The bureaucracy in India has been a study in contradictions. On the one hand, it represents thedream job for an entire population of Indians who take the UPSC examination to join the ‘steelframe’, keeping the country running. On the other hand, it is rife with tales of corruption and redtape, such that citizens dread any interaction with government officials of any order.Curated by veteran bureaucrat, former Comptroller and Auditor General Vinod Rai,Transforming the Steel Frame: Promise and Paradox of Civil Service Reform examines the roles andresponsibilities of the bureaucracy in modern times. It sets forth a vision of the future through ananalysis and review of past attempts at reform, in the process revisiting the strengths of the systemsas well as the flaws that prevent its optimal functioning. It includes the perspective of former civilservants who have been a part of this system for their entireives and reflect on its problems whilemaking recommendations for the future; officials who have participated in setting evaluation standardsfor the civil services and who have headed training academies and businesspersons who have workedboth in the private and public domains and collaborated extensively with the bureaucracy.In the breadth and thoroughness of its coverage, Transforming the Steel Frame provides an excellentoverview of the civil services as they are and, more importantly, as they should be. The study thatforms part of this book has been initiated by the Institute of South Asian Studies, National Universityof Singapore.