Rajasthan’s Principal Secretary (Energy), senior IAS officer Ajitabh Sharma (1996 batch), has publicly criticized the excessive administrative burden that relegates meaningful governance to the sidelines. In a viral LinkedIn post on June 27, Sharma revealed that over 80% of an IAS officer’s time is consumed by “non‑core” tasks—routine meetings, RTI responses, correspondence, staff grievances, case files, media clips, and report summaries—leaving little room for impactful work.

He warned that being flooded with these duties risks officials becoming mere “expert administrators,” while their departments suffer in service delivery. Sharma stated that addressing department-specific missions—like policy execution, infrastructure development, and welfare schemes—demands focused time and effort.

Sharma has pledged to reverse this trend in the Energy Department by dedicating 80% of his time to core, high-impact responsibilities. His candid critique has sparked widespread discussion about bureaucracy reform and efficiency among officials and policy professionals.