a “When I was a civil servant” brag or the rant of an officer who left it out of frustration. It is a simple yet funny book written for the lay reader which not only examines and points out problems that ail the system but also provides well thought-out and practical solutions to cure them. I cannot recommend this enough. Happy Reading.
November 20, 2020
I’m not one for writing reviews but I believe when you give a bad rating, a justification is due.
The book is sold on the following premises which can be found on the back cover:
“In this humorous, practical book, T.R. Raghunandan aims to deconstruct the structure of the bureaucracy and how it functions, for the understanding of the common person and replaces the anxiety that people feel when they step into a government office with a healthy dollop of irreverence.”
In my reading of the book I did not find it to be very practical apart from some pointers on how to crack UPSC. For someone interested in doing so, I can see how that can be valuable. Even then, it only covers roughly 2% of the book.
The author begins the first chapter by explaining the filing system of the government in excruciating detail. Not only that, he dedicates the entire chapter to it and enlightens the reader with information about the material that is used in the thread that eventually ends up binding the files.
Sorry but knowing this does not help with the anxiety of stepping into government offices.
In the next half of the book, the author describes how IAS officers interact with each other, how the administrative service should focus more on managerial processes as opposed to relying on leadership qualities of the officers (or lack of it).
How is any of this consistent with what was promised in the introduction and back cover of the book?
I could not finish the book due to this deception. I was excited to finally learn more about the subject when I bought the book but the false advertising has made me question the integrity of the author which he so boldly speaks of in the pages.
I did enjoy the occasional humour and that was the only thing that kept me going. One of the two stars is for the jokes. The other is for highlighting the need for a book that would actually help the general public deal with government officials better.
I can only summarise the review by bringing to notice the irony of it all. A book written by a former government official promising to “expose it all” ends up being a diplomatic and verbose account of his experience dealing with cardboard files.
The book is sold on the following premises which can be found on the back cover:
“In this humorous, practical book, T.R. Raghunandan aims to deconstruct the structure of the bureaucracy and how it functions, for the understanding of the common person and replaces the anxiety that people feel when they step into a government office with a healthy dollop of irreverence.”
In my reading of the book I did not find it to be very practical apart from some pointers on how to crack UPSC. For someone interested in doing so, I can see how that can be valuable. Even then, it only covers roughly 2% of the book.
The author begins the first chapter by explaining the filing system of the government in excruciating detail. Not only that, he dedicates the entire chapter to it and enlightens the reader with information about the material that is used in the thread that eventually ends up binding the files.
Sorry but knowing this does not help with the anxiety of stepping into government offices.
In the next half of the book, the author describes how IAS officers interact with each other, how the administrative service should focus more on managerial processes as opposed to relying on leadership qualities of the officers (or lack of it).
How is any of this consistent with what was promised in the introduction and back cover of the book?
I could not finish the book due to this deception. I was excited to finally learn more about the subject when I bought the book but the false advertising has made me question the integrity of the author which he so boldly speaks of in the pages.
I did enjoy the occasional humour and that was the only thing that kept me going. One of the two stars is for the jokes. The other is for highlighting the need for a book that would actually help the general public deal with government officials better.
I can only summarise the review by bringing to notice the irony of it all. A book written by a former government official promising to “expose it all” ends up being a diplomatic and verbose account of his experience dealing with cardboard files.
May 21, 2021
A need of the hour book describing the in and out of the indian bureaucracy and problems that ail it.
The book is written with some very witty and humorous remarks and anecdotes about the workings of various civil servants and is perfectly able to capture and deliever to the reader what are the problems that are faced by the public servants and have they been able to deliver what was expected of them.
Starting with the overview of the civil services, it lays out outdated the office procedure followed by the administrators which are the remnants of the british era to this. It moves on to talk the entrance examination, the terror of postings and transfers to subvert and coerce the officials, how the empanelment process, promotions and ambitions drive them ascribing them to be big reasons for the rot in the system.
It then talks about the role of administrators as leaders, what can be done to transform them into leaders, where the leadership has failed. Then comes the various debates surrounding the reforms in civil services, the generalists vs specialists and the lateral entry debate and role of technology and its adoption by the old guard and new mavericks.
And the final chapter deals with the ethical code of conduct for the IAS, ethical dilemmas faced by them with a good chunk of unexpected serious ethical questions and various ethical attributes favored in them.
This is a good read, highly entertaining, highly informative and thought provoking. But I still don't feel about them given the author at one point tried to make them seem like a pawn in politician's game. :)
The book is written with some very witty and humorous remarks and anecdotes about the workings of various civil servants and is perfectly able to capture and deliever to the reader what are the problems that are faced by the public servants and have they been able to deliver what was expected of them.
Starting with the overview of the civil services, it lays out outdated the office procedure followed by the administrators which are the remnants of the british era to this. It moves on to talk the entrance examination, the terror of postings and transfers to subvert and coerce the officials, how the empanelment process, promotions and ambitions drive them ascribing them to be big reasons for the rot in the system.
It then talks about the role of administrators as leaders, what can be done to transform them into leaders, where the leadership has failed. Then comes the various debates surrounding the reforms in civil services, the generalists vs specialists and the lateral entry debate and role of technology and its adoption by the old guard and new mavericks.
