Which of the following statements is/are correct about the Indian bureaucracy? 1. It consists of the All-India services, State services, employees of the local governments, and technical and managerial staff running public sector undertakings. 2. An IAS or IPS officer is assigned to a particular State, where he or she works under the supervision of the State government.
The Indian bureaucracy consists of the All-India services, State services, employees of the local governments, and technical and managerial staff running public sector undertakings. Hence statement 1 is correct. Makers of our Constitution were aware of the importance of the non-partisan and professional bureaucracy. They also wanted the members of the civil services or bureaucracy to be impartially selected on the basis of merit. So, the Union Public Service Commission has been entrusted with the task of conducting the process of recruitment of the civil servants for the government of India. Similar public service commissions are provided for the States also. Members of the Public Service Commissions are appointed for a fixed term . Their removal or suspension is subject to a thorough enquiry made by a judge of the Supreme Court. While efficiency and merit are the norms for recruitment , the Constitution also ensures that all sections of the society including the weaker sections have an opportunity to be part of the public bureaucracy. For this purpose, the Constitution has provided for reservation of jobs for the Dalits and Adivasis . Subsequently, reservations have also been provided for women and other backward classes. An IAS or IPS officer is assigned to a particular State , where he or she works under the supervision of the State government. Hence statement 2 is correct. However, the IAS or IPS officers are appointed by the central government , they can go back into the service of the central government and most importantly, only the central government can take disciplinary action against them. This means that the key administrative officers of the States are under the supervision and control of the central government. Apart from the IAS and the IPS officers appointed by the UPSC , the administration of the State is looked after by officers appointed through the State Public Service Commissions. The bureaucracy is an instrument through which welfare policies of the government must reach the people. Political interference turns the bureaucracy into an instrument in the hands of the politician. Though the Constitution has created independent machinery for recruitment, many people think that there is no provision for protecting the civil servants from political interference in the performance of their duties. It is also felt that enough provisions are not there to ensure the accountability of the bureaucracy to the citizen. There is an expectation that measures like the Right to Information may make the bureaucracy a little more responsive and accountable.