Civil Services Reforms
entrants to the higher civil services should be between
Introduction
 The Macaulay Committee which gave India its first mod-
ern civil service in 1854 recommended that the patron-
age based system of the East India Company should be
replaced by a permanent civil service based on a merit
based system through competitive entry examinations.
After 1855, recruit-
ment to the ICS
came to be based
totally on merit.
Initially, the ICS
sought its recruits
from Oxford and
Cambridge. It was
thus an elite ser-
vice. Subsequently,
it opened its doors
to Indians and from
1922 onwards the
Indian Civil Service
Examination began to be held in India.
 Article 312 of the Constitution empowers Parliament to
create the All India Services (AIS) on the fulfilment of
certain conditions. The Indian Administrative and Police
Services are deemed to be services created by Parlia-
ment under this Article. Section 3 of the AIS Act, 1951
and the rules and regulations made by the government
prescribe the selection process for the IAS.
 To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of civil ser-
vices, reform is needed because it is impossible to run a
21st century economy with a 19th century bureaucracy
using 18th century rules.
Suggested Reforms
Recruitment
A number of Committees and Commissions were set up to
make recommendations on various aspects of recruitment.
These recommendations are included in the-
 A.D.Gorwala’s Report (Report on Public Administra-
tion, 1951) recommended that recruitment to all grades
of Government service should be conducted in a manner
which eliminates scope for patronage.
 Dr. A. Ramaswami Mudaliar Committee Report, 1956,
on Public Services (Qualifications for Recruitment) rec-
ommended that a University degree should be the mini-
mum qualification for recruitment into the higher ser-
vices.
 The D.S. Kothari Committee Report on Recruitment
Policy and Selection Methods, 1976, recommended a
two stage examination process – a preliminary examina-
tion followed by a main examination.
 The Fifth Central Pay Commission suggested that em-
ployment on contract basis should be encouraged and
Government employees should have the right to retain
their lien for two years in case they wish to migrate to
the private sector.
 The Civil Services Examination Review Committee, 2001
(chaired by Professor Yoginder K. Alagh) recommended
testing the candidates in a common subject rather than
on optional subjects.
 The Committee on Civil Service Reforms (Hota Com-
mittee Report, 2004) recommended that the age for
21-24 years with a five years’ age concession for mem-
bers of the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes and
three years’ for the Other Backward Classes.
 The first ARC emphasized the importance of proper per-
sonnel planning and cadre management.
 CSAT was introduced after the Khanna Committee re-
port recommended the same in 2010.
 Baswan Committee recommended reduction of upper
age limit, removal of optional paper.
Training
 The Report on Public Administration by A.D. Gorwala
(1951) highlighted training and an adequate organiza-
tion and methods set-up.
 The Report on Indian and State Administrative Services
and Problems of District Administration by V.T. Krish-
namachari (1962) emphasised that State Civil Service
officers should also undergo a structured training similar
to that for IAS officers.
 The Committee to Review In-Service Training of IAS
officers, (Yugandhar Committee, 2003), recommenda-
tions included the need for three mid-career training
programmes in the 12th, 20th and 28th years of service.
Domain Expertise
 The first ARC recommended need for specialization.
 The Hota Committee on Civil Services Reforms, 2004,
had recommended that domain assignment should be
introduced for civil servants to encourage acquisition of
skills, professional excellence and career planning.
WAY FORWARD
Broadly, the constraints can be tackled through interventions
in the following areas-
Recruitment
• Focus on expanding the numbers of officers.
• Reduce the number of civil services (CS): The existing 60
plus separate CS at the central and state level needs to be
reduced through rationalization & harmonization of services.
• Encourage lateral entry: Inducting specialists at higher
levels of government will provide much needed expertise. • Ensure probity in governance: Strengthen institutional
• Information Technology (IT): IT needs to be significantly mechanisms for prevention and detection of corruption:
upscaled for planning, forecasting staffing requirements and  Strengthen implementation of a Centralized Public
recruitments.
Training • Implementation of e-Office: Implementation of e-Office
• Introduce mid-career training modules for all services. may be expedited in all ministries/ departments; all states/
• Strengthen and leverage online avenues for training UTs may also be encouraged to adopt it.
• Mid-career exams/skill assessment might be undertaken to  India’s civil services need reform. The Indian Civil Ser-
evaluate and decide on future postings.
Evaluation
• Consider replacing annual confidential reports (ACRs)
with multi stake holder feedback (MSF): ACRs could be re-
placed with MSF. It is important for MSF to be online to re-
tain transparency and accountability.
• Institute goal setting and tracking:
There is an inherent need to set
key responsibility/focus areas and
progressively reduce discretionary
aspects to evaluate civil servants.
Institute the online Smart Perfor-
mance Appraisal Report Recording
Online Window (SPARROW) tem-
plate in all central and state cadres.
• Compulsory retirement for un-
derperforming officers
 Citizen-centric framework: An
inclusive policy framework with
citizens at the centre needs to be
developed.
E-initiatives and Probity
Lateral Entry In Civil Services
 In a 21st century economy, a quarter cen-
tury after liberalization, the need for spe-
cialized skills and knowledge to inform
policy-making and administration is more
important than ever.
Background -
 The first ARC had pointed out the need
for specialization as far back as in 1965.
The Surinder Nath Committee and the
Hota Committee followed suit in 2003 and
2004, respectively, as did the second
ARC. .
 In 2005, the Second ARC envisaged a
shift from a “career-based approach to a
post-based approach” for top-tier govern-
ment jobs.
 In the past, governments have occasion-
ally inducted talent from outside the bu-
reaucracy for administrative purposes.
 In the 1950s and 1960s, non-bureaucrats
such as Lovraj Kumar, P L Tandon and V
Krishnamurthy were appointed to senior
administrative positions.
 In 2002, former BSES CMD, R V Shahi,
was made power secretary. And the UPA
government appointed Nandan Nilekani
to head the UIDAI. But in general, govern-
ments have tried to meet the need for ex-
perts by appointing consultants.
Pros- Today, the complexities of policy-
making are such that senior civil servants are
required to have in-depth knowledge of the
areas they administer. Policy-making, imple-
mentation increasingly need specialists.
 Lateral entry of professionals in govern-
ment will end the red-tapism.
 It will allow candidates with appropriate
administrative experience to hold im-
portant positions.
Cons– The bypassing of the UPSC is an
attempt to facilitate the backdoor entry of
people committed to the present govern-
ment’s ideology (Political Inclination), or re-
cruit employees working for those industrial-
ists who are close to the ruling party.
 Lateral entrants might score on Domain
Knowledge but could fall short on field
experience.
Grievance Redressal and Monitoring System (CPGRAMs)
vices and the Indian Administrative Service in particular
shall have to rapidly adapt and change if they are to
remain the steel frame and not the steel cage of India.
C
onnect
GS PAPER– II
GS-paper–2 - Role
of civil services in a
Government
Democracypolicies and
interventions for development in vari-
ous sectors and issues arising out of
their design and implementation.