Timeline of reforms

Table 1

Year 1952

What? Ayyengar Committee Special Reorganisation Unit

1954

Central Organisation and Management Division

1964 1966

Department of Administrative reforms First ARC

5th Central Pay Commission 2000 Expenditure Reforms Commission Sixth Central Pay Commission

2008

To economise on staff; using work study to evolve norms for work Set up in Central Secretariat. Later O&M units were created in several ministries. To streamline procedures and improve efficiency To provide a more focused approach for reforms To undertake a comprehensive task of examining the machinery of GoI and its procedures of work Laid emphasis on downsizing the government Examined the structure of various ministries and departments Introduced the concept of running pay bands

Civil Services Committees

1978 1988

Kothari Committee Satish Chandra Committee

Introduced prelims, qualifying papers Introduced essay paper; raised marks of interview from 250 to 300

2003 2004 2001

Surinder Nath Committee Hota Committee Alagh Committee

Alagh Committee Recommendations

 The report deal with eligibility parameters, the desired Characteristics of candidate in terms of knowledge, skill and attitude and the modalities of identifying the most suitable candidates. It makes a strong case of lowering the age limit for recruitment, arguing that economic cost of taking examination at a higher age effects from poorer family. The committee has designed a scheme to identify younger candidates.

The reports state that many civil servants suffer from intellectual sluggishness, which is manifested in the flattening of their learning curves. Most civil servants, according to the report, have the attitude that they are repositories of the wisdom and knowledge needed to deal with matters that lies within their spheres of authority. This attitude, the report points out, has made them unreceptive to new ideas and impervious to innovations that are essential in a dynamic administration environment.

The report says that the recruitment and training of civil servants should be a long term exercise. Future Civil servants, It says, should be exposed to field oriented development activities so that they remain in touch with people at the grassroots. Civil servants should develop an ability to work closely with civil society.

The report emphases the needs to recruit candidate who can champion reforms, facilitates the functioning of NGOs and cooperative groups and help the economy and society to operate within the national & global markets. The report suggest that at the time of recruitment it has to be checked whether aspirants are aware of the direction in which country is moving and the strengths and weakness of civil society. They should also have an ability to interface with modern technology and institutions of local selfgovernment and perform their duties with sense of fair play , compassion & commitment to achieve the objectives set by the founding fathers The report emphasis the need to reorient the civil service in context of the diminishing role of state in providing direct economic services, the states growing importance in the economic and social sectors and the growing scarcity of non renewable resources and the need to protect vulnerable group of society. The committee refers to some basic flaws in mindsets of civil servant. In a strongly worded chapter, it says that in popular perception members of civil services have a ruler mind sets , show no courteous and human behavior are totally devoid of transparency in decision making, and seems to be preoccupied with their own survival & vested interest. This mind sets according to report , become apparent when they are called upon to take care of the needs of the weaker section of society , especially while implementing policies that can lead to clash with the interests of influential persons in society. As a result, the objective of justice, fair play, development and welfare vis-s-vis the weaker sections tend to suffer by default the report state. A negative orientation, decline professionalism, intellectual sluggishness and lack of ability to acquire new knowledge, undynamic outlook and, a complete lack of intellectual honesty are some of the other weakness identified in the report .The report makes special mentions of the decline in the levels of integrity among civil servants.

 The report says, there has been significant erosion of esprit de crops within the higher services. It underlines that while some members of civil services have maintained a firm commitment to high standard of ethics and to service of nation, many other have breached the codes of professional conduct and entered into unethical, symbolic pacts of convenience and mutual accommodation with influential politicians & business interests. According to report, posting and transfer have become a tool in the hand of political executive with which to force civil servants to comply with their diktatts. Civil servants who show the flexibility to go along with the directions of their political masters are rewarded and those who refuse to compromise their professional independence, honesty & integrity are sidelined and penalized, it says. The punishment comes in the form of frequent changes in assignments

First ARC
Appointment of Lokpal and Lokayuktas ARC, 10th Report, Chap 2, pg 4

Other Important Committeess

Administrative Ethics Nolan Committee: 7 principles of public life o Selflessness o Objectivity o Integrity o Accountability o Honesty o Openness o Leadership Masterman Committee on political activities of civil servants (UK) o Political neutrality is in public interest but it should be broadly conceived. Need for a compromise between reticence and freedom. Comments of the pay commissions on neutrality and ethics Santhanam committee

Pay

Islington Commission o Recommended graded pay

Performance Appraisal

Surendra Nath Committee (2003) o Recommended competitiveness and supersession in the bureaucracy and allows the bureaucrat a say in his/her posting

Electoral Reforms Indrajit Gupta Committee on State Funding of Elections (1999) o Recommended partial state-funding mainly in kind National Committee for Review of the Constitution o Until better regulatory mechanism for political parties can be developed, state funding of elections should be deferred

The existing system of central government (13th report, pp 40)

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Strengths Time tested mechanism Stability Commitment to constitution political neutrality National Outlook among public functionaries Link between policy making and implementation

Weaknesses Undue emphasis on routine functions Proliferation of ministries/departments weak integration and coordination An extended hierarchy with too many levels Risk avoidance Absence of team work Fragmentation of functions Weakening of autonomy