Shailesh Pathak responds

The government is much more than the government of India. There are 29 states and seven Union territories, more than 53 million cities and others that have governments, where current appointments are from very limited talent pools. If there are private sector candidates who can succeed in relation to government candidates in open competition, good for them. My hypothesis is except for very specialised jobs, most competitions would see mid-career officials winning over pure private candidates. The Public Enterprises Selection Board is a good example. The shortage of officials at senior levels is a myth. There are thousands of senior officials, who are not considered because of current restrictive batch and services issues. 

Regulations for prevention of corruption are applicable to anyone holding a post, whether it’s a lifetime government employee or one appointed on contract. The Supreme Court has recently termed private banks to be subject to anti-corruption guidelines. The overall objective of getting the right leadership to deliver outcomes for citizens should be uppermost, free of ideological blinds.

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