CA : April 2019 - Jan 2020

2019-04-28 06:27:35

Improvement in Railways

Merger of Railway boards into 1 IRMS in line w/ Rakesh Mohan committee 2001 and Bibek Debroy Comm 2015 done to ensure officers put railways 1st instead of their service. Board will have Chairman and 4 mem, Chairman will be cadre controlling officer, will also have independent non-executive mem highly distinguished.
Railway Privatisation : Bibek Debroy #committee recommends privatisation of rolling stocks wagons and coaches.
- Pros : improve infrastructure, better quality services w High fare, lesser accidents.
- Cons : limited to lucrative sectors disadvantaged/rural sectors may be neglected, unaffordable for lower income group, lesser accountability.

Commissionerate System in Cities

The 6th National Police Commission #Report released in 1983 recommended ==Commissionerate System in cities== w/ pop more than 5 lakh.

Civil Services Board

Civil Services Board : SC in 2013 directed Centre and States to set up CSB to end frequent transfers and insulate political interference. #body

Mission Karmayogi : #scheme

National Program for Civil Services Capacity Building NPCSCB #scheme
==PM headed Public HR council== to approve plans, Capacity Building commission to harmonize training standards, SPV to own operate online learning platform
Transition from ==Rules based to Roles based, on site and off site learning, undertake data analytics== etc
Integrated Gov Online Training iGOT Karmayogi platform
Task force constituted to draw clear road map for guidance and operationalisation of Karmayogi bharat.

Role of Bureaucracy In democracy

Annual Democracy #report by V-Dem Institute of Sweden. IN position downgraded to Electoral Autocracy due to frequent use of UAPA etc
- Freedom House downgraded IN to Partly free in Freedom in World Report.
- Reporters w/o Borders included in IN worst digital predators list.
- Fraser Institute ranked IN 105th in Global economic freedom index.
Global State of Democracy report 2021 by International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance says that authoritarainism is on the rise.

Atrocities committed by Bureaucracy

Atrocities committed by Bureaucracy. Challenges :
- Custodial violence has not been criminalised
- Independent Complaint authority as suggested by SC in SC Prakash Singh case has not been constituted
- Inquiry and registration of case required prior govt approval. Amend CrPC 197.
- Personnel are underfunded, under trained and understaffed.
- Need to implement Law commissions 273rd report -> criminally prosecute them, Mandate medical tests, Judicial magistrates must prevent police overeach.

Corruption in Bureaucracy

Corruption perception Index 2020 by Transparency International IN 86th topped by NZ and DEN #report

Lateral Entry in Govt Service

Lateral Entry for the Post of Joint Secy by UPSC, no reservation.

