1.1. Evolution of Civil Services in India
The Indian civil service system is one of the oldest administrative systems in the world. In India, it had its origin in the Mauryan period. Kautilya's Arthashastra lays down the principles of selection and promotion of the civil servants, the conditions of loyalty for appointment to the civil service, the methods of their performance evaluation and the code of conduct to be followed by them.
The genesis of modern civil services can be traced back to the British Raj.
♤ During the period of Warren Hastings, the institution of collector was created in 1772. The main duty of district collector was collection and management of revenue.
♤ Lord Cornwallis is known as the father of civil services in India. He reformed and organised civil services. He separated revenue administration from judicial administration. The collector was made head of revenue administration of the district.
♤ Prior to Lord Macaulay’s Report of the Select Committee of British Parliament, civil servants were directly nominated by directors of the East India Company.
♤ The Charter Act of 1853 provided for open competition to civil services. But the Indian Civil Service was divided into covenant and non-covenant with Indians being restricted to non- covenant posts of lower bureaucracy only.
♤ In 1854, on the recommendations Macaulay’s report, Civil Services Commission was set up to recruit civil servants. Initially examination was conducted only in London with minimum and maximum age being 18 and 23 years respectively.
♤ Despite syllabus being heavily favored towards European Studies, Satyendranath Tagore
became first Indian to become a civil servant in 1864.
♤ Aitchinson Commission (1886) recommended the re-organization of the services on a new pattern and divided the services into three groups - Imperial, Provincial and Subordinate. The recruiting and controlling authority of Imperial services was the ‘Secretary of State’ and for provincial services, it was states.
♤ The british government setup Indian Civil Service in 1911, primarily with the objective of strengthening british administration.
♤ Though Indians petitioned for reforms for years, it was only after first world war and Montagu Chelmsford reforms that changes were brought in the selection process.
♤ From 1922 onwards, examination was conducted in India as well. First in Allahabad and then in Delhi with setting up of Federal Public Service Commission.
♤ The Government of India Act 1919 divided the Imperial Services into All India Services and Central Services. The central services were concerned with matters under the direct control of the Central Government.
♤ This Act also provided for the establishment of Public Services Commission in India. But the establishment was delayed till 1926 when Lee Commission strongly recommended to establish the commission.
♤ Further, the Government of India Act, 1935 envisaged a Public Service Commission for the Federation and a Provincial Public Service Commission for each Province or group of Provinces. Thus this act made Public Service Commission, Federal Public Service Commission.