Babus: The Public Servants Who Feast on the Public
Once upon a time, babus (bureaucrats) in India were meant to be public servants. The idea was simple: take a competitive exam, get selected, and dedicate your life to making the country better. Noble, right? Well, fast forward to reality, and it turns out these ‘public servants’ are actually public eaters—feasting on power, privilege, and the blood, sweat, and patience of common citizens.
Entitlement on Full Display: When Babus Become Emperors
Let’s talk about the latest IAS horror show. Varnali Deka, a senior IAS officer from Assam, allegedly slapped her 50-year-old peon because—brace yourself—he didn’t bring her lunchbox in a carry bag. Yes, this is what India’s highest-ranked bureaucrats are worried about in 2024. Not poverty, not development, but the tragic inconvenience of a missing carry bag. If this doesn’t scream entitlement, what does?
And it gets worse. This same officer once dragged a man to court because he reacted with a “Haha” emoji on her Facebook comment. That’s right. A public official, who should be worrying about governance, wasted taxpayer-funded time on filing a case over an emoji.
Babus and Fragile Egos: A Deadly Combination
What does this tell us? That babus don’t just want power; they want absolute control over how you breathe, think, and even laugh. A slight joke at their expense, and boom—your life is in legal jeopardy. One moment you’re a common citizen enjoying your right to free speech, and the next, you’re being dragged to court for offending a thin-skinned government officer.
IAS officers are supposed to be pillars of governance, but many of them behave like insecure influencers with fragile egos. When real leaders face criticism, they take it in stride. But babus? They reach for the nearest defamation lawsuit like a toddler reaching for candy.
But, wait, let me correct, insecure influencers??? No, they are real influencers, glorifying how they used to study infinite hours, sacrificed every inch of their time, exhausted multiple number of years in failed attempts and tried very hard that everyone beleive that they are the real hard workers; till someone intellectual like Economist Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, drops the truth bomb that UPSC is a ‘waste of time and youthful energy’.
When Power Marries Corrupts, They Give Birth To The Great Indian IAS Scam
The Indian Administrative Service is often seen as the “elite” of India’s governance system. Crack one exam, and suddenly you’re entitled to red beacons, sycophants, and immunity from criticism. Babus don’t have to work to prove themselves anymore—once they enter the system, they’re set for life, leeching off taxpayer money while treating citizens as mere inconveniences.
If you think I’m exaggerating, let’s look at some facts:
- IAS officers enjoy housing, security, travel perks, and pension benefits—all at the taxpayer’s expense. And then misuse the power as IAS Puja Khedkar did.
- Promotion is automatic. Whether they work or not, they keep climbing the bureaucratic ladder.
- They face little to no accountability. A slap here, a corruption scandal there, and they still keep their jobs, as seen in the case of IAS Pooja Singhal, who gets reinstated to office by Jharkhand government after duping millions of MNREGA funds!
Take Assam’s case again—Varnali Deka, despite being accused of harassment, got promoted to Super Time Scale in January 2025. Because why not? In the world of babus, accountability is for lesser mortals, not government “servants.”
Mocking Babus: A National Duty?
The problem isn’t just that babus misuse power. The bigger issue is that we don’t call them out enough. People hesitate to mock government officers, fearing legal repercussions, but here’s a reality check: mocking babus is our national duty. Because let’s face it—when a bureaucrat files a case over a laughing emoji, they deserve every bit of ridicule coming their way.
The more we expose their entitlement, the harder it becomes for them to get away with it. Recall the case of Rinku Dugga and Sanjeev Khirwar (IAS officers) who were transferred out of Delhi after forcing athletes to leave Thyagraj Stadium so they could walk their dog. Dugga was later compulsorily retired from service. Hence, this is the power of a common citizen, if they don’t call out and mock these arrogant public servants, then the democracy and bureaucracy will go for a toss.
Are Babus Even Relevant Anymore?
In the era of technology and decentralization, do we even need babus running our lives? Governments worldwide are moving towards automation, digital governance, and AI-driven administration, but in India, we’re still stuck with the human equivalent of old, dusty typewriters—slow, rigid, and completely out of touch with reality.
What do these so-called administrators even do?
- Block projects with red tape.
- Enjoy VIP treatment while citizens suffer in bureaucratic hell.
- Ensure their own job security while common people struggle with unemployment.
The Way Forward: Time to Dethrone the Entitled Babus
Enough is enough. It’s time to rethink the role of babus in India. Instead of lifelong entitlements, let’s introduce:
- Performance-based contracts—Work well? Get promoted. Fail? Get fired. Such a beautiful step has been taken by the NDA government in 2019 hwne they decided to premature the non-performing railways employees. Hence, the government employees, who take job security and public for granted should also face the brunt of layoffs.
- Accountability measures—A complaints and review system that actually works, so that people like Pooja Khedkar could not repeat the frauds.
- Public audits—Real transparency on what these bureaucrats are doing with taxpayer money.
- Public satire as a tool—The more we ridicule these self-obsessed officers, the harder it becomes for them to get away with nonsense.
Final Thoughts: A Message to Babus Everywhere
Dear babus, you were meant to serve the people. Instead, you’ve turned into thin-skinned, entitled aristocrats who see the public as an inconvenience. The country doesn’t exist to bring you lunch in a carry bag. You don’t get to slap people because your privilege isn’t met with obedience. And most importantly—you don’t get to police laughter.
The Indian public is watching, and the time of blind reverence is over. We see you for what you are—public eaters, not public servants.
