INTRODUCTION:

Bureaucracy is a concept referring to the way that the administrative execution and enforcement of legal rules are socially organized. Four structural concepts are central to any definition of bureaucracy: a well defined division of administrative labour among persons and offices, a personnel system with consistent patterns of recruitment and stable linear careers, a hierarchy among offices, such that the authority and status are differentially distributed among actors, and formal and informal networks that connect organizational actors to one another through flows of information and patterns of cooperation.¹

Bureaucracy, an institutional device for administering any organization, has become a dominant feature in modern society. For the achievement of the goals of any organization, be it a government department or private undertaking business firm, university or hospital, bureaucracy is organized as a necessary instrument. In

India, as also in other countries, bureaucracy is a large complex organization designed and developed to run the administration.

Even after independence administration and bureaucracy remain essentially colonial in nature in India. They are much the same as they were in the British colonial times. How can administrative and bureaucratic machinery which had been designed for imposing oppressive colonial rule is made responsive to common people? How can it be used as an instrument for constructive development that would be like use to sword for plowing a field?

Not surprisingly the bureaucracy at exist in India today has none of the essential characteristics in modern society. Talcott Parsons has thus summarized the classic enunciation of the essential features of bureaucracy by Max Weber: ‘Bureaucracy is a rather complicated phenomenon. It involves an organization devoted to what is from the point of view of the participants an impersonal end. It is based on a type of division of labour which involves specialization in terms of clearly differentiated functions, divided according to technical criteria, with a corresponding division of authority hierarchically organized, heading up to central organ, and specialized technical qualifications on the part of the participants. The role of each participant is conceived as an office where he acts by virtue of the authority vested in the office and not of his personal influence. This involves a clear-cut distinction in many different respects between his acts and relationships in his official and his personal capacity. It in general involves separation of office and home, of business funds and property from personal property, above all of authority in official matters from personal influence outside the official sphere.’²

The report by Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy ranks bureaucracies across Asia on a scale from one to 10, with 10 being the worst possible score. India scored 9.21. India fared worse than Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and China. The report said India's bureaucracy was responsible for many complaints businessmen had about India, like lack of infrastructure and corruption. It also said that Indian bureaucrats were rarely held accountable for wrong decisions. This gives them terrific powers and could be one of the main reasons why average Indians as well as existing and would-be foreign investors perceive India's bureaucrats as negatively as they do, said the report.³

The bureaucratic organizations also have, besides the indisputable advantages in their functioning, a series of major disadvantages, known under the syntagm bureaucratic organizational dysfunctions. The attempt to reform the managerial system at the level of the administrative system must necessarily go through a descriptive, diagnostic stage to highlight and eliminate the existing deficiencies.⁴

The objective of the present research paper is an attempt to point out the training systems, in-the-job and off-the-job, operating in the universities of Chhattisgarh state.

This study has been made in the state universities of Chhattisgarh, but it is expected to bring out the basic characteristics of state Universities concerns in other state universities of India as well.

Chhattisgarh is a new state constituted on November 1, 2000 by carrying out the eastern part of Madhya Pradesh. It is situated in the east central part of India. There are eleven state universities are functioning under the jurisdiction of state government, namely – (1) Ayush and Health Sciences University of Chhattisgarh Raipur, (2) Bastar University Jagadalpur, (3) Chhattisgarh Swami Vivekanand Technical University Bhilai Nagar, (4) Hidayatullah National Law University Raipur, (5) Indira Gandhi Agriultural University Raipur, (6) Indira Kala Sangeet University Khairagarh, (7) Kushabhau Thakre Patrakarita Avam Jansanchar University Raipur, (8) Pandit Ravishankar Shukla University Raipur, (9) Pandit Sundarlal Sharma (Open) University Bilaspur, (10) Surguja University Surguja, and (11) Chhattisgarh Kamdhenu Vishwadiyalaya Durg.⁵

Meaning of State University

The universities which are run and funded by the State government called state universities. Following the adoption of the Constitution of India in 1950, education became a state responsibility. Following a constitutional change in 1976, it became a joint responsibility of the states and the central government. The University Grants Commission (UGC) list from 27 May 2011 lists 274 state universities, around 170 of which receiving Central/UGC assistance.⁶

Sampling

In the present research work two old and two newly formed state universities have been selected for the study. The names of old universities selected are Indira Kala Sangeet University, Khairagarh and Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur. The names of newly formed universities selected are Kushabhau Thakre Patrakarita Avam Jansanchar University, Raipur and Chhattisgarh Swami Vivekanand Technical University, Durg. Stratified sampling method is used for the selection of respondents from these universities, so that all rungs of functionaries such as Executives, Class III, Class IV and technical staff are represented in the sample.

