Nagpur: India is moving towards becoming the world’s third-largest economy and achieving its goal of becoming a developed nation. The country has a young workforce, talent, resources and entrepreneurship. But is the administrative system advancing at the same pace? Are the speed of work, accountability and productivity in government offices aligned with the country’s economic ambitions?
In his analysis, social thinker Sanjay Agrawal has raised serious questions about government work culture, the holiday system, citizen grievances and administrative accountability. He argues that the problem is not merely the number of holidays, but the effective use of available working days and the responsibility to provide public services on time.
Two Indias, two work cultures
On one side, farmers face uncertainty over the weather, debt and markets. Workers must work every day to earn a living. Private-sector employees face pressure to meet targets, while traders confront competition on a daily basis.
On the other side, complaints about delays in government services, pending files, officials being unavailable and repeated visits to offices continue to emerge.
This is not merely a difference in work styles. It has a direct bearing on citizens’ time, the cost of doing business, the investment climate and economic productivity.
However, it would not be appropriate to view all government employees through the same lens. A large number of employees work with dedication under difficult circumstances. The issue is the systemic shortcomings and negligence that prevent citizens from receiving services on time.
What does the arithmetic of government holidays show?
Central government general administrative offices remain closed for 104 days a year because of weekly holidays on Saturdays and Sundays. In addition, 17 gazetted holidays have been declared for 2026 for central government offices in Delhi.
However, it would not be correct to simply add these two figures and state the total number of holidays, as some gazetted holidays may fall on Saturdays or Sundays. Holiday lists also differ across states and departments.
Festivals and religious occasions have social significance in a diverse country such as India. Therefore, abolishing holidays is not the solution.
The real question is how much work is completed on time during the available working days.
If offices do not open on time, files do not move forward, decisions are unnecessarily delayed and citizens are repeatedly called in, even additional working days will not produce the expected results.
A system funded by people’s taxes must understand the value of people’s time and labour.
Who is accountable?
In the private sector, the quality of work, deadlines and performance are generally reviewed regularly. Rules for evaluation and discipline also exist in the government system, but it is not always easy for a citizen to know which officer is holding up an application or who is responsible for the delay.
Waiting several weeks for a certificate, forcing elderly people to make repeated visits to an office for pension-related work, or failing to provide timely assistance to a farmer is not merely an administrative inconvenience. It also affects people’s money, time and opportunities.
Reaching the office on time, taking decisions on files and providing citizens with services within the prescribed time limit are not favours; they are basic responsibilities of public office.
Employee organisations also have a role to play. Alongside demands for employees’ rights, fair wages, adequate staffing and better working conditions, they should also emphasise efficiency, discipline and the quality of citizen services.
What do the figures show?
1. More than one crore complaints on CPGRAMS
A total of 11,189,384 complaints were reportedly registered on the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) from 2021 to February 2026. In 2025 alone, 2,278,256 complaints were registered.
According to the available data, the average time taken to dispose of complaints in central ministries in 2025 was 15 days, and 82.1% of complaints were resolved within 21 days.
These figures cannot be treated solely as evidence of administrative failure, as improved digital access to services and growing awareness about filing complaints may also have contributed to the increase in numbers. Nevertheless, the scale of the complaints highlights the need to review service quality, the nature of complaints and recurring problems.
2. Economic loss from the absence of government teachers
A 2014 study published by the US-based National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) estimated the annual salary cost of unauthorised absence among government teachers in India at approximately $1.5 billion.
This is an estimate based on the 2014 study, not an actual figure for losses in 2026.
The study also found indications that increased monitoring reduced teacher absenteeism. Its significance extends beyond the better use of government salaries. Teacher absence affects children’s education, continuity in the curriculum and, particularly, the educational opportunities of children from poor families.
3. The importance of productivity in the context of GDP
An April 2026 review by PRS Legislative Research estimated India’s nominal GDP for 2025-26 at approximately ₹345 lakh crore.
To understand the importance of improving productivity on this basis, consider the following mathematical examples:
0.1%: ₹34,500 crore
0.5%: ₹1,72,500 crore
1%: ₹3,45,000 crore
These figures are mathematical examples of percentages of GDP. They should not be viewed as the actual losses caused by government negligence. A separate, systematic study would be required to assess the actual economic impact of administrative delays and low productivity.
Even so, a small increase in productivity has broad economic significance in an economy of this size. The government should study the cost of pending approvals, delayed services and administrative obstacles, and prioritise reforms accordingly.
The bigger problem than holidays is the mindset of putting work off
Taking leave is not an employee’s fault. Statutory and approved leave is part of employees’ rights.
The problem arises when files are deliberately held up before a holiday, pending matters are not resolved even after offices reopen, or citizens are made to wait for weeks over a minor deficiency.
Those whose livelihoods depend on daily work suffer the most. A daily-wage worker loses a day’s pay, a small trader’s business is affected, and a farmer may suffer because essential work is not completed on time.
Therefore, the goal of administrative reform should not be merely to record attendance at the office, but to provide citizens with timely and quality services.
How should services function during elections, strikes and disasters?
Administrative work may be affected by elections, floods, law-and-order situations and employee movements. Elections are essential to democracy, while relief and rescue operations must receive the highest priority during disasters.
Even in these circumstances, arrangements should be made to keep essential citizen services running as far as possible.
This can be done through the deployment of alternative staff, online applications, the transfer of work among authorised officers and clear plans for continuity of essential services.
The objective should not be to restrict employees’ rights, but to ensure that citizens are not left completely helpless under any circumstances.
Eight essential steps for administrative reform
1. Review results along with attendance
Along with biometric attendance, it should also be assessed how much work was completed within the prescribed time and what its quality was.
2. Set a deadline for every citizen service
Clear deadlines should be set for certificates, pensions, licences and other services. The reason should be recorded when there is a delay, and action should be taken according to the rules in cases of negligence.
3. Evaluate performance on the basis of work
Due importance should be given in annual evaluations to pending cases, time-bound disposal, quality of work and citizen feedback.
4. Take impartial action against negligence
Repeated unauthorised absence, deliberately holding up files and corruption should be subject to impartial inquiries and action under the rules. The employee concerned should also be given an opportunity to present their case.
5. Encourage better performance
Employees who deliver timely, quality work should receive recognition, training and opportunities for career advancement.
6. Make digital systems effective
Applications, payments and file status should be available online. There should be a system for assigning work to an authorised alternative officer when an officer is absent.
7. Ensure continuity of essential services during holidays
The holiday system should be reviewed periodically and essential services should remain operational through rotation-based arrangements where necessary. All this should be done while respecting employees’ statutory rights.
8. Make departmental performance public
Annual reports of each department should publish the number of applications received, disposed of and pending, the average disposal time and the main reasons for delays.
Administrative reform is essential for Viksit Bharat
The responsibility for making India a developed nation does not rest only with industries, farmers, entrepreneurs and the private sector. The efficiency of government institutions is equally important, as the administration plays a central role in implementing policies on the ground, delivering services to citizens and driving economic activity.
Criticism of government employees should not be intended to insult them. It is also unreasonable to expect better results without adequate staff, better training, modern technology and necessary resources. The responsibility for reform lies with the government, administrative leadership and employees alike.
But a system run with public money must deliver results in the public interest. Just as employees should receive their salaries on time and have job security, citizens should receive services within the prescribed time.
“Leave is a right, but negligence is not a right.”
The goal of Viksit Bharat will be meaningful only when productivity accompanies attendance in the administration, responsibility accompanies office and accountability accompanies salary.
— Sanjay Agrawal, social thinker
