Fixing Office Hours is Not Reform: Gujarat Deserves Better Governance

Thank You, Adhiaji, for Defining Administrative Reform as Fixing Work Hours

The Gujarat Administrative Reforms Commission recently submitted its second set of recommendations to the state government. Chaired by former Union Finance Secretary and retired IAS officer Dr Hasmukh Adhia — who also serves as Principal Advisor to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel — the commission’s proposals have prompted considerable reflection on what truly constitutes meaningful reform.

Among the more intriguing recommendations is the proposition to fix working hours for government employees from 9.30 a.m. to 5.10 p.m. One must ask: did we truly need a high-powered commission to propose something that could easily have been issued via a simple circular from the General Administration Department? Setting work timings is basic administrative housekeeping, not the substance of transformative reform. That it requires a cabinet discussion and a formal recommendation only highlights the procedural inertia plaguing governance today.

Equally eyebrow-raising is the recommendation to develop user-friendly government websites to enhance the citizen experience. Surely, it is — and always has been — the core responsibility of the state's Information Technology Department to ensure that digital interfaces are efficient, accessible, and up-to-date. If government websites are presently inadequate, this reflects a systemic failure that should have warranted corrective action against responsible officials. Instead, we are offered a recommendation to simply do what should have been routine practice. One cannot help but wonder: was the commission’s mandate to ignite genuine administrative reform, or merely to offer a superficial makeover?

Consider next the call for effective usage of social media by the government. Social media is indeed a powerful tool — for communication, for education, for transparency. But herein lies the rub: before amplifying messages through digital channels, the administration must first demonstrate authentic transparency in its operations. Today, the reality is that many bureaucrats behave less like public servants and more like feudal lords — sealing information from the public, selectively opening doors for the elite, and keeping the common citizen at arm’s length. Social media strategy cannot substitute for structural reform. The priority must be to open up the system, restore public trust, and remind government employees that they are accountable to the people who pay their salaries.

One of the more astonishing recommendations is the improvement of the efficiency of the Citizen’s Charter. This charter was introduced in India during the 1990s to enhance service delivery and make administrations more accountable. If, after more than three decades, it still requires improvement, the failure is systemic — not merely procedural. Real reform would involve a candid assessment of why the charter has been rendered ineffective, who is responsible for the slippages, and what tangible corrective mechanisms must be introduced.

The late Keshubhai Patel, former Chief Minister of Gujarat, once remarked, while inaugurating a government hospital, "આપણે ભવન તો સારા બાંધીએ છીએ, પણ ભાવના સારી રાખતા નથી" — "We build towering structures, yet our spirit stands hollow." His words, though spoken in another context, feel remarkably pertinent today. The recommendations presented are dressed in polished language, yet they fail to confront the hollow spirit that has crept into public administration.

Real administrative reform demands more than tweaking work hours, launching better websites, or strengthening marketing strategies. It demands a bold reimagining of governance — one that places citizens at the heart of the system, holds officials truly accountable, and reestablishes the spirit of service and integrity that is the foundation of any functioning democracy.