‘ © .mrunal.org..... CHAPTER iy ENTRODUCTION 41 A brief averview Jn the new millennium, India has to seckon with unprecedented changes in its economic, social and political environment both at national and. global level “Civl adniinistration? anh its delivery systems haxe to cope ‘with these complexities and ineet with the siting expectations ofits citizens, ftrospection of the system responsible for providing: its leaders and managers is indeed the need of the day. ‘The transformational spurt of changes in India’s social, politcal and economic miliew has ushered in higher expectations and demands from the Government. This, in turn, necessitates an urgent need to select and nixrtute deserving candidates in the civil services who could timely deliver results in the rapidly changing environment spurred by technological advances slong with the inevitable integration of Indian economy with global system. On the other hand, lucrative employment opportunities emerging outside the Government tend to wean away many of our promising young persons from Civil Seevices This indeed calls for urgent measures and reforms to attract and select personnel, who can plan, guide and exccute governmental policies with efficiency, sensitivity and commitment. The redeeming feature is that most of our young people still find the Civil Services quite attractive because of the unique challenges and career opportunities it offers to serve the nation, ‘The sentiment was well reflected in the 2"! ARC in its 10" Report,! thus.“ Rapid and Jundamental changes are taking place in the country in terns of rapid economic grovt urbanization, environmental degradation, technological change avd increased local awareness and identity. The response time to adapt to these changes is much shorter than it used to be As instruments of public service, civil servants have to be ready io manage such change. On 2 an "a Report Pain 43.4the okiser baita the inge sib they ware wedded to sei privileges cand prospects and thereby have become exds in tbeniselves. Yn the political field, the 73" and 748 Asnendwents to the Constitution bave brovght about a major change. Ral and sban Jacal governments have tbe enabled to become institutions of self govermment. To bring this about, the existing system of adnvinistratiog at the disiot level hav to undergo fltdamental changes." 7 a The increased global interdependence and enhanced penetration of techaology in management of governance and processes & methodologies have redefined the ways in which the administrative machinery need to address the new challenges in the fast changing scenario, In recent times, many counties have reviewed and tefurbished their recruitment processes. In India too a reform process was undertaken for the Civil Services Examination by & Committee led by Y.K.Alagh in 2001-2, However, these recommendations were never brought in to operations. The process was again initiated with the formation of S.K.Khanna committee whose recommendations were broadly accepted by the Government. Accordingly some significant changes were brought in the process of Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination from the year 2011. The formation of the present Committee can be seen as a continuation of the above mentioned reforms process with specific focus on the reforms in the Civil Services (Main) Examination, 1.2 — Civil Services Examination: A brief overview 1.2.1. The continuous improvement in the mode and structures of the public services has been an intrinsic feature of governance. Herman Finer, a leading expert on government and the constitution so emphasized that “..ntbout it indeed Government itself would be impossible”. This ethos was underlined by the founding fathers of the Constitution as manifest in Part XIV of the Constitution relating to the Services under the Union and the States,5 1 ‘Uhe Gonstitution’ enauses the Union “Pubi Cortumissigiy with the task of conducting competitive and merit based recruitment for All India +, and Central Civil Services ‘of the Linion.” ‘The Union Public Service 2 Commission, came into existence, with the commencement of Indian 3 ~*“Congtitution on 36 January, 1950.~ It succeeded previous’ Public Service > Gommission at the Centze; namely the Public Service Commission (constituted = in October, 1926 under the provision of the Government of India Act, 1919) > and the Federal Public Service Commission (constituted under the federal > scheme of the Government of India Act, 1935). oO” 1.23. The broad pattem of our Civil Service follows the British Model which 2 is based on the twin process of Open Competitive Selection and security and — stability of tenure. Major changes were brought in through the implementation “ oO of Macaulay's Report — which gave India its first modern civil service in 1854, 7 o It replaced the patronage based system of the East India Company to a merit — ~ based system through entry level competitive examinations, In the scheme of oO open competitive examination introduced in 1855, any of ‘Her Majesty's Cc subject’, and between 18 and 2% years of age could appear at the examination, While it did not insist on the candidate to possess University degree; it 3 stipulated that the standard of examination was to be of the first degece level, . The subjects prescribed for examination? were: Marks : English Composition 500 7 English Literature and History including Ks that of Laws and Constitution 1000 = "Pag No 6 Pe Soc Canin ina, Collen ite Somes US; Nowy, 7 4451 History of Cx 75t Language, Literatnge and History of Rome 750 Language, Literature