"Everyone’s motive is selfishly driven.” From corruption to promotions, economist Saloni Khanna opened up about the life of civil servants.
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00:00In today's date, an IAS officer has a salary of 80,000-90,000.
00:04Is it possible to run a household of 80,000-90,000 if we want to beat corruption?
00:09For example, increasing the salary.
00:10And an IAS officer's job is too much.
00:12It's a 24-hour job.
00:14Is there no work-life balance for the government employees?
00:16There is no work-life balance for the civil servants.
00:18First of all, all the people who are going to the service,
00:20they don't have to bring any impact.
00:24There are very few people who have a motive.
00:27Someone wants power, someone wants money through power.
00:29But everyone gets promoted here.
00:31Even if you're somebody who is neither corrupt nor bootlicking.
00:35You just do your job.
00:36You don't even do your job.
00:57Why there is still a problem of corruption in the country?
01:10Which is very less.
01:11100%, there's no doubt to it that it's less than before.
01:15In an hour's interview, you can't check everything about anyone.
01:19And it's not like people don't fake.
01:22First of all, all the people who are going to the service,
01:25they don't have to bring any impact.
01:28There are very few people who have a motive.
01:32Everyone's motive is selfishly driven.
01:33Someone wants power, someone wants money through power.
01:36Then someone wants power through money.
01:37So, it's a vicious circle in itself.
01:39You tell me, in today's date,
01:41an IAS officer's salary is 80,000 to 90,000.
01:44Can a house run for 80,000 to 90,000?
01:48I'm not justifying corruption.
01:50But I'm saying that we will have to devise mechanisms
01:53if we want to beat corruption.
01:54Like increasing salary.
01:56Like compensating for true worth.
02:00Because people who work in the corporate sector,
02:02maybe they also have a salary of 4 to 5 times more than this.
02:06And an IAS officer's job is too much.
02:08It's a 24-hour job.
02:09Corruption is not just done by officers.
02:12Everyone does it.
02:12Society does it.
02:13So, it's the mindset of the whole society.
02:16If an officer who is not corrupt,
02:19the people below and above him are corrupt.
02:21Or people approach him again and again.
02:24And maybe you are not corrupt for X amount.
02:28Become corrupt for X plus 100.
02:29Then maybe you are not for X plus 100.
02:31Become corrupt for X plus 1000.
02:33X plus lakh, X plus crore.
02:35So, there's no end to it.
02:36The point is, as a society,
02:38we operate on corruption.
02:40Just the way in private sector,
02:42you cannot afford to displease your boss.
02:45You can't do the same there.
02:47But the stakes are higher there
02:49because in the private sector,
02:50you can see your work.
02:52You know, if you are hardworking
02:55or if you are meeting your targets.
02:57There are no targets here.
02:58But everyone gets promoted here.
03:00Even if you are somebody who is not corrupt,
03:03who doesn't do bootlicking,
03:04who just does his job.
03:05And he doesn't even work.
03:07Even if you don't work,
03:09you will still get promoted.
03:10Really?
03:11Yes, I mean.
03:12So, everyone in the government gets promoted?
03:14Yes, because it's your entire batch.
03:17Unless and until you have a criminal case.
03:18Okay.
03:19If you survive, you get promoted.
03:21Exactly.
03:23So, your salary doesn't get impacted
03:25if you're working too much
03:26or you're working too less.
03:28These are myths and facts.
03:30If you do UPSC, your life is set.
03:32Myth or fact?
03:34Fact.
03:37A lot of people say,
03:38government job is 9 to 5.
03:41Is it a myth or a fact?
03:42Myth.
03:43Myth?
03:44Okay.
03:45Government job is better than private job?
03:47Myth.
03:48Okay.
03:49Government job is permanent.
03:51Nobody gets fired.
03:53Fact.
03:54You can do anything.
03:56It's like that.
03:56Except for criminal charges.
03:58It's very difficult to get rid of.
03:59It's okay if you're lazy or non-performative.
04:01Yes, it's very difficult to get rid of.
04:03And you don't have to work on weekends in a government job?
04:06No, there's nothing like that.
04:08It's a myth?
04:08Yeah.
04:10There's no work-life balance?
04:11Nothing.
04:12It's not for civil servants.
04:13It's for the rest of the government employees.
04:15Civil servants have nothing.
04:17You can get a call at 2 in the night.
04:19So, you have to do.
04:20You've seen this?
04:20There's no Saturdays and Sundays.
04:21Yeah, I've seen this.
04:23There are days when you can work for 24 hours or 48 hours.
04:28So, you have to go 48 hours without sleeping.
04:30In civil servants, you compromise on work-life balance
04:33because you rank up in power.
04:35Do you think so?
04:36You rank up in power.
04:38And secondly, you don't have a choice.
04:39If you have to do your job well, then that's a part of the job.
04:43When you said that firing is very difficult,
04:45somebody can choose to not work.
04:47I tell you.
04:48Let's say today you are given posting of becoming an SP in South Bombay.
04:53Now, South Bombay is an important place in Bombay.
04:57So, if you are made the SP of South Bombay and you are very lax,
05:01you need work-life balance, you are not working,
05:04then you will be removed and you will be put in a non-sensitive place.
05:08So, your motivation to work is
05:12that you get good postings where you get exposure.
05:15Okay.