In a major Breaking News update that has sparked fresh debate, a senior IAS officer from Rajasthan has said that over 80% of an IAS officer’s work is not focused on real governance tasks. This comment came from Ajitabh Sharma, a 1996-batch Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer, who is currently serving as the Principal Secretary (Energy) in the Rajasthan government.
In a detailed post on LinkedIn, Mr. Sharma shared his thoughts on how most IAS officers spend their time doing what he calls “non-core work,” which takes attention away from their real duties and responsibilities.
What Is Non-Core Work?
Ajitabh Sharma explained that the majority of IAS officers’ time goes into tasks that do not directly help improve services or policies. These tasks include:
- Attending general meetings with other departments
- Dealing with human resource (HR) issues
- Managing court and legal matters
- Responding to media clippings and RTI (Right to Information) requests
- Writing replies to letters and compiling various reports
He said that while these tasks are necessary, they consume valuable time that should instead be used for core departmental work.
“More than 80% of our work involves generic meetings and paperwork. I call this ‘Non-Core Work’,” Sharma wrote in his viral post.
All IAS Assignments Are Not Equal
Sharma also challenged the common belief that all IAS jobs are equally hard. He said that this idea is not true and often leads to confusion about what really matters in governance.
“I’ve never believed that all IAS assignments are equally difficult,” he added. “This way of thinking makes us focus too much on formalities and less on real progress in sectors like energy, health, or education.”
This comment is a part of Sharma’s larger criticism of the current work culture in Indian bureaucracy, where officers often get stuck in endless formal work without making a deep impact on the departments they serve.
Focus Should Be on Core Work
Mr. Sharma explained what he thinks core work really means. He said it involves directly working on important goals related to specific departments. For example, in the Energy Department, core work might include improving electricity supply, adopting green energy, or fixing power outages in rural areas.
He believes that:
- IAS officers should spend most of their time on this core work.
- Too much time on routine paperwork can block innovation.
- Ignoring real challenges makes officers think they are doing a good job, but actual public service suffers.
“These routine tasks are important, but they leave little time for real work,” he said. “Core work is where the true contribution to society happens.”
A New Way Forward in Rajasthan’s Energy Department
As the new head of Rajasthan’s Energy Department, Sharma has made a promise. He said that from now on, he will try to spend 80% of his time on core work instead of non-core work.
“The Energy Department really needs more focus on core responsibilities,” he said. “That’s why my plan is to flip the current pattern and focus mainly on what truly matters.”
Why This Matters
This Daily news highlights story has started a conversation across India. Many people and officers agree with Mr. Sharma’s points. Others think it’s time to make real changes in the IAS work structure, so bureaucrats can make better use of their skills.
Sharma’s bold comments have become a part of today’s breaking news as they bring attention to a larger problem in India’s administration — the need for better time use and more focus on public service delivery.
