Extracts from the 10th Report of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission on Refurbishing of Personnel Administration – Scaling New Heights
| Published date | 01 July 2012 |
| Date | 01 July 2012 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/0019556120120326 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
DOCUMENT2
EXTRACTSFROMTHElOmREPORTOFTHE
SECOND ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS COMMISSION
ON REFURBISHING
OF
PERSONNEL
ADMINISTRATION-SCAUNG
NEW HEIGHTS
RECRUITMENT
Introduction
The quality
of
governance is critically dependent on the quality
of
its
public servants. A major determinant
of
the quality
of
government servants
is the rigour and integrity
of
the recruitment process. Therefore the
recruitment process, apart from being transparent, objective, fair and
equitable should also ensure that the right type
of
persons join the civil
services. Government being the largest employer in India recruits candidates
for a wide variety
of
positions through various institutional mechanisms.
The Union Public Service Commission - a Constitutional authority -has
the mandate to recruit senior public servants for the Union Government. A
similar role is played by the State Public Service Commissions for State
Governments. The-Staff Selection Commission recruits personnel for other
positions in the Union Government. Government Departments are also
authorised to recruit certain categories
of
personnel. The system
of
recruitment to the civil services in India has evolved over the years. Several
changes have been made
in
the recruitment process, especially after
Independence, to reflect the needs
of
the administration from time to time.
In this Chapter the Commission has examined the recruitment process for
senior positions in Government through the Civil Services Examination.
Brief History of Recruitment to Civil Services
in
India
In its long evolution,
th~
civil services in India have progressed from
what essentially was an elitist service to a service that is now representative
of
Indian society. This is a very positive development. In its representative
character, the civil services now have a good number
of
people from rural
areas and disadvantaged backgrounds. The experience has been that
students from these backgrounds have a critical comprehension
of
the issues,
constraints and problems faced by people in rural areas and disadvantaged
sectors.
For
the
civil
service
to
be
an
agent
of
change
and
social
transformation, this advantage
of
a representative civil service needs to be
572 / INDIAN JOURNAL
OF
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
VOL.
LVll/,
NO.
3,
JULY-SEPTEMBER 2012
further strengthened.
Before 1922, the Indian Ci vii Service Examination was held in England
by the British Civil Service Commission.
It
was only from 1922 that the
examination also began to be held in India. Subsequently, a Public Service
Commission (India) was constituted to conduct the Indian Civil Service
(ICS) Examination in India from 1926 on behalf
of
the British Civil Service
Commission. Under the Government
of
India Act, 1935, the Public Service
Commission (India) was replaced by the Federal Public Service Commission
(FPSC) which from 1937 began to conduct the ICS Examination in India
independent.of the British Commission. Before Independence, a combined
examination was held in India for the Indian Audit and Accounts Service,
Imperial Customs Service, Indian Railways and Accounts Service, Military
Accounts Department, Postal Superintendents (Class II), Service and
Transportation (Traffic) and Commercial Departments
of
the Superior
Revenue Establishment
of
State Railways. A separate examination was
held for the Indian Police.
However, after 1943, recruitment to these services, including the ICS,
was suspended.
After Independence, new services called the Indian Administrative
Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Foreign Service (IFS)
were established. Between 1947 and 1950, an annual combined competitive
examination was held for recruitment to these services as well as to the
non-technical Central Services. In 1950, on coming into force
of
the
Constitution, the FPSC was redesignated as the Union Public Service
Commission (UPSC). The examination required the candidates to take three
compulsory subjects and three optional subjects (for the IPS, only two
optional subjects were required to be taken). A separate viva voce was
also conducted. From 1951 onwards, the eligibility age was fixed at
21
to
24 years (20 to 24 years for the IPS) and the candidates were permitted to
take three chances at the examination. One
of
the recommendations
of
the
Public Services (Qualification for Recruitment) Committee, appointed in
1955 was limiting the number
of
attempts to two by reducing the eligibility
age range to 21-23 years. Government, while leaving the eligibility age
unaltered, decided to reduce the number
of
attempts to two which were to
be counted separately for (a) Category I Services (IAS and IFS), (b)
Category
II
Services (IPS and Police Service Class
II
of
the Union
Territories), and (c) Category ID Services (Central Services Class I and
Ii).
In effect, this amounted to one examination becoming three examinations
from 1961 onwards. On the recommendation
of
the First Administrative
Reforms Commission, the upper age limit was increased to 26 years in
1972 and from 1973, candidates were permitted to make three attempts for
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