The best man/woman for the job: that?s the unfaultable rationale behind search committees being set up for big government appointments. Chairpersons of Sebi and Irda, RBI governor, chiefs of major PSUs?candidates for all these posts are to be headhunted objectively. But is it really that wonderful? The media and interested observers widely debated the shortlisted candidates for the posts of Sebi chairperson and Nacil CMD, certainly. That?s all to the good. The search committees must have benefited from the chatter. But, and this is the departure point for some worry, the final selections for both posts were candidates who did not figure in the search committee shortlists. Of course, this is not to say CB Bhave as Sebi chief and Raghu Menon as Nacil CMD will not prove to be excellent choices. Both have very fine credentials. The point goes beyond these individuals?a departure from the script so early in the life of a new method to fill big government jobs inevitably questions the method. It is no secret that these jobs, because they carry enormous responsibilities and in which incumbents make decisions that can have huge commercial implications, are in the focus of many lobbying groups. A search committee that operates openly is a bulwark against behind-the-door lobbying. Making the committee?s labour look irrelevant can lead to two potential problems. First, it harms the search committee?s inherent credibility. Second, potential applicants for the next lot of high-profile jobs may get disincentivised by the light treatment of shortlists.
So, what?s the solution? There will always be an argument, and a valid one, that if a brilliant candidate didn?t bother applying but could be persuaded to take the job, procedure shouldn?t work against it. But the sanctity of open search is also a powerful argument. Let?s look at America for an idea. All big US government appointees have to be confirmed by the US legislature. The hearings are public. Why not a variant of this in India? The argument that legislative confirmation will lead to partisan political wrangling is weak. Partisan politics is the very stuff of democracy and, therefore, democratic scrutiny. If the Opposition can raise hell over or block a government appointee, governments will be more careful. Here?s the formula?search, with the option of non-shortlisted appointments, plus pre-selection scrutiny.