VIP Culture & Babudom

Journalists familiar with government workings described such detailed protocols as commonplace among VIPs, including senior bureaucrats, ministers, and even IPS officers

The VIP culture in India remains a deeply entrenched phenomenon, permeating the country's bureaucracy, politics, and administrative systems. This hierarchical mindset, where power is projected through distance, privilege, and elaborate protocols rather than proximity and service, continues to create a stark divide between government officials and the general population. A recent incident involving a senior BSNL official has once again brought this issue into sharp focus, highlighting how such practices persist despite public rhetoric against them.

The controversy erupted when an internal protocol document for Vivek Bansal, Director on the BSNL Board, went viral on social media. Bansal was scheduled for a two-day visit to Prayagraj on February 25-26, 2026, primarily to take a holy dip (snan) at the Sangam. The leaked order detailed extensive arrangements involving nearly 50 staff members and multiple committees. It specified minutiae such as which vehicles would transport him, which boats would ferry him for the ritual bath, the number of towels required, bottles of water to be kept in cars, and even provisions for personal items like soaps, shampoos, combs, mirrors, slippers, dry fruits, chocolates, and—most notoriously—underwear and other grooming essentials in "snan kits" for male and female attendees. These preparations aimed to ensure "zero inconvenience" for the official during his personal-religious outing.

Journalists familiar with government workings described such detailed protocols as commonplace among VIPs, including senior bureaucrats, ministers, and even IPS officers. These are often drawn up in advance to anticipate every need, as any oversight—like a missing item—could lead to severe repercussions for subordinates. Politicians, they noted, often follow even more elaborate arrangements. The only "mistake" in this case was that the document was publicly issued and leaked, drawing widespread attention and criticism. Many similar protocols remain internal and unnoticed

This incident underscores India's colonial legacy in its administrative structure. During British rule, the bureaucracy was designed not to serve the people but to control them, fostering isolation through grand bungalows (like Lutyens' Delhi residences), beacon-fitted cars with sirens, exclusive clubs (such as Gymkhana and Constitution Club), and other symbols that maintained distance. Proximity, the argument goes, does not project power—distance does. This created bottlenecks where bureaucrats became de facto authority figures, or "mai-baap" (parent-like rulers) to the public.

Post-independence, while the structure evolved—civil services became the Indian Administrative Service with a mandate to serve—the underlying culture endured. India's deeply hierarchical, feudal society, influenced by caste and limited access to education among certain groups, transferred social hierarchies into administrative ones. The first generations of bureaucrats often came from elite backgrounds, reinforcing these divides. When the Narendra Modi-led government came to power in 2014, it positioned itself firmly against VIP culture, with symbolic gestures like renaming streets, removing colonial-era symbols (such as the bust of Edwin Lutyens from Rashtrapati Bhavan), and promoting accessibility. Yet, critics argue that little has fundamentally changed. The "mai-baap" mindset persists in everyday practices: bureaucrats rarely open their own car doors (drivers do it), cars are pre-cooled or heated before entry, and vehicles are driven right to building entrances in secure zones despite no apparent security threat. Hierarchies even extend within services, with IAS officers outranking IPS, and so on.

Policy experts questioned how a senior officer could dare request such favours in a failing enterprise like BSNL. They highlighted BSNL's vanishing market presence despite swallowing huge taxpayer funds, with no accountability or heads rolling for its inability to compete. They linked this to a broader cultural issue in public sector organizations, where such extravagance persists despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi's slogan of "minimum government, maximum governance."

Referencing the 1996 Citizens' Charter initiative, which aimed to make public services accountable and transparent, a senior lawyer lamented its dilution over time. He stressed that without enforced standards, transparency, and mechanisms for citizen grievances, these incidents continue unchecked. They reinforced the need for top-down reforms, suggesting professional oversight beyond ministries for public sector companies like BSNL. He called for external audits to prevent compromises in internal ones, where proximity to "Maharajas" leads to shared benefits. He also emphasized citizens' rights under the Consumer Protection Act, including transparency, accountability, and redressal.

The BSNL case prompted swift action: Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia condemned the arrangements as "absurd," "shocking," and "unacceptable," issuing a show-cause notice to Bansal with a seven-day response period. The visit was cancelled, and the government vowed appropriate measures. While this response signals some accountability, observers note that one incident—or even one show-cause notice—will not dismantle a systemic issue.

Ultimately, India's VIP culture thrives because it is cultural as much as administrative, rooted in colonial relics and feudal attitudes. It persists across regimes, affecting ordinary citizens through traffic disruptions, resource misuse, and a sense of alienation from their own government. Until the mindset shifts from power projection to genuine public service, such protocols—and the inequalities they represent—will continue to surface, one viral leak at a time.