The Civil Services and Administration
NCERT Class 11 - Indian Constitution at Work, Chapter 4
The Civil Services and Administration
Ministers are the political executive and change with elections. Civil servants are the permanent executive and stay. The political executive decides policy; the permanent executive implements it and advises on the consequences of each option.
Structure of the services
| Category | Examples | Recruited and controlled by |
|---|---|---|
| All India Services | IAS, IPS, Indian Forest Service | Recruited by the centre, serve both centre and states |
| Central Services | Indian Foreign Service, Indian Revenue Service, Indian Audit and Accounts Service | The Union government |
| State Services | State administrative, police and other state cadres | The state government through its public service commission |
- Article 312 allows Parliament to create a new All India Service only on a Rajya Sabha resolution supported by two-thirds of members present and voting.
- An All India Service officer is allotted to a state cadre but can be called to serve at the centre, which gives the system a unifying, federal character.
- Disciplinary control over All India Service officers rests finally with the centre, even while they serve a state - a frequent source of centre-state friction.
The Union Public Service Commission
- Established under Articles 315 to 323, the UPSC is a constitutional body, not a statutory one.
- The chairman and members are appointed by the President, and at least half of them must be persons who have held office under the government for at least ten years.
- They hold office for six years or until the age of 65, whichever is earlier.
- A member can be removed only by the President, on the report of the Supreme Court after an inquiry, on stated grounds - the same protection given to judges.
- Functions - conducting examinations for recruitment, advising on promotions and transfers, and on disciplinary matters. Its advice is advisory, not binding, but departures must be reported to Parliament.
- The State Public Service Commission performs the same role for state services, with members appointed by the Governor but removable only by the President.
Principles and criticism
- The civil service is expected to be politically neutral, anonymous, permanent and recruited on merit through open competition.
- Anonymity means the minister answers publicly for a departmental decision, while the official who advised on it stays out of the public debate.
- The service is accountable to the minister, and through him to the legislature and to the people.
- Criticisms include red tape, delay, resistance to change, and a weakening of neutrality through political interference in transfers and postings.
- Reform measures include the Right to Information Act, citizen's charters, grievance redress systems, e-governance and the creation of Lokpal and Lokayuktas.
हिंदी संकेत: राजनीतिक कार्यपालिका नीति तय करती है और स्थायी कार्यपालिका उसे लागू करती है। मंत्री बदलते हैं, अधिकारी बने रहते हैं - यही स्थायित्व का लाभ है।
Exam me kaise aata hai
Factual questions ask which article covers All India Services and which articles create the UPSC. Statement-based questions test whether UPSC advice is binding - it is not. Match-the-following links service category with its recruiting authority.
UPSC / State PSC ke liye
The core tension is between neutrality and responsiveness - a bureaucracy fully insulated from politics may be unresponsive, while one fully controlled by politicians loses its ability to give honest advice. The protection given to UPSC members, identical to that for judges, is the standard example of institutional insulation and is worth quoting.
Yahan confuse hote hain
✗ The UPSC is a statutory body | ✓ It is a constitutional body under Articles 315 to 323
✗ UPSC advice is binding on the government | ✓ It is advisory; departures must be reported to Parliament
✗ A State Public Service Commission member can be removed by the Governor | ✓ Appointment is by the Governor but removal is only by the President
Ek nazar me
- Political executive decides policy; the permanent executive implements it.
- Three categories - All India Services, Central Services and State Services.
- Article 312 allows a new All India Service only on a Rajya Sabha resolution.
- UPSC is a constitutional body under Articles 315 to 323, appointed by the President.
- UPSC members serve six years or until 65, and can be removed only as judges are.
- UPSC advice is advisory; departures from it must be reported to Parliament.
- Principles - neutrality, anonymity, permanence and merit-based recruitment.
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