Static - Role of Civil Service in a Democracy

2020-10-22 07:26:27

Art 309 - 323 deals w/ civil services,
Substantive Role of Civil Servants
- Forms Basis of Govt to implement policies
- Instrument for implementing laws and policies
- Participation in policy formulation
- Provides continuity - do not change w/ change in Govt
- Role in socio economic dev, develop agri, facilitate industrial dev, infra facilities, setting right dev goals and priorities for agri, mobilisation of natural, human fin resource, dev of HR
- Dev sense of nationhood
- Facilitates democracy
- Facilitates during Calamities and crisis
- Administrative Adjudication - assist ministers, handle fin operations of state, reform and improve administration through Organisation and methods
Issues -
- Politicisation of Bureaucracy, Politician - Bureaucrat - Businessman Nexus, Attitude of bureaucracy
Cadre sys
- Need - Quality, impartiality, integrity, All India outlook
- Issues - permanency of cadres, provincialization - reduces adoption of best practices, collusion w/ local politicians, specialised positions, Large variation, Central Deputation, Reluctance to De cadre
- Way Ahead - New Cadre Policy, Lateral Entry, Reduction in size of cadres
Issues w/ Civil Services in India
- Absence of accountability, out dated laws, rules and procedures, high degree of centralisation, poor work culture, politicization of services and interference, abuse of authority and corruption
All India Service -
- Significance - promote unity, solidarity, less susceptible to local and regional influences, can be rotated b/w C and S, high remuneration status and prestige, hold key posts in states, in case of emergency Union acts through AIS
- Issues w/ AIS
  - Against federalism, all imp posts held by them, authority responsibility gap, cadre allocation policy, outsiders in diff states, under union list, consent of state for central deputation removed
Sarkaria Commission Recom
- AIS is necessary, disbanding would be harmful, needs further strenghening
- Greater specialisation in one or more areas instead of generalising, direct recruitment only, regular consultations, advisory council for Personnel Administration
Reforms Required
- Bringing Accountability - 2nd ARC recoms
  - 2 intensive reviews after finishing 14 yrs and 20 yrs of services
  - 1st review to intimate public shortcomings and strengths, 2nd to assess fitness for further continuation discontinue unfit
  - 20 yrs period of employment, further continuance of depending on reviews
- Emphasize performance - Merit base promotion, performance based incentive. 2nd ARC recoms are :
Making appraisals more consultative, transparent, year round performance appraisal mid-year review for all services
Guidelines for numerical rating, expand scope of present sys of appraisal
Performance Mgt Sys PMS designed w/ appropriate strategic framework
Specialist Knowledge for Senior Level Appt - 2nd ARC recom
- 12 domains officers need to specialise ex administration, urban dev, security, rural dev etc
- Domain assigned only after matching competence
- Intro of competition for senior position
- Constitution of statutory Central Civil services authority
Effective Disciplinary Regime - 2nd ARC recoms
- Legal protection - incompetence and wrong doing
- Dismissal and disciplinary procedures basis of natural justice
- Removal or dismissal by authority 3 level higher, no penalty w/o inquiry, mandatory consultation w/ UPSC
- 2 stage consultation w/ CVC should be done away,
Transforming Work Culture - modernise to make env conducive, multi-level hierarchical structure, give officers more responsibility decision making authority
Streamline rules and procedures wrt to citizens day to day interface w/ govt
Privatisation - of public owned hotels, tourism, engineering etc
Adoption of IT and e Governance
Stability of tenure
- Hota Committee recoms
  - Fixed tenure of 3 yrs and annual performance target
  - Civil Services Act to make Civil Service Board as statutory
  - Record CMs dissent w/ CSB in writing
  - Premature transfers referred to Ombudsman
Depoliticization of civil services - 2nd ARC recom
- Be included in code of Ethics for Ministers and Public Servants
- Abuse of authority and obstruction of justice be classified as offence under Corruption Act
- Well Defined procedure for recruitment to all gov jobs, wide publicity and competition, minimisation of discretion in process etc
- TSR Subramania case - SC said that officers of AIS not bound to follow oral directives, estd CSB by Cabinet Secy at national level, Parl to enact CSA, min fixed tenure, no interference
Lateral Entry : attempt to bring senior and mid level positions in various mnistries.
- Need : Shortage of officers, Specialists and experts, Checks Burden to exchequer, bring in innovation, Competition
- Issues : Bypasses UPSC, not a panacea, not lucrative, privatisation would make govt lose its socialist character, transparency in recruitment, no recruitment procedure questions meritocracy in them.
- Way - 2nd ARC recom
  - Transparent, institutionalised process for lateral entry
- Recom by NIT Aayog 3 year agenda, induction in middle and senior mgt, part of Central secretariat,
Other Recoms of 2nd ARC -
- Bachelors degree courses in Public Adm,
- Restrict age of entry and limited attempts for candidates
- National awards to recognise works of civil servants
- Selection of foreign assignment based on recom of Civil Services authority

PYQ : Role of Civil Services

2020-10-30 16:39:01

Question	Year
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 agree with the view that drastic reforms are required in Civil Services. Comment	2017
Has the Cadre based Civil Services Organisation been the cause of slow change in India? Critically examine.	2014
”Traditional bureaucratic structure and culture have hampered the process of socio-economic development in India.” Comment.	2016