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  »   Udaan   »   Evolution of Civil Services in India

Evolution of Civil Services in India

April 8, 2024 6623 0

Introduction

Originally introduced by the East India Company for commercial affairs, it evolved into an administrative machinery. The evolution of civil services in India traces a significant journey from colonial administration to post-independence governance. Initially established by the British East India Company to manage their territories, the civil services underwent several transformations, shaping the administrative framework of the nation. 

Cornwallis (governor general, 1786–93)
  • He was the first to bring into existence and organise the civil services.
  • Take anti-corruption measures such as enforced rules against private trade, prohibited presents and bribes etc.
  • Wellesley’s Role
  • (Governor General, 1798–1805)
  • Fort William College was set up in 1800 to train new recruits.
  • East India College was established in England in 1806 after the disapproval of Fort William College by the Court of Directors.
  • Charter Act of 1853
  • Ended Company’s patronage; and recruitment through open competition.
  • Indian Civil Service Act of 1861
  • Examination held in England in English language, based on classical learning of Greek and Latin.
  • Maximum permissible age was gradually reduced.
  • In 1863, Satyendra Nath Tagore became the first Indian to qualify for the Indian Civil Service.
  • Statutory Civil Service
  • The Statutory Civil Service was established by Lytton in 1878–1879, with one-sixth of the covenant posts to be filled by Indians from affluent families who are nominated by local governments and approved by the Viceroy and the Secretary of State.
  • Aitchison Committee
  • It recommends dropping ‘covenanted’ and ‘uncovenanted,’ classification, classification of the civil service into Imperial Indian Civil Service (examination in England), Provincial Civil Service (examination in India), and Subordinate Civil Service (examination in India); and raising the age limit to 23.
  • Montford Reforms 1919
  • It recommended holding simultaneous exams in India and England.
  • one-third of recruitments be made in India itself—to be raised annually by 1.5 per cent.
  • Lee Commission (1924)
  • The Secretary of State should continue to recruit ICS; the Irrigation branch of the Service of Engineers, the Indian Forest Service, etc.
  • Recruitment for transferred fields like education etc, be made by provincial governments.
  • Direct recruitment to ICS on the basis of 50:50 parity between the Europeans and the Indians will be reached in 15 years.
  • Establishment of Public Service Commission.
  • Government of India Act, 1935
  • It recommended Federal and Provincial Public Service Commissions.

 

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  • Evaluation of Civil Services under British Rule
  • Exclusion of Indians from policy-making bodies and key positions.
  • Ensured European supremacy through difficult entry exams and occupation of key positions.
  • The Indianization Process was a slow process under nationalist pressure, but effective power was not transferred to Indians.
  • Indian civil servants served imperialist interests of British masters.
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