Dr S Bashir Ahmad Veeri

An effective administration derives its authority from the Constitution, its legitimacy from accountability, and its enduring purpose from public service. When administrative hierarchy begins to resemble inherited privilege, democratic governance suffers, and citizens become its unintended casualties.

In a constitutional democracy, the civil service exercises considerable authority, but that authority is neither sovereign nor self-derived. It flows from the Constitution and the law, and its legitimacy rests on impartiality, accountability and responsiveness to the public. The distinction between authority and arrogance is therefore fundamental: the former enables governance, while the latter undermines its democratic purpose.

In Jammu and Kashmir, concerns about the conduct of certain field-level officials, including those occupying positions of considerable authority in district administration, merit serious reflection. Perceived discourtesy towards elected representatives, disregard for scheduled appointments, opaque decision-making and restrictive approaches to public access raise questions that extend beyond individual encounters. They point to an administrative culture in which institutional hierarchy can sometimes appear to outweigh the democratic obligations of public office.

The issue is not a confrontation between the bureaucracy and political leadership. It is about restoring the constitutional balance between administrative authority and democratic accountability.

The Colonial Inheritance and the Democratic Imperative

India inherited an administrative tradition substantially shaped by colonial priorities, under which officials were expected to preserve imperial authority rather than facilitate popular participation. Independence transformed the source and purpose of governance, but institutional attitudes do not invariably change at the same pace as constitutional arrangements. Hierarchical habits, official aloofness and an exaggerated sense of administrative entitlement can survive long after their original justification has disappeared.

Jammu and Kashmir’s reorganisation in 2019 altered its institutional framework, but it did not diminish the fundamental obligations of public administration. Whatever the prevailing institutional arrangements, executive authority remains subject to the law, established procedures and democratic........

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