Page 16 - ie2 August 2019

EXPERTEYE
Challenges of a bank manager

How the working environment of banks has changed in step with globalisation and liberalisation

and their apparent richness due to ‘our’ sidered as instruments through which
T R SHASTRI
money. The other jobs that were availa- development plans of the government
Prof T R Shastri is a Bengaluru-based ble to the youngsters like that of teaching, need to be implemented. Their presence
retired Banker government service or others in private everywhere (in India, there are 1.2 lakh
sector were less attractive in terms of pay- bank branches – highest in the world –
ORKING in a bank was con- out, privilege and perquisites. The oppor- compared to 1.55 lakh post offices), PSBs’
sidered a well-paying secured tunities for joining banks increased with vulnerability to owners’ demands, and
Wjob, offering growing oppor- nationalisation and expansion of branch populist belief that loans lead to prosper-
tunities to young graduates; an island network. However, this crescendo de- ity made them the soft target for pushing
of prosperity in the midst of ocean of clined with alternative jobs coming up in traditional banking products and imple-
poverty. Bankers were even looked down better paying IT and non-banking finan- menting non-conventional ideas such as
with contempt and jealousy by onlook- cial sector in subsequent decades. selling application forms, collecting taxes,
ers for the differentiated environment, After nationalisation, though the opening accounts of reluctant customers,
occasional air-conditioning, the neck- banks continued as commercial banks, disbursing target based loans and pure
ties some of the occupants were wearing the public sector banks (PSBs) were con- aadhaar enrolments and updates.

16 l INDIAN ENGINEERING EXPORTS l AUGUST 2019