The electronic data processing cadre

The president of Singapore codes the computer programs regularly His logic is simple. The computer is the present and future of this fast-paced automated world. India is expected to be a leader in this process of change and automation. We are the IT prowess of the world. With the help of homegrown IT giants, we have been able to change our image from a snake-charmer to champions of technology. However, our record of treating our technical staff at a lesser pedestal than the administrative staff in the government sector raises doubt over our willingness to lead the world.

In this regard, the role of electronic data processing cadre (EDP) in various government department holds utmost importance. The EDP cadre of the government is considered as a technical computer savvy wing of each department. Many such technical wings have performed a good role in the process of e-governance in their respective parent organizations. For example, EDP cadre of Income tax is expected to steer the process of digitization of the Income Tax department. It has played a huge role in making the process of income tax return filing a paperless and faceless system. However, they have never received their due rewards and often seen as tech-support in the hierarchical structure of the government. As a result, our process of digitization has suffered two-fold.

Firstly, the private sector has overtaken most of the work of EDP cadre. Thus, it threatens the national safety and raises a security concern. Rather than relying on our own cadre for data safety, we seem to bank more on private IT companies. This goes to the extent that a TCS low-to-mid level staff may have access to income tax database but not a senior level group A gazetted officer.

The second impact is growing to obsolesce of EDP cadre. The EDP cadre is reduced to a facilitator or liaison-officer with the private companies. This has made them irrelevant in the structure. Rather than being a technology specialist or at the least a technology manager, they have become people manager. And to add burn to this wound, let us not forget that people who they are supposed to manage are not employees of the government of India. Rather they are employees of the private organization who are accountable to their own hierarchy. This is definitely a serious trend with far-reaching consequences. It requires a strict course correction in a planned manner.  

The revival of EDP cadre

In order to revive EDP cadre, the government needs to act on 4 levels namely skill, structure, purpose, and power. We will take each of them one by one. As far as skill is concerned, the cadre should be put on the channel of continuous learning. The cadre should have the basic requirement of completing at least one technology certification every year. They should also mention a particular area of expertise and specialize in the same. Those who fail to upgrade their skills in due time should be flushed out of the system. For the people, who are already entrenched in their respective jobs and are unwilling to upgrade their skills, a way should be found to move them out to some other positions.

With respect to structure, we need to redefine the existing electronic data processing cadre into a technology cadre. Rather than each organization managing their own EDP cadre separately, a cadre like Indian Technology Services (ITS) should be constituted and all the technology wings of government department should be merged in this one. Be it EDP cadre of each department or NIC itself. Further, this cadre of ITS should have dedicated wings to serve army or state government or local department. This way the conflicts in each office like generalist vs specialist could also be resolved. Further, it will help in transforming the nature of governance from generalist to the specialists.

With regard to purpose, EDP cadre should be provided with a clear vision and purpose. Just like experts in DRDO are counted as scientist or research cadre, EDP cadre should be promoted to become subject expert in cybersecurity, data analytics, and any other technical matter. This need for subject expertise would provide the vision and purpose from the very beginning and thus will take away lethargy and irrelevance from the cadre.

Last but not least, they need to give powers vis-à-vis their counterparts in government or private sector. For example, if a member of Indian technology services is deputed to the technology wing of income tax department, then he should be authorized to look at the code, database, and network access. This will not only reduce our dependence on private vendors who have become big elephant difficult to be replaced over the years. It will also increase the government’s vigilance of the data that originally belong to the government itself.

This process of reform is not an easy deal. There will be a definite pushback from many quarters. The private players sitting on the legacy code for years, the existing EDP cadre which has slipped in the lethargy and developed a laid-back attitude and the generalist cadre who never want the technocrat to lead them or sit with them. It requires a certain degree of deep thinking, political vision, and strong leadership to take this idea forward through the labyrinthine of status-quoist power structure.