Ageing: A challenge that confronts India’s civil services as much as society

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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. As the world ages, governments face the challenge of not only adapting their civil service to new structural changes to ensure the quality of public services but also ensuring businesses and societies adjust to this demographic trend. While public servants are rarely viewed as a workforce of their own, they make up among the largest workforces in the world.

For example, they exceed 20% of total employment in OECD countries. Not only is it important for governments to plan for ageing societies but it is also important for public servants to adjust to the rapidly changing nature of governance with a smaller workforce to draw on. AI might help overcome some productivity gaps that occur because of a shrinking workforce, but governments still need to rethink their administrative setups to grapple with this forthcoming challenge.

These could include rethinking civil sector pay and allowing for hiring and retention of workers from the private sector. As a large number of civil servants retire and societal needs evolve, the greatest challenge will be to maintain high-quality public services with a shrinking workforce. Adapting to these changes is difficult at the best of times, but with fewer staff and rising demand, it becomes especially critical.