‘Stop playing safe, delegate more work to juniors’: Cabinet Secretary to senior bureaucrats

Cabinet Secretary TV Somanathan urged senior bureaucrats to delegate more work to junior officers to reduce centralization and build a culture of trust.

Somanathan warned that excessive centralization slows government functioning, overwhelms senior officers, and prevents juniors from developing decision-making skills.

He noted both seniors unwilling to delegate and juniors hesitant to exercise delegated authority as challenges.

The communication included a 'Guide on the Art of Delegating Work' with principles on delegation.