18th Civil Services Day

Syllabus:  GS2/ Governance

Context

• At the 18th Civil Services Day celebrations the Vice President invoked the idea that “With great power comes great responsibility,” urging civil servants to uphold ethical governance, integrity, and public service values in achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.

Civil Service Day

• Civil Services Day is observed on 21st April every year to commemorate the day in 1947 when Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel addressed the first batch of civil servants at the Metcalfe House, New Delhi. 
• He termed civil servants as the “Steel frame of India,” emphasizing their role in maintaining unity and integrity.

Constitutional Provisions of Civil Services

• Article 309 empowers Parliament and State Legislatures to regulate recruitment and conditions of service.
• Article 310 of the Constitution states that civil servants of the Union and the States hold office during the pleasure of the President or the Governor, respectively.
• Article 311 provides safeguards for civil servants against arbitrary dismissal.
• Article 312 outlines the process for creating All India Services, such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the Indian Police Service (IPS), and the Indian Forest Service (IFoS).
• Articles 315 to 323 of the Indian Constitution establish Public Service Commissions (PSCs) for both the Union (UPSC) and each state (SPSC). 

Ethical Dimensions of Power and Responsibility in Civil Services

• Nature of Power in Civil Services: Civil servants exercise significant authority, administrative discretion, and control over public resources, which directly impacts citizens’ lives.
  • This position creates an obligation to ensure that power is used strictly for public welfare and national interest.
• Impartiality in Decision-Making: Civil servants must distinguish clearly between legitimate policy direction and undue external pressure.
  • Administrative actions must reflect fairness, objectivity, and neutrality, ensuring equal treatment of all citizens.
• Ethical Foundations in Indian Thought: The teachings of Thiruvalluvar emphasize that “Aram” (righteousness) is the highest virtue in public life. It leads to both moral legitimacy of the state and sustainable socio-economic development.

Challenges Faced by Civil Servents

• Political Bias: At times lack of neutrality of Civil servants result in political bias in discharge of critical functions.
  • The cause and effect of this phenomenon is the increasing political interference in all aspects of bureaucracy including postings and transfers.
• Lack of Expertise: Career bureaucrats who are generalists, may lack the expertise needed to address technical challenges. 
• Red-tapism: Excessive procedural formalities often delay decision-making and hinder timely service delivery.
• Mental health issues: High-pressure environments, and long working hours impact the mental well-being of civil servants.
• Resistance to innovation: A rigid administrative culture discourages experimentation and adoption of new practices.
• Outdated rules and procedures: Many service regulations are colonial-era legacies that are not compatible with modern governance needs.

Governance reforms to enhance efficiency of bureaucracy

• Mission Karmayogi National Program: It is a flagship programme of Government of India launched in 2020 for training of civil servants, which intends to transform the Civil Services from ‘Rule Based’ to ‘Role Based’ way of functioning and Citizen Centric. 
• Lateral Entry into Civil Services to bring domain expertise and promote competitiveness in administration.
• e-Governance Initiatives: Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) for grievance redressal, SPARROW for performance appraisal, and digitization of service records.

Concluding remarks

• The credibility of civil services depends on the consistent alignment of power with ethical responsibility, impartiality, and commitment to public welfare.
• A value-driven administrative framework will ensure effective governance, citizen trust, and equitable development outcomes.

Source: AIR