Politics · India · 4 hrs ago
India's cabinet secretary lists 12 types of bureaucrats at review meeting
At a performance review meeting in New Delhi, Cabinet secretary T V Somanathan listed 12 types of bureaucrats using humour and cartoons.
The examples included officers who throw files, delay decisions, call meetings late in the day or summon staff on Saturdays but arrive late themselves.
The presentation criticised workplace habits and was part of a broader message about better meetings and getting work done.
Somanathan also said performance scores clustered near 10 out of 10, making it hard to distinguish top performers from others.
He said the government plans to start Deregulation 3.0 from January to cut red tape and simplify compliance.
He also directed the Railway Board chairman to ensure about 100,000 railway employees surrender ration cards that allow them to receive free foodgrain, after the food department raised the issue.
Cabinet secretary T V Somanathan presented a humorous but pointed classification of 12 types of bureaucrats at a performance review meeting.
The examples included officers who throw files, sit on files, call staff in on Saturdays and arrive late themselves, or schedule meetings after 7pm.
The meeting also reviewed departmental performance, with Somanathan noting that scores clustered close to 10 on a scale of 1 to 10.
He urged faster inter-ministerial consultations and said the Centre planned to begin its next reform round, Deregulation 3.0, in January.
Somanathan directed Railway Board chairman Satish Kumar to ensure that railway employees with ration cards surrendered them.
- Who
- Cabinet secretary T V Somanathan and senior bureaucrats attended the meeting.
- What
- Somanathan presented a classification of 12 types of bureaucrats and discussed performance and reforms.
- When
- Tuesday; the article was published on October 27, 2026.
- Where
- New Delhi.
- Why
- The meeting addressed performance and better ways to run meetings and make workplaces more conducive to getting things done.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The food department wrote to the cabinet secretary about ration cards being used to establish family identity under PMJAY.
Somanathan presented the classification at a performance review meeting and discussed performance, consultations and reforms.
The Centre planned to begin the next round of reforms, Deregulation 3.0.
- Types listed
- 12
- Performance scale
- 1 to 10
- Ration-card holders
- Around 1 lakh railway employees
- Next reform round
- Deregulation 3.0, planned from January
- Railway Board chairman
- Satish Kumar