Meritocracy is a must

There can’t be two opinions on the preference of meritocracy in public life and governance. The decaying of society is owing to nepotism and favouritism which, with the passage of time, foments unrest, bias and incompetence. Thus, Prime Minister Imran Khan is well within his rights as he calls for a society based on merit, and to ignore the conventional bureaucratic ladder of seniority. When it comes to deliverance and professionalism, no doubt merit should triumph and this is how social mobility would come into play. But that is easier said than done. Ours is a hierarchical and patriarchal society, and the laws we follow to this day are not only outdated but quite inorganic too. To set merit in such an environment, the pyramid upside down needs to be redone, and the way to go is evolutionary reforms.

There is substance in the proposition, forwarded by the PM, that heads of state institutions should be appointed on the basis of merit. Moreover, they should be the expert of the subject that they would be mandated to deal with. Obviously, this expertise would come with seniority in service and by going through the process of trial and tribulation. But again it is not seniority that should be the only criterion. Landmark decisions made in service careers, initiatives as well as honesty and selflessness should form the basis of merit. This is why many in the country lament to this day the enforcement of quota system and special consideration on the basis of regionalism. That may be a necessity for a while — until and unless that populace is uplifted from backwardness, but not for all times to come.

So is the case with the irrational syllabus and testing format for civil superior services. People with weird backgrounds and alien degrees clinch posts and departments that are Greek to them. And then they hold on the reins till superannuation. Then how can competence and merit be in vogue? When calling for a merit-based society, the fulcrum of reform should be the educational tiers, followed by establishment of a decorum that values judgmental bureaucracy rather than pen-pushers on bye-laws. Nurturing acumen, wisdom and civility is the way to enforce merit in society. Time to walk the talk.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 23^rd, 2022.

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