raised concerns over what he described as an overwhelming focus on routine and procedural tasks.
“More than 80 per cent of our work is related to attending generic meetings where all other departments are present, handling human resource issues, attending litigation matters, dealing with transparency and right to information laws, sending replies to news clippings, responding to mundane correspondence, and compiling all sorts of reports,” Mr Sharma wrote in a lengthy LinkedIn post.
Mr Sharma, who recently took charge as Principal Secretary of the Energy Department in the Rajasthan government, used his new role as a moment to reflect and challenge the status quo within the bureaucracy.
In his post, Mr Sharma also questioned a long-standing belief in administrative circles, that all assignments within the IAS are equally challenging.
“I have never been able to convince myself of the thought that all assignments are of the same difficulty level,” he wrote. “This narrative perhaps arises from the conceived generic nature of the administrative services we are part of.”
He argued that this mindset has led to a loss of focus on department-specific goals, with officers often caught in an endless loop of administrative formalities that offer little sectoral insight
“These common-to-all-department tasks are important though. But they leave you with little time for the Core Work,” he added. “Handling the Core Work of the department successfully is a real challenge and a true contribution to the organisation and society.”
He warned that a persistent neglect of core departmental functions can not only stall innovation but also create a “false sense of being an expert administrator,” ultimately harming service delivery in the long term.
As he steps into his role in the Energy Department, his resolution is to reverse the current pattern and dedicate 80 per cent of his time to core work.
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