Political aims too matter, RBI governor to economic advisors

Mumbai: D Subbarao has urged economic advisors to consider the government's political objectives while suggesting measures, turning around the old-school theory of giving unbiased apolitical advice.

"The dictum for government economists has been that of objective analysis... unbiased advice," he said. "'Don't worry about political feasibility', when I was being trained as civil servant, this is what we were told.

Now at the end of my career, I am having doubts about this," he said. "Should civil servants behave in such a straightjacketed manner that I will give dispassionate advice to my political masters and leave it to you to do whatever you want to do? I read a book which said permanent executive is not doing its job if it is not giving politically feasible advice."