'UPSC is doing a fine job': Ex-IAS officer's point-by-point rebuttal to Narayana Murthy's B-School proposal

Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy's suggestion to recruit IAS and IPS officers from business schools instead of relying solely on the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examinations has drawn sharp criticism from former IAS officer Sanjeev Chopra, who previously served as director of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA).  

Speaking at the CNBC-TV18 Global Leadership Summit on November 14, Murthy proposed shifting India's civil services from an "administrative mindset to a management mindset". "The administration is all about the status quo. On the other hand, management is all about vision and high aspiration. It’s about achieving the plausible impossible."  

Murthy also said that the current system of competitive UPSC examinations can only produce civil servants trained in general administration. He recommended a management-based approach that focuses on vision, cost control, innovation, and rapid execution to cater to the changing demands of governance.

Responding to Murthy's remarks, Chopra defended the UPSC selection process, calling it inclusive and merit-based. "The UPSC's selection process incorporates merit, diversity, and inclusion. It offers every young Indian the choice to appear for the exam in English or any of the 22 languages included in the Eighth Schedule. I am not aware of any B-school having such a provision,” he said, pointing out biases that favor candidates from elite English-medium institutions.  

Chopra warned that abandoning the UPSC framework could restrict opportunities for non-urban and less privileged aspirants. "India cannot become Viksit Bharat if those working toward achieving that goal come predominantly from the uppermost echelons of the English-speaking, urban middle class,” he said.  

The former bureaucrat also questioned whether a management-oriented approach could adequately address governance challenges rooted in democratic policy-making. He emphasised that vision-setting must remain a function of elected representatives, not civil servants or corporate managers. "It is the elected representatives of the people who must engage in this task at all levels—starting from the panchayat, the zilla parishad, and/or the territorial council to the state and central government,” Chopra said.  

On Murthy’s emphasis on cost control and rapid execution, Chopra countered that public service often prioritises social objectives over financial efficiency. Highlighting programs like the AIIMS and the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), he argued that public services deliver value beyond what private institutions can achieve. 

"Would you like to compare the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) with Max, Apollo, or Medanta? Take the per capita costs of a student from Delhi University with one from a private university, perhaps? Take a look at the logistics of ICDS (Integrated Child Development Scheme) centres anywhere in the country, and I will be happy to see where further cost–cutting can be done.”

He acknowledged that governance could improve but stressed the importance of citizen-centric policies that balance economic growth with the ease of living. Referring to Murthy’s recommendation for a 72-hour workweek, he said, “Ease of living is citizen-centric. It includes work-life balance, care for children and the elderly, and physical and mental health with adequate opportunities for an individual’s cultural and social evolution...across the world, we are moving from considering Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as the only indicator of a nation’s progress. The matter cannot be decided in a corporate boardroom."

Turning the focus on the corporate sector, Chopra questioned its accountability. “Let them adopt the RTI for their organisations. Let them share the salary differentials between the top honcho and the gig worker. Let them give a report on the inclusivity index: How many of their leadership positions are occupied by persons of disability, third gender, scheduled castes, OBCs, and from the Northeast?”  

Chopra concluded by affirming the role of civil services institutions like the UPSC and LBSNAA in supporting democratically elected leaders. “Institutions like UPSC, LBSNAA, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNA), and Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA) are doing a fine job of assisting the democratically elected leadership to implement policies chalked out in Parliament, state assemblies, municipal corporations, and zilla parishads,” he said.