A total of 614 respondents belonging to different types of job categories of the four universities were selected through stratified random sampling, so that all rungs of functionaries were represented in the sample and at the same time there was no bias in the selection of particular respondents. A 15% sample (91) from these four universities has been drawn for the study.

Method and technique

The present research work is based mainly on primary data collected through interview method. The major tool used for data collection is a carefully drawn schedule. Information regarding formal procedure, hierarchy of authority, rules & regulations, departmentalization, communication system, leadership pattern, decision making bodies etc. is collected from the administration sections of the selected universities.

Improper Training System

Lack of employee training spells trouble for any institution because it unfavorably impacts the institution, internally and externally. Because training teaches employees how to meet institution expectations and gives existing employees a platform for improving current knowledge, it can provide the company a sense of stability. In the absence of training, employees become unsure of what’s expected of them and may end up doing their work tasks inefficiently. Misunderstandings may ensue because employees aren't clear about the requirements. With confusion comes frustration, as employees become increasingly uncertain about their role in the company. And with frustration comes conflict, as employees can argue with each other or defy management because of improper training. ⁷

Even after independence administration and bureaucracy remain essentially colonial in nature. They are much as the same as they were in the British colonial times. Not surprisingly the bureaucracy at exist in India today has none of the essential characteristics of bureaucratic in modern society.

Talcott Parsons has thus summarized the classic enunciation of the essential features of bureaucracy by Max Weber: ‘Bureaucracy is a rather complicated phenomenon. It involves an organization devoted to what is from the point of view of the participants an impersonal end. It is based on a type of division of labour which involves specialization in terms of clearly differentiated functions, divided according to technical criteria, with a corresponding division of authority hierarchically organized, heading up to a central organ, and specialization technical qualifications on the part of the participants.’⁸ Such characteristics of modern bureaucracy are far from bureaucracy as it exists in India. It is like the case system. An IAS officer remains an IAS officer whatever he does or does not do. In whatever department he works he is at the highest echelon no specialized technical qualifications on his part are required as stipulated by Max Weber. He can be made the Chief of the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting or Human Resource Development without any consideration of his special training in that field. This is quite contrary to the characterization of Max Weber, which says: It is based a type of division of labour which involves specialization in terms of clearly differentiated functions, divided according to technical criteria, with a corresponding division of authority hierarchically organized, heading up to a central organ, and specialized technical qualifications.

Table 1: Training According to the Assigned Job

Name of the university	Yes		No		Not Responding		Total
Name of the university	F	%	F	%	F	%	F	%
Indira Kala Sangeet Univ., Khairagarh	-	-	12	100.0	-	-	12	100
Pt. Ravishankar Shukla Univ., Raipur	8	12.5	53	82.8	3	4.7	64	100
Kushabhau Thakre Patra. & Jans. Univ., Raipur	-	-	3	100.0	-	-	03	100
Chhattisgarh Swami Vivekanand Tech.Univ., Durg	-	-	12	100.0	-	-	12	100
Total	8	8.8	80	87.9	3	3.3	91	100

Figure 1: Training according to the assigned job

The top level authorities to the lower rank employees of the state Universities in the Chhattisgarh state have also been facing from this lacking. The responses received from the respondents regarding the training providing to them show that an overwhelming majority of the respondents (87.9%) did not get any training during their service period (Table 1, Figure 1). Only 8.8% respondents responded that they got training at the beginning of their service. During the information discussions with the respondents it came to knowledge that even the Vice-Chancellor and the Registrar, supreme authorities of the university, have been appointed without any proper training. The middle-rank officers, Deputy Registrar and Assistant Registrar, have also been appointed without training. It was correctly said by Julius Caesar that ‘Without training, they lacked knowledge. Without knowledge, they lack confidence. Without confidence, they lacked victory.’ According to him, the training is must for any personnel in an organization. It helps in problem solving and speedy decision-making.

