Civil service neutrality

♤ Unfortunately, the concept of civil service neutrality no longer holds good. Changes in governments particularly at the state level often lead to wholesale transfer of civil servants.

♤ Political neutrality is no longer the accepted norm with many civil servants getting identified, rightly or wrongly, with a particular political dispensation.

♤ There is a perception that officers have to cultivate and seek patronage from politicians for obtaining suitable positions even in the Union Government. As a result, the civil services in public perception are often seen as increasingly politicized.

♤ The political neutrality and impartiality of the civil services needs to be preserved. The onus for this lies equally on the political executive and civil servants.

♤ Ministers must uphold the political impartiality of the civil service and not ask the civil servants to act in any way which would conflict with the duties and responsibilities of the civil servant.

♤ In a nutshell arbitrary and illegal interference by ministers or MPs or MLAs in the work delegated to the bureaucracy is neither desirable nor beneficial for an efficient government.