and History of France 375 Language, Literature and| History of Germany Language, Literature and History of Italy Mathematics (Pure and mixed) 1000 Natural Science 500 (Chemistry, Electricity and Magnetism; Natural History, Geology and Mineralogy) Moral Sciences (Logie, Moral and Political Philosophy) 500 Sanskrit Language and Literature 375 Arabic Language and Literature 395 Total: 6875 1.24 ‘Yhe ICS Examination started in India at Ail and simultaneously at London in 1922 and the Delhi Centre was also included since 1928, 1.2.5 With the enactment of the Constitution of India on 26" of January, 1950, the Union Public Service Commission was established with the then Chairman and Members of the Federal Public Service Commission as Chairman and Members of the Union Public Service Commission by virtue of clause (1) of article 378 of the Constitution. ' The primary challenge after independence was to set up an efficient and impartial bureaucracy which could serve India’s huge multi-lingual and multi-racial population further divided into a range of religious minorities and socially and educationally backward classes and communities. If political considerations and favoritism dominated the recruitment to the public services under these conditions, the injury to thei - eee PATUNGLONG. ooo ccc. > nation would @ been incalculable, ‘the Government thea! a stupendions of building the nation through social. transformation by consent, ensiting Sconomic gtowth with social justice. The role of higher Civil Services in emergent India was seen to serve a democratic government formed by elected "epresentatives of the: people and assist in implementation of the nation building tasks. 126 The then Indian political leadership, while designing a successor civil service, chose to retain elements of the British structure of a unified administrative system. These include an open-entty system based on academic achievements, elaborate taining atrangements, permanency of tenure, important posts at Union, State and district levels reserved for the civil service, 4 regulaz graduated scale of pay with pension and other benefits and a system of promotions and transfers based predominantly on seniosity. 127 The first combined examination for the two all-India and the eight Central Services was thus held dusing December, 1947, A. special recruitment drive was also undertaken during 1948 to recruit the personnel for the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service and Central Services. However this recruitment drive did not involve any written examination. Indian Foreign Service was also set up after the independence. The nation also coped with a huge deficit of public servants due to the departure of British and Muslim officers. Indeed the country needed urgent measures and mechanisms to recruit a range of civil servants to petform the enormous tasks of nation building. 12.8 Between the years 1947 and 1950 a combined competitive examination was held once a year for recruitment to the IAS, IPS, IPS and non technical central services. In the examination held during 1947 the candidates were Fequired to take three compulsory subjects viz; General English, Essay and General Kaowledge each carrying 150 marks. Candidates for the IAS, IFS and the Central Services were required to take three optional subjects and thoseMO FUNALOKG coco cL. ) a competing for the LPS only 1wo optional » subjects. The standards of Indian Admini J the Thdian ative Service Foreign Service Examinations raised by including two additional subjects of an advanced standard each carryinge200,macks in addition to the three compulsoty and three optional subjects which had be n prescribed hitherto for these two services and the other Central services, The maximum marks for personality tests for these two services were also proportionally raised from 300 to 400. With the above chan; the examination for the Indian Administrative Service and the Indian Foreign Service had, for all practical purpose became a sepatate examination. 12.9 Number of optional subjects for the examination held during 1948 was 23. ‘The list of Optional Subjects kept on being revised from year to year. The syllabi for the optional subjects were of the honors degree level. ‘Total marks for the written test were 1050 for IAS and IFS and other Central Services and for the IPS, the total ‘marks was 850. Viva voce carried 300 marks for all the services. Two additional optional subjects, approximating of the masters degree standard, were prescribed from 1951 onwards for the IAS and IFS. Apart from that, from the same year, the maximum marks for the Viva Voce for these two services were raised to 400. ‘There were prescribed minimum qualifying marks in the viva voce Test for IPS and other Central Services (105 marks) and for IAS and IFS (140 marks). 1.2.10 In 1947, the age limit for recruitment to IAS, IFS , IPS and non- technical Central Services was fixed as between 21 to 26 years, which was reduced to 21 to 25 years in 1948. In the following year the age range was further reduced to 21 to 24 years, except for the Indian Railway Traffic Service. ‘There was no restriction on the number of attempts allowed to a candidate ‘The lower age limit for the IPS was reduced to 20 years in 1951 and the upperPeta mM ru nal.onrg. vue oY VUE pe the-Anditin Railway Tralé Service was reduced fears in 1955 The age limit for all the between 21 to 24 1.2.14 As per the recommendation of the Public Services (Qualification for Recruitment) Committee appointed by the Government of India in 1955, the number of ajtempts at the; combined eyaminatién was sestiicted to two for each categoty’ of service (which was divided into three categories viz IAS and IES, TPS and Police Service of the UTs and Central Services Class L and class TM). The Commitee also recommended a downward revision of upper age limit from 24 years to 23 years — which was not accepted by the government. 