Civil services
It is a body of government officials who are appointed to civil occupation, that is, not of a political nature. They are one individual who takes part in various processes and initiatives, from policy formulation to policy implementation, and in taking the country forward towards progress and development.
Democracy is an egalitarian principle in which the governed elect people who govern them. There are three pillars in democracy, namely:
- Legislative
- Executive
- Judiciary
Civil servants are permanent executives, whereas political executives are temporary, and ministers are re-elected on the basis of the mandate of the people.
Why do we need civil services?
Earlier, there were revenue settlement and challenges. Complexity was also seen in modernising life, as there was an increasing population, mismanagement, and intervention in protection of rights. Scientific and modern technology and administrative skills were required, as they need to be managed efficiently.
In the present situation in India, as India is aspiring to become a global leader, it is important to have a best-trained mind, managerial skill, better understanding, better communication and the attitude of solving complex problems.
Civil Servant
- Civil servants are accountable to the political executive, that is, ministers.
- Civil servants are subdivisions under the government offices in the civil services on the permanent staff of various government departments.
- They are basically referred to as an expert administrator, referred as bureaucracy.
Characteristics of a civil servant
- Anonymity
- Refers to the principle that civil servants are anonymous and not publicly identified in their individual roles/discipline.
- The concept is crucial in ensuring neutral and impartial bureaucracy. It ensures that they serve the government of the day without personal recognition.
- Anonymity shields civil servants from public and political attribution and supports civil servants to operate consistently over time.
- Consensus of community service
- Refers to awareness and commitment of individuals and organisations towards contributing positively towards their communities.
- This concept emphasises the need of the public to infuse civil responsibility into the civil service, ensure empathy and compassion, and participate.
- Public responsibility
- India is a parliamentary democracy. A bureaucrat must be interested in public responsibility because public responsibility empowers the mandate and restores the trust of the individual in the government.
- Efficiency
- Task to efficiently run the government.
- A government department is a large department with huge responsibility within the government department. There are sub-departments, and managerial functions need to be exercised in such a manner as to ensure harmony and efficiency of work.
- Consistency of treatment
- Treating every individual equally without prejudice
- Public information
- Disclosing the information so that information redlock cannot happen. Only what is required and needed must be reflective of confidence in administration.