Bureaucracy braces for change with hope and apprehension

Officials fear re-emergence of coalition politics may lead to delayed or disjointed decisions

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With a coalition government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi poised to take the reins, the country's bureaucratic machinery the so-called "steel frame" of India ― is rife with both anticipation and anxiety.

The past decade under Modi's single-party majority government saw a centralised decision-making process. However, the re-emergence of coalition politics, with regional allies championing their own agenda in the ministries led by their representatives, may potentially lead to delayed or disjointed decisions.

Though the previous two governments were of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance, the party had a majority on its own in the Lok Sabha.

Senior government officials expressed concerns about the potential misalignment of views between ministers (particularly non-BJP ones) and secretaries in the absence of absolute centralised power. "Ministers might prioritise policies favouring their home states.

And this may conflict with the broader perspectives of key bureaucrats, thereby impacting policymaking," said a senior official.