And the final chapter deals with the ethical code of conduct for the IAS, ethical dilemmas faced by them with a good chunk of unexpected serious ethical questions and various ethical attributes favored in them.
This is a good read, highly entertaining, highly informative and thought provoking. But I still don't feel about them given the author at one point tried to make them seem like a pawn in politician's game. :)
April 1, 2021
This book details the intricacies within the workings of the bureaucracy, how biases, stereotypes, political pressure and a multitude of other factors influence the attitude, integrity and performance of a civil servant in India. Being a former civil servant himself, there are accounts of personal instances and subjective interpretations which seem to emanate out of thoughtful insights and an experiential backing. As a general reader with little to no knowledge about the bureaucracy, I can claim now that I have had a flavor of the Indian bureaucracy and it's multiple facets. Rich in detail, the Afterword written by Renuka Viswanathan was rather enlightening as she highlights the plight of female civil servants and paints a very meek picture in general.
February 14, 2024
I actually enjoyed this book a lot. The writing style and free flow of ideas are things you would not associate with a former bureaucrat, but Mr. Raghunandan appears to be a voice of reason and erudition amongst the general lassitude, exclusivity and elitism that one associates with the higher echelons of the Indian Administrative Service.
The author retired early from the civil service and managed to maintain his wit, openness and candour. That makes this book stand out compared to all the other books written by ex government employees and ministers which have nothing but rosy pictures of success and achievements, even if glossed over.
The book is an insightful read for those interested in governance reform, grassroots and decentralised government and ethics.
The author retired early from the civil service and managed to maintain his wit, openness and candour. That makes this book stand out compared to all the other books written by ex government employees and ministers which have nothing but rosy pictures of success and achievements, even if glossed over.
The book is an insightful read for those interested in governance reform, grassroots and decentralised government and ethics.
October 17, 2020
The author himself being from the field has done a tremendous job and chalked out the minute details of the system to which everyone is not privy. The book has been divided into 7 chapters where each chapter is dedicated to a part of the life of bureaucrats which she faces before and after joining the service.
In between the chapter's author also gives his insights on the services and behaviour and manner in which a person should approach his life.
This is a must-read book for anyone who wants to know about the services and specifically some facts about the southern side of the country's bureaucracy where the author has spent a large portion of his life in services.
In between the chapter's author also gives his insights on the services and behaviour and manner in which a person should approach his life.
This is a must-read book for anyone who wants to know about the services and specifically some facts about the southern side of the country's bureaucracy where the author has spent a large portion of his life in services.
March 12, 2021
Didn't achive flow while reading the book mostly because I couldn't comprehend it well enough. Still quite informative and has plenty of food for thought. One might appreciate it better if one has some foundational knowledge on political science.
Things I can recollect as I write this review:
- Why the present civil servants prefer the corrupt system
- How aadhar card was counterproductive in some aspects
- Some vague idea on leadership
- About secretary, generalist vs specialist and so on ( the ones in the index )
Things I can recollect as I write this review:
- Why the present civil servants prefer the corrupt system
- How aadhar card was counterproductive in some aspects
- Some vague idea on leadership
- About secretary, generalist vs specialist and so on ( the ones in the index )
January 10, 2021
A Whistlestop Tour of Bureaucracy
A short but good book on the problems of governance in India and the role of the IAS in it. It held my interest throughout, despite the lack of spicy anecdotes/scandals. Worth reading as an introduction to Indian bureaucracy, though I must admit being a little depressed by the end of it thanks to the picture painted of the current state of affairs.
A short but good book on the problems of governance in India and the role of the IAS in it. It held my interest throughout, despite the lack of spicy anecdotes/scandals. Worth reading as an introduction to Indian bureaucracy, though I must admit being a little depressed by the end of it thanks to the picture painted of the current state of affairs.
January 26, 2021
Been there, Seen that and done that...The book is a nice collection of things seen from the perspective of a bureaucrat. Yet I could not believe the vulnerability portrayed by the author. The three coveted letters "IAS" have never admitted such "mortal" attitude.
Hats off to Sh. Raghunandan for showcasing that even the most coveted job comes with its own perils.
The additional chapter by Ms. Renuka is indeed much grimmer and true to the title of the book.
Overall, a nice read.
Hats off to Sh. Raghunandan for showcasing that even the most coveted job comes with its own perils.
The additional chapter by Ms. Renuka is indeed much grimmer and true to the title of the book.
Overall, a nice read.
February 11, 2022
This was one area I knew little about, having met with a few bureaucrats in specific situations. In that sense, the book has been quite comprehensive in describing the history, entrance procedures, as well as lifecycle of a bureaucrat. The author does a good job of classifying corruption and explaining it in detail. The final chapter by Ms. Renuka is much grimmer talks about how the bias with gender played out in that era.
March 17, 2021
Loved the words of expression .
The flow of information ℹ️ .
Suggestible must read .
The flow of information ℹ️ .
Suggestible must read .
April 12, 2021
The book starts slow. Writer tells things that are quite predictable but in little humorous way. No read for someone expecting mind blowing or out of the box insights.
May 17, 2021
This books give you a mind blown facts of the bureaucracy. Well explained by the ex IAS officer T R Raghunandan. Surely my questions were answered in this book. 👍
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews