GS Paper 2
Syllabus: Governance
Source: TH
Context: 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
Major Recommendations of the Parliamentary Panel:
| Recommendations | Benefits |
| Reduce the civil services examination’s selection cycle | Reduced recruitment duration, the less physical and mental strain on candidates. |
| Examine reasons for the low turnout of candidates | Improved understanding of barriers to participation and ways to increase participation rates. |
| Furnish details of examination fees collected | Improved transparency in fee collection and expenditure. |
| Form an expert committee to assess the equal opportunity | Improved equity in the recruitment process. |
| Appoint an expert group to assess the impact of changes | More informed decision-making on changes to recruitment scheme and syllabus. |
| Publish the answer key after the preliminary stage of the exam | Improved transparency and fairness in the examination process. |
| Collect feedback and effect improvements | Improved candidate experience and fairness in the examination process. |
Suggestions by other Committee for recruitment
| Suggested Reforms | |
| Hota Committee | Reduction in the age limit for general category candidates
from 32 to 26 years; Introduction of a common preliminary examination for all central services |
| 2nd ARC Report | Introduction of lateral entry of specialists into civil
Services; Recruitment of specialists through domain-specific Examinations; Strengthening the training and capacity-building of civil servants |
Other issues with Civil Services in India
| Issue | Description |
| Conversion of ICS into IAS | No attempts were made to link IAS with India’s philosophy of public administration, thereby prolonging the colonial attitude of civil servants. |
| Excessive Element of Security | 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 Specialisation | It makes it impractical for them to handle assignments that require specific expertise. |
| Absence of Systematic Mechanism | 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. |
Reform initiatives taken in recent years:
| Initiatives | Description |
| Mission Karmayogi | National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCB) |
| Lateral Entry Reform | 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 |
| Citizen Charters | Mandated for all Ministries/Departments and regularly updated and reviewed |
| National Conference on e-Governance | The platform for engagement with experts and intellectuals to exchange experiences relating to e-Governance initiatives |
| CPGRAMS | Online system for lodging and tracking grievances |
| National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment | Assessment of the efficiency of e-Governance service delivery by States, UTs, and Central Ministries. |
Conclusion:
Civil services reform esp. in recruitment and training, is necessary to enhance administrative capability in response to new challenges faced by the state institution managing public affairs.
Insta Links
Civil Services Reforms: 2nd ARC
Mains Links
“Institutional quality is a crucial driver of economic performance”. In this context suggest reforms in the Civil Service for strengthening democracy. (UPSC 2020)
