India, July 27 -- From the need to delegate work to issuing guidelines on how to conduct effective meetings, cabinet secretary TV Somanathan has been writing a series of letters aimed at helping the Indian bureaucracy become "better administrators and managers".

HT has accessed two such letters. The first, sent on June 12, says the "Cabinet Secretariat will, in consultation with the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG), be issuing simple guidelines... from time to time, regarding various practical steps".

The second, dated July 21, lays out the importance of delegating work while empowering and trusting subordinates. Last year, Somanathan wrote to bureaucrats urging greater engagement with the private sector, stressing that such c...