Inside The Secretariat: Bureaucracy Gets Its Performance Scorecard

IIFA’s Creative Gujarat Move

Gujarat is no longer just a backdrop for films; cinema is increasingly finding its way into the state’s policy and infrastructure playbook. GIFT City has already hosted the Filmfare Awards twice, while the National Film Awards were recently held at the Statue of Unity. Now, IIFA co-founder Andre Timmins’ meeting with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and the announcement of IIFA Rangilo 2027 add another layer to Gujarat’s growing entertainment footprint. Filmfare at GIFT City, National Film Awards at the Statue of Unity and IIFA —together, these developments point to the contours of a potential creative corridor in Gujarat. There is already discussion within the Secretariat that if the state wants to become a regular destination for major film awards and entertainment events, it may also need to seriously examine a Creative Economy Policy. Gujarat has spent years scripting its story around industry, finance and infrastructure. Now, the creative economy could be the next script on the government’s desk.

Bureaucracy Gets GPU Boost

The Gujarat government is now preparing to take AI beyond policies and presentations and put it to work with real GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) power. Under the State-wide GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS) Framework, government departments, boards, corporations and government institutions will get access to centralized high-performance GPU computing. This means individual departments will no longer need to build expensive AI infrastructure on their own. GIL will drive the GPU engine. Approved AI use cases will get priority, while eligible government departments and institutions will have access to the infrastructure with 100% subsidy. For the bureaucracy, this is not merely a technology upgrade—it signals a potential shift in the way government work gets done. Selected AI startups will also receive 100% subsidized GPU access for production rollout of AI use cases, while other startups can access the resources subject to availability and applicable charges. GIL has been given end-to-end responsibility, covering provisioning, monitoring, governance and financial management, with a provision for a 7% consultancy fee on the actual cost of cloud GPU services.

‘Dustbin Diplomacy’ In Offices!

Government offices are now preparing to give a ‘clean chit’ to old files, scrap and unused material that have been lying around for years. The cleanliness drive, running until October 17, will focus on clearing pending files, classifying records, disposing of e-waste and cleaning office premises. And this time, cleanliness comes with a 100-mark test—20 marks for disposal of pending files, 30 for record classification, and 50 for scrap, e-waste disposal and overall cleanliness. So, government offices are now witnessing a ‘clear the files, not save the files’ drive! Offices will be placed in three categories—Best, Emerging and Aspiring. They will have to report how much space was freed after removing old material, how much revenue was generated from scrap disposal and how much e-waste was cleared. Reports are due by October 31, results by November 30 and certificates will be presented on December 25! The target for government offices is now simple—fewer files on the table, less scrap in the storeroom and more usable space in the office!

Bhadoo Returns, Chair Awaits!

Gujarat-cadre 1999-batch IAS officer Ajay Bhadoo is now closing his Delhi deputation chapter and returning to Gujarat. After a long leave, he is set to join the state government by the end of this month. Having served as CEO of GeM and held additional charge of DGFT in the Commerce Ministry, the question for Bhadoo is no longer about a Delhi posting, but which ‘important chair’ awaits him in Gujarat! Having won the Best Collector Award twice and with experience ranging from the Chief Minister’s Office to the Election Commission, his return has naturally sparked considerable buzz in the state bureaucracy. Interestingly, the Centre was keen to extend his deputation by another six months, but He had his eyes set on returning to Gujarat. So, while the Delhi file has been put ‘on hold’, the Gujarat posting file is now moving! The government is now looking for a position for him where his experience can be put to work — and where the chair is, of course, ‘important’ enough...!

Governance Gets A Scorecard

In Gujarat’s bureaucracy, good performance will now be rewarded, not just appreciated. The state government has launched the ‘Atal Good Governance Award’ scheme, under which the performance of officials from key public-facing departments—Health, Education, Roads & Buildings, Food & Civil Supplies, Sports, Panchayat and Revenue—will be evaluated. So, the new mantra is simple: do the work and get the credit! Class-1 officers will receive a ₹31,000 cash award, while Class-2 officers will get ₹21,000, along with a Certificate of Excellence. And the interesting part? There will now be an official answer to “Who performed how well?” Departmental and district-level committees will evaluate officers against defined performance criteria, with the top performers assigned 1st to 3rd ranks. The evaluation must be completed by November 30, followed by the awards on December 25, Good Governance Day. So, the new bureaucratic scorecard is clear—it’s not just about how many files you moved, but how many governance marks you score!

Khaki’s ‘Mentor Connect’!

At Police Bhavan in Gandhinagar, this time it was not files, but memories and experience that spoke! Gujarat Police honoured more than 30 retired DGP- and ADGP-rank officers, saluting its ‘Legacy’. What stood out was State Police Chief GS Malik recalling the guidance he received from his Mentors during the early years of his service. The gathering of former officers and the present police leadership appeared like an experience handover between the ‘Old Guard’ and the ‘New Guard’ of the force. Those who shaped the direction of policing years ago are now passing on the same lessons to the next generation of leadership. Usually, retirement is seen as the closing of an officer’s chapter in government service, but this gathering carried a clear message — a post may end, but an institution’s experience never goes ‘Out of Service’! The felicitation of more than 30 retired officers and their families was not merely a ceremonial event, but also an effort to keep the institutional memory of the police force alive.

Extension, At Youth’s Cost

The word ‘extension’ may be small, but its impact on government jobs can be significant. At a Rozgar Mela in Surat, Union Minister C.R. Patil opposed the practice of granting extensions to officials beyond the retirement age, arguing that when an officer gets a one-year extension, a young aspirant may have to wait another year for that opportunity. The debate, therefore, is no longer just about preserving years of experience; it is also about the rights and opportunities of the younger generation. In bureaucracy, the argument that “the officer’s experience is still needed” often keeps a chair occupied for a little longer. But Patil’s point is that behind that warm chair, there could be a young person waiting with a cold appointment letter. Experience certainly matters, but if the door to government service is kept closed for longer in the name of experience, the new generation may have to wait even longer for its turn. Patil also linked the negative public perception of government officials to slow decision-making and delays in administrative work.