Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar on May 22 sentenced former coal secretary H C Gupta, K S Kropha (IAS:1982:AM) and K C Samaria (IAS:1993:AM) two-year imprisonment for their deeds they committed during the UPA regime. Did anyone from the UPA-2 stand up for them? None. And why should they? It was the responsibility of these officials to have done due diligence without fear or favor. But, apparently, they did not do what they ought to have done in the first place, blinded as they were by the map of their own interests. The sentencing of the three officials has once again rung the alarm bell for govt officials. There is a clear warning to them to be extra cautious in their decisions and disposal of files because it is they who will mostly bear the brunt like Gupta, Samaria, and Kropha if the things go wrong. They must remember all the time that India and the Indian people have rarely punished the political culprits from the time of the jeep scandal immediately after the Independence to the present day which is dominated by headline stories about the deeds of Lalu, Mulayam, Behenji, Siddaramiah, and Chidambaram. Let alone corruption, this country didn't have the wisdom to punish those who caused a national shame and humiliation in 1962 at the hands of the Chinese communists. Further, the 2G and coal scams seem to have unnerved IAS officers to a point that most of them appear to have lost their appetite for central deputation. Maybe, it is also due to a restrictive regime or a new strict work culture at the center. The reluctance of IAS officials to take up the job at the center has accidentally opened up huge opportunities for non-IAS officers in central administration. Many posts, that were earlier occupied by IAS officers, have now gone into the hands of non-IAS officers. Yet, even these officials are said to be as deterred as the IAS officers by the work culture of the current dispensation. It is reported that the decision-making has become a top-down process, instead of down-top process. This is said to deprive officials of carrying out due diligence to avoid the fate of Gupta, Kropha, and Samaria. However, this point doesn't seem to be tenable. It may be noted that in a parliamentary democracy, the decision-making authority rests with the political leadership. This does not mean that officials are not free to carry out due diligence. It is their job and responsibility to make the political leadership aware whether a decision is legitimate or not. If the political leadership wants to impose an illegitimate decision on the country, officials have a right to record their views on the files. And they must record their views and points to guard their honor and liberty against any adventurous move by a succeeding administration. (By Mukul Shukla & Rakesh Ranjan)  Dear Esteemed Readers, you may share your views/reactions on the news on email id: [email protected]  Web-links: Previous news Coal scam: Ex-Coal Secretary withdraws plea to face trial from jail (18 August 2016) https://www.indianmandarins.com/coal-scam-ex-coal-secretary-withdraws-plea-to-face-trial-from-jail/ Former coal ministry officials convicted (19 May 2017)