In contemporary times, the District Collector should prioritize teamwork over hierarchical structures. Comment. (Answer in 150 words)

- In contemporary times, the District Collector should prioritize teamwork over hierarchical structures. Comment. (Answer in 150 words)
Introduction
The District Collector remains the district's single point of statutory authority, yet most problems now sit in departments the Collector does not head.

Body
The case for teamwork

- Multi-sector problems: Nutrition, school attendance, sanitation and disaster response each belong to a different department, so results come from convergence, not orders.
- Facilitation over command: Under the Aspirational Districts Programme the Collector's leverage is data, ranking and review across agencies that are not subordinate.
- Elected local bodies: Panchayats and municipalities are constitutional governments, not field units, and must be worked alongside.

What hierarchical structures still do

- Non-delegable duties: Magisterial powers, revenue courts, election duties and relief sanction carry personal responsibility needing an unambiguous line of command.
- Speed in crisis: In floods, epidemics or communal tension a single authoritative order is faster than consensus.
- Accountability: When everything is collective, no one answers for failure.

Conclusion
Teamwork should be the Collector's normal mode, with hierarchy held for statutory duty and emergency. The contemporary demand is for priority, not replacement.