12.12 In 1947, the consolidated application and examination fee was kept as Rs.82/- for general category candidates and Rs20/- for Scheduled Caste category candidates. Besides that, a candidate was required to pay a medical examination fee of Rs. 16/- before being examined by a medical board. 12.13 In 1966 the commission simultaneously started conducting a special limited examination every year (on” the basis of « simplified scheme) for selection of released Emergency Commissioned Olificess and Shost Service Commissioned Officers for appointment to vacancies reserved for them in the All India and higher Central Services 12.14 The Commission was getting requests from the government to evolve Suitable solution to implement the mandate as reflected in the Parliamentary Resolution on Official languages, 1968. In 1969, candidates were permitted to write their answers in two of the three compulsory general Papers viz.; Essay and General Knowledge, in any of the languages mentioned in the Bighth Scheclule to the Constitution, besides English. ‘The Commission made it clear that it would not be possible for them in the foreseeable future te be able to make arrangements for setting and posting the question papers in the Indian iavEUUUGs u rundl.org. lary 28, besides Fnglish, without serious’ risk of complomising the accuracy and secrecy of the question papers. The Cotnmission expressed the view that even for th candidates who excecise the option of writing their answers in Indian languages, the question papers would necessarily continue to be set and ptinted in the English language only. Government was also informed that with regard to allowing the candidates to be interviewed in any of the Indian languages, for a proper and fair assessment of the candidates at the interview for personality test, it is the sine qua non of the constitution of the Board that each and every member of the Board should be able to follow the conversation which constitutes the interview and since suitable persons of the appropriate eminence/status knowing all the Indian languages ate not available, it will not be practicable to make even a beginning in this ditection in the foreseeable future. 1.2.15 In 1972, the upper age limit for the examination was taised to 26 years following the recommendation of the Administrative Reforms Commission. Since 1973, candidates were permitted to make three attempts for each of the three categories of services within the permissible age limits. 1.2.16 The Kothari Committee was set up by the Commission in 1974, It submitted its final report in 1976 and it was implemented, with certain modifications, in 1979. Based on its recommendations, a combined two stage examination replaced the earlier three separate examinations for recruitment to the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Foreign Service, Indian Police Service, Police Service Group B and Central Services Group A and Group B, The candidates were allowed the option of writing their answers in General Studies papers and other non language optional papers in any of the Indian languages specified in the Highth Schedule to the Constitution. Besides that, all the candidates, except those hailing from North Eastern States/Union‘ OP ee louwe mM runal.org. t fae u é GG Manipar, Ney Ferriturieg of Arar fizorim and Nagaland had to appear in.a compulsory paper in Indian hnuguage 1.2.17 The new format of Civil Scevices Examinati ititiated from the year 1979 attracted significantly more candidates, and the numbers have been » significantly growing ever since. Following table will show the trend of increasing number of candidates since 1980:- No. of candidates — applied 1980 327 | 1985 1,52,598 1990 3,09,300 1995 2,83,189 2000 225,555, 2006 3,83,983 2007 3,33,680 2008 325,433 2009 409,110 2010 5,47,698 2011 4,99,120 2012 5,50,080 20>I oa Mrunal.o 1.2.18 From the Civil Services Lx: a ination, 1981 candidates who had opted for any one of Tadian languages as medium of writing the examination, ‘were allowed to opt for the same language as medium of interview also. 13 Various Reforms undertaken so far by the Government and the Commission since independence with special emphasis on the various reports of the Reforms Committees. 1.3.1 ‘The Commission has introduced vatious reforms in the examination ptocess as per suggestions/recommendations given by various Committees and acceptance conveyed thereon by the Government, 13.2. A few salient points of the suggestions that were considered and reform processes undertaken for Civil Services Examination ate summarized below: @ Ds. A. Ramaswami committee Report, 1956 formed on Public Services (qualifications and recruitment) recommended that a University degree shall be the minimum qualification for recruitment into the higher services, The committee also proposed that age limit for the highest executive and administrative services should be kept between 21-23 years. Gi) The first ARC set up in January, 1966 recommended the following:- 2) A single competitive examination for the class I services with an upper age limit of 26 years. b) It recognized the need for specialization as the functions of government had become diversified. A method of selection of senior management posts in