Civil Services in India: Evolution & Important Committees

Table of contents

Context (IE): PM addressed the Nation’s Civil Servants on 17^th Civil Services Day.

About Civil Services Day

Every year on April 21, the Government of India commemorates National Civil Services Day to acknowledge and celebrate our civil servants’ exceptional efforts in public service.
PM Awards for Excellence in Public Administration are presented for outstanding service and contributions of civil servants on the day.
1^st Civil Services Day: Officially marked in 2006, the celebration’s roots go back to April 21, 1947.
April 21, 1947: On this day, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India’s first Home Minister, addressed a group of probationers at Metcalfe House, Delhi.
- It was during this address, he famously referred to civil servants as the “steel frame of India”, underlining their crucial role in the nation’s governance and unity.

Lord Cornwallis: He is regarded as the “Father of Civil Services in India” for introducing key reforms.
Charter Act of 1793: Institutionalised Covenanted Civil Services, bringing structure and pension provisions for employees.
Recruitment: Until the mid-19^th century, East India Company Directors nominated civil servants, forming an elite European administrative class.
Training: In 1800, Lord Wellesley established the College of Fort William in Calcutta for civil servant training. However, by 1806, it was replaced by the East India College at Haileybury, England.
- Training at Haileybury included subjects like Law, Political Economy, and Indian Languages.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy: He was the 1^st Indian to formally demand reforms in the civil services.
Demand for Indians in Civil Services: In 1832, during his evidence before the British Parliament, he asserted that qualified Indians should be allowed to serve in administrative positions.

Charter Act of 1853: Abolished the patronage system & introduced open competitive examinations.
- Reformers like Sir Charles Trevelyan and Robert Lowe supported this merit-based recruitment.
Macaulay Committee Report (1855) Recommendations:
- Replacing nomination with competitive exams.
- Preference for university graduates (especially from Oxford or Cambridge).
- Focus on general education, rather than legal or vocational training.
Civil Service Commission: Established in London (1854), and the 1^st competitive ICS exam was held in 1855 in London.
Eligibility: The age limit was set between 18 and 25, and the syllabus was Eurocentric, disadvantaging Indian candidates.

Indian Civil Services Act of 1861: Allowed limited Indian participation, mainly in uncovenanted posts.
- Indians had to reside in India for 7+ years and clear local language exams.
Satyendranath Tagore: Became the 1^st Indian to clear the ICS exam in 1864.

Simultaneous Exams: The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms led to the simultaneous exams in India.