Why some Indian civil servants become heroes for doing their jobs

NurPhoto via Getty ImagesTukaram Mundhe has led a series of enforcement drives since taking charge in MayAmong the thousands of civil servants who keep India's vast government machinery running, a small number become unlikely public figures every few years.Tukaram Mundhe, 51, is one of them.The commissioner of Maharashtra's Food and Drug Administration, he has led a series of enforcement drives since taking charge in May. His teams have inspected restaurants and other food businesses, uncovering pest infestations, poor hygiene and expired food.He has also highlighted large gaps between what hospitals pay for common medical supplies and what patients are charged.These actions have made Mundhe a social-media celebrity, with videos and images from inspections widely shared online. Hundreds of people have commented that they wished officers like him could be sent to fix food safety concerns in their state. Mundhe is not alone. In Gurugram, a suburb of Delhi, district town planner RS Batth has won praise for acting against illegal construction and encroachments.But why are these officials treated like heroes for doing their jobs?In India, civil servants are responsible for many services people rely on every day, from issuing documents to policing, food safety and healthcare. But many are also accused of delays, bribes and making people run from pillar to post.So when an official appears to cut through the red tape, the response can be surprisingly enthusiastic."What should have been normal has become exceptional," says retired civil servant Kamal Kant Jaswal.For many citizens, delays, bureaucratic hurdles and indifferent treatment have become so familiar that efficient governance now stands out as an exception, he adds. The Washington Post via Getty ImagesMany Indians associate government offices with lengthy procedures, repeated visits and an often-unresponsive bureaucracyMundhe is not the first official to gain recognition for doing exactly that. One of the most prominent examples is TN Seshan, who became a household name as India's chief election commissioner in the 1990s for fearlessly enforcing rules.Kiran Bedi, the first woman to join the officer ranks of the Indian Police Service, was nicknamed "Crane Bedi" in the early 1980s after it was widely reported that she got an illegally parked car belonging to then prime minister Indira Gandhi towed away (it was removed by a sub-inspector who reported to her, who said years later that she supported his decision). Ashok Khemka became nationally known after intervening in a controversial land transaction in 2012, while police officer Neeraj Jadaun was praised for confronting a mob during deadly religious violence in Delhi in 2020. These stories have made the idea of the "honest" or "no-nonsense" bureaucrat both familiar and rare. Jaswal, however, points out that thousands of officials in India do their jobs without attracting public attention."Their work may not involve much direct contact with citizens, or may simply be less visible."For ordinary people, however, a visit to a government office is often seen as an exhausting process.Rajesh Singh, 43, who works at a finance company in Delhi, says he has experienced long waits to get his work done and even longer processes to solve complaints."What is supposed to take 24 hours, I have personally experienced being stretched to six months with no guarantee of a positive outcome even then," he says.But an officer praised for enforcing rules can also face criticism for applying them too rigidly without taking into account ground realities.The India Today Group via Getty ImagesKiran Bedi, India's first woman IPS officer, became known for her strict approach to law enforcementMundhe has been criticised by sections of the food and hospitality industry over his enforcement drives. He has rejected allegations of selective or unlawful action, saying inspections are evidence-driven and licences are suspended only in serious cases.Batth, too, has faced flak for acting against illegal encroachments, with critics alleging his enforcement is selective and disproportionately affects vulnerable people. In several viral videos, he has said his actions are carried out strictly under town-planning rules.Jaswal explains a street vendor's stall may be an unauthorised structure in the eyes of the law, but could be a family's only source of income. And in a country where millions migrate to cities in search of work, unsanctioned living spaces could be the only way to find a place to stay.This tension between the law and economics helps explain why the same enforcement action can be viewed as both lawful and harsh.Bureaucrats also face challenges of their own while carrying out their duties.Pushpa Sundar, who briefly served as a civil servant and has written extensively on development issues, says officers can face political pressure and transfers when they refuse to comply with demands."They too have families, careers and financial responsibilities and it needs extraordinary courage to risk those things in order to act independently," she says.She argues that officers need stronger institutional support when they refuse to do something illegal or improper.Jaswal remembers facing such pressure himself.In 1974, when he was district magistrate of Uttarkashi in what was then undivided Uttar Pradesh, a senior minister was contesting the state legislature election.He says he had to turn down a number of demands from the minister as they were against the rules. The minister won the election and Jaswal says he got his "marching orders soon after".But when he left for his next assignment, people stood in the summer heat for several kilometres on his way to say goodbye.The relationship between politicians and civil servants, he says, is rarely straightforward. Many civil servants who seek desirable postings or rely on political support choose the path of least resistance, while standing up to political pressure entails certain costs, he says. Kamal Kant JaswalKamal Kant Jaswal (right) with former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi during his tenure as Uttar Pradesh's secretary for rural development.Social media has also changed how quickly an officer can become a public sensation.An action once limited to a district can now be filmed, shared and viewed by millions within hours."Social media can turn an official into a national talking point almost overnight," Sundar says.That is partly what happened with Mundhe, whose inspection videos have turned routine enforcement into a widely watched spectacle.Mundhe, however, sees it differently.Speaking to the BBC last month, he said his actions were driven by public-health concerns and that businesses complying with rules had nothing to fear.For Mundhe, the attention is beside the point. The rules already exist and his job is simply to enforce them.But the public fascination is about more than just one officer.When basic government functions are carried out visibly and consistently, they can seem extraordinary - particularly because so many people have come to expect otherwise.