functional areas and outside functional ateas was laid down,CLLCCULLUUHEE ooo MrunNalorg ) wi) Gg Reeruitments to the 7AS/| nd“otlier’ non-techitival ‘services should be made ‘throush a s gle competitive examination A Committee was formed by the Commission headed by Dr. DS. Kothari, Ex-Chaisman, of UGC in 1974. Kothari Committee submitted its report in 1976 Containing 55 tecommendations/conclusioas which were considered by the Commission as well as by the Government Based on Kothari Commission’s recommendation a new scheme of the Civil Services Examination by replacing the erstwhile scheme of IAS ete, Examination was introduced i the year 1979. ‘The new scheme of Civil Services Examination was made two tier containing Civil Services (Prel) Examination (which is basically a screening examination) followed by Civil Services (Main) Examination which includes a written test and interview. A few yeats after the introduction of the new scheme of Civil Se:vices Examination, the Estimate Committee (1983-84) of the 7th Lok Sabha Suggested review and evaluation of the new system of Civil Services Examination. ‘The Commission accordingly formed an Expert Committee under the Chairmanship of Prof. Satish Chandra, Ex-Chairman, UGC during 1988. The Expert Committee submitted its report to the Commission in August 1989 and made 47 conclusions/tecommendations out of which many were in the ature of observations and endorsement of the existing Procedure or were related to matters which did not strictly fall within che purview of the Commission. ‘The major changes brought through Satish Chandra Committee recommendations in the scheme of Civil Servicesrea neunaloerg....... 4 Lixanination “were of in additional increasing the marks t from 250 to 300 marke (vil) Jn the year 2000, the Commission appointed another Committee under the Chairmanship of Prof. V.K. Alagh to. review the Civil Services Examination scheme and recommend such changes innovation as may be required for identifying the best and most suitable persons for appointment to Civil Services (viii) The Alagh Committee through its recommendations given in October, 2001 recommended an entirely new scheme for the Civil Services Examination. It proposed to replace the existing General Studies paper by a Civil Services aptitude test and to retain the optional paper (Objective Type). It also proposed detailed changes in the Civil Services (Main) Examination by introduction of three common papers on Sustainable Development and Social Justice, Science and Technology in society, and Democratic Governance, Public System and Human Rights. The Commission forwarded Alagh Commitiee’s recommendations to the Govermeist in June 2002, However, no final decision was taken on its recommendations. (x) The Second Administrative Reforms Commission set up by the Government submitted its report in November, 2008. It observed that the rapid and fundamental changes taking; place in political, economic and technological fields necessitated major changes in the Civil Services. The Commission considered the recommendations of the Administrative Reforms Commission about the basic changes in the scheme of Civil Services Examination and one of the alternatives suggested by ARC was found to be appropriate by the Commission. ‘The alternative suggested by ARC was to have an objective type test having one of two common papers on General Studies including the Constitution of India, Indian 233voce cwes AMOUNAIOLG. cccccues (xi) Legal System, |tytinn Be Hiftory and*Culture. Mor the Mai Examination, the ARC suggesied two papers only in the compulsory subjects which may include Constitution of India, Indian Legal System, Indian Economy, Polity, History Culture etc. Besides that ARC alsv suggested that a separate Essay paper should be a part of the Civil Services (Main) Examination, The Commission sct up a Committee in 2009, to review the scheme of the Civil Services (Preliminary) E S.K. Khanna, Chairman of AICTE & Ex-Vice Chairman, UGC. It submitted its report in 2010, inter alia recommending replacement of the amination under the Chairmanship of Prof. Paper II (optional subject) of the Civil Services (Preliminary) examination with a common paper. These recommendations were accepted and implemented with the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2011 The scheme of Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination with effect from the year 2011 now has two common papers of equal weightage. ‘The Commission, formed another Expert Committee (headed by Prof B.B, Bhattacharyya, Ex. Vice Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehma University, Delhi) to look into the issue of language medium of Intecview in the Civil Services Examination, Based on the recommendations of that Committee, a change was introduced in Civil Services Examination, 2011 by incorporating a provision that a candidate can opt to give his/her Interview in Civil Services Examination in any of the languages of his/her choice (which should be a language included in the VIIIth. Schedule of the Constitution of India) irrespective of the medium opted by him/her in the written examination, Previously, a candidate who had opted for English as the medium of written examination, had no option, but to give his/her interview in English only. 24unal. ee Dares eg ee MN. Sil) ‘Vhe Conuission Gucther decided 0, incer a for ig; initiate a review proce, the scheme of Civil Services (Main) Bxamination, and it is primarily for that purpose (besides other issues as given in the terms of reference), the ptesent Committee has been formed.