Initially Civil Services in India were designed to achieve the goals of neutrality and effectiveness,…

Question

Initially Civil Services in India were designed to achieve the goals of neutrality and effectiveness, which seems to be lacking in the present context. Do you think drastic reforms are required in Civil Services? Comment.

Ghissu Editorial · Accepted Answer

Neutrality and effectiveness in India's civil services have weakened, so reform is required, but it should be deep and systemic rather than a drastic overhaul of the constitutional steel frame. The Supreme Court's T.S.R. Subramanian judgment (2013) on Civil Services Boards and fixed tenures shows the direction.

**Introduction**

Sardar Patel called the All India Services the "steel frame" of the Union, and the Constitution designed them for neutrality (Article 311 tenure security, an independent UPSC) and effectiveness (merit and a national cadre). Today both goals look strained.

**Neutrality and Effectiveness: Design versus Present Reality**

SKETCH: comparison | Civil Services: Design vs Today
a: Original design
b: Present reality
- Political neutrality :: Politicisation, transfers
- Secure tenure :: Short, uncertain tenures
- Generalist administrator :: Specialist demands
- Rule-bound process :: Outcome expectations

1. **Transfer as a weapon**: Officers such as Ashok Khemka, moved over 50 times, show postings reward compliance, which led the Supreme Court in T.S.R. Subramanian (2013) to order Civil Services Boards and fixed tenures.
2. **Effectiveness deficit**: The 2nd ARC (2008) found that seniority promotion and generalist rotation leave officers without domain depth.

**Is a Drastic Overhaul the Answer?**

1. **Case for deep change**: Digital governance and climate tasks need specialists, hence lateral entry from 2018 and performance agreements proposed by the 2nd ARC.
2. **Strength of the frame**: The same services delivered DBT, the CoWIN vaccination drive and free elections.
3. **Risks of radical surgery**: Diluting Article 311 or mass lateral entry could invite patronage, as the August 2024 withdrawal of the lateral-entry advertisement showed.
4. **Reform under way**: Mission Karmayogi (2020) moves training "from rule to role", with over 75 lakh iGOT users in 2024-25 (DoPT).

**Way Forward**

1. **Insulate and specialise**: A Civil Services Act with statutory boards, mid-career domain assignment and 360-degree appraisal.

**Conclusion**

Reform is clearly required, but it should be deep and systemic, not drastic: keep the constitutional core of the steel frame and rebuild tenure, skills and accountability for a citizen-centric civil service.

Initially Civil Services in India were designed to achieve the goals of neutrality and effectiveness, which seems to be lacking in the present context. Do you think drastic reforms are required in Civil Services? Comment.

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