Sycophancy is a common trait among many bureaucrats, who often go to great lengths to please their political superiors in the hopes of securing coveted posts, influential positions, or even political opportunities after retirement.
During the tenure of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government in Telangana, several IAS officers were known to go out of their way to appease the party chief and then Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), hoping to win his favor and land powerful roles.
Senior IAS officers such as Somesh Kumar, Arvind Kumar, and Rajat Bhargava were frequently accused of displaying extreme loyalty to KCR, often beyond what was expected. These officers were also subject to several allegations of corruption.
Similar reports surfaced in Andhra Pradesh, where bureaucrats including K S Jawahar Reddy, Y Srilakshmi, P V Sunil Kumar, and N Sanjay were said to have yielded to the influence of YSR Congress Party president and then Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.
One of the most widely discussed instances of bureaucratic sycophancy occurred in Telangana when then Siddipet District Collector P Venkatarami Reddy touched the feet of KCR during the inauguration of the newly built district collectorate in Duddeda on July 21, 2021.
KCR not only allowed the gesture but also blessed Reddy by showering akshinthalu (sacred turmeric-laced rice) on his head.
Despite strong criticism from IAS associations, opposition parties, and civil society groups, Reddy defended his actions.
Shortly after, Reddy joined the BRS and was nominated and elected as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) by the party.
However, the current Congress-led government under Chief Minister Revanth Reddy appears to be discouraging such displays of sycophancy.
On Monday, during a public meeting in Macharam village of Amrabad mandal in Nagarkurnool district, A Sharath, the Principal Secretary of the Tribal Welfare Department, attempted to touch the Chief Minister’s feet.
Revanth Reddy swiftly stopped the IAS officer from doing so and reportedly reprimanded him on the spot. A video of the incident went viral on social media, causing embarrassment to the state government.
Within hours, Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao issued a memo cautioning IAS officers against engaging in public acts or gestures that could damage their reputation or erode public trust in their ability to serve impartially.
"Rule 3 of the Telangana Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964, stipulates that every government employee shall be devoted to duty and shall maintain absolute integrity, discipline, impartiality, and a sense of propriety. No government employee shall behave in a manner that is unbecoming of such an employee or derogatory to the prestige of the government," the memo stated.
