Civil Services Reforms

Civil Services Reforms
 

News: Asserting that the nearly 15 months long recruitment process wastes candidates’ prime years besides taking a heavy toll on their physical and mental health, a Parliamentary Committee has asked the UPSC to reduce the civil services examination’s selection cycle.
 

Key Recommendations:
 Reduce the civil services examination’s selection cycle
 Comprehend reasons for low turnout of candidates during exams
 Publish answer key after the preliminary stage of the exam
 Furnish details of exam fee collected
 Appoint an expert group to assess the impact of changes
 Collect feedback and effect improvements
 

Suggestions by other committees:
 Hota committee – It recommended the reduction in the age limit for general category candidates from 32 to 26 years and advocated for Introduction of a common preliminary examination for all central services.
 2nd ARC – Recommended lateral entry of specialists into civil services, Strengthening the training and capacity-building of civil servants.
 

What are other issues in Civil services in India?
 No attempts were made to link IAS with India’s philosophy of public administration, thereby prolonging the colonial attitude of civil servants.
 Article 311 of the Constitution of India acts as a safeguard for civil servants so that they are not dismissed arbitrarily from service. However, security cover provides them with a sense of permanency in power, and their behaviour often shows a total disregard for transparency and accountability.
 Lack of specialization makes it impractical for them to handle assignments that require specific expertise.
 There is no inbuilt mechanism for the re-inculcation of sense of purpose and motivation in the civil services. The absence of such a mechanism can lead to insensitivity and lack of concern.
 

What are recent initiatives taken to improve Civil services in India?
 Lateral Entry - Personnel from the private sector are selected for administrative posts in the government.
 E-Samiksha - Real-time online system for monitoring and follow-up action on government decisions.
 Mission Karmayogi – It is a national programme that emphasizes on capacity building of Civil servants concerning modern day issues.
 National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment - Assessment of the efficiency of e-Governance service delivery by States, UTs, and Central Ministries.