Insufficient Knowledge of Rules and Regulations

Formal organization is a fixed set of rules of intra-organization procedures and structures. As such, it is usually set out in writing, with a language of rules that ostensibly leave little discretion for interpretation. In some organizations, such rules may be strictly followed; in others, they may be little more than an empty formalism. The objectives of formal rules are; (a) to facilitate the accomplishment of the goals of the organization: In a formal organization, the work is delegated to each individual of the organization. It works towards the attainment of definite goals, which are in compliance with the goals of the organization, (b) to facilitate the co-ordination of various activities: The authority, responsibility, and accountability of individuals in the organization is very well defined, (c) to aid the establishment of logical authority relationship: The responsibilities of the individuals in the organization are well defined. They have a definite place in the organization due to a well defined hierarchical structure which is inherent in any formal organization, (d) to permit the application of the concept of specialization and division of labour. Division of work amongst individuals according to their capability helps in greater specializations and division of work, and (e) to create more group cohesiveness.⁹

The personnel of any organization must understand the formal structure of an institution. It consists of hierarchy of an organization, chain of command, positional power, rules and regulations, standard operating procedure, etc. A clear perception of the formal structure can be a great asset for improving the performance of any institution. For an organization to work efficiently, everyone must know what to do and when to do it.¹⁰

The offices of the sample Universities are functioning on the basis of the rules laid down in the following:

(1) The Chhattisgarh University Act, 1973

(2) The Statute, and

(3) The Ordinance.

Table 2: Awareness/knowledge of Rules and Regulations

Name of the university	Fully		Partially		Lacking		Not Responding		Total
Name of the university	F	%	F	%	F	%			F	%
Indira Kala Sangeet Univ., Khairagarh	1	8.3	7	58.3	2	16.7	2	16.7	12	100
Pt. Ravishankar Shukla Univ., Raipur	4	6.2	13	20.3	43	67.3	4	6.2	64	100
Kushabhau Thakre Patra. & Jans. Univ., Raipur	-	-	1	33.3	2	66.7	-	-	03	100
Chhattisgarh Swami Vivekanand Tech.Univ., Durg	2	16.7	4	33.3	5	41.7	1	8.3	12	100
Total	7	7.7	25	27.5	52	57.1	7	7.7	91	100

Figure 1: Aware about Rules and Regulations

It is evident by the analysis of data regarding the awareness and knowledge of formal rules and regulations among the respondents that more than half of the respondents have been lacking in the rules and regulations as laid down in the University Act, Statute and Ordinance whereas one-fourth of the respondents have been partially aware of the rules and regulations. Only 7.7% respondents responded that they have full command on the rules and regulations (Table 2, Figure 2).

It has come to knowledge during the informal discussions with the respondents that non-availability of the copies of the University Act, Statute and Ordinance is the main cause for the unawareness of rules and regulations. Another reason as informed by the respondents is that the University Act, Statute and Ordinance are available in English. The copies of Hindi version of the rules have not yet been provided to them.

Through the analysis of data regarding the dysfunctions of bureaucratic structure of the state Universities, it may be inferred that due to lack of on-the-job and off-the-job training of the personnel, the state Universities could not fulfill all expectations according to their goals. On the other hand, the sample universities neither provided copies of the university act, statute and ordinance nor its Hindi version to their personnel. It has caused the delaying of work and proper decision-making according to the rules.

REFERENCES:

1. Singh, Narendra, “Bureaucracy: Issues and Policy”, Ancient Publishing House, Delhi, 2011, pp.1-2.

2. Parsons, Talcott, Structure of Social Action, Amerind Publishing Co.Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, 1949, p.506.

3. “Indian bureaucrats have 'terrific powers', rated worst in Asia”, Business Today, Jan 11, 2012.

4. Gabrida Marinescu and Raluca Mihaela Marinescu, “Bureaucratic Dysfunctions in the University, Lucrari Stiintifice, Vol.52, www.uaiasi.ro, p.1.

5. www.ugc.ac.in/stateuniversitylist.aspx?id=15&unitype=2, pp.1-2.

6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_University,_India,p.1.

7. Grace Ferguson, “The Effects of Lack of Employees Training”, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/effects-lack-employee-training-42687.html, pp.1-2.

8. Parsons, Talcott, Structure of Social Action, op.cit. p.507.

9. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formal_organization.

10. Dinesh, K.N., Structure of Medium Scale Industries in Bhilai, Northern Book Centre, New Delhi, p.38.

Received on 26.07.2018 Modified on 16.08.2018

Res. J. Humanities and Social Sciences. 2018; 9(4): 984-988.

DOI: 10.5958/2321-5828.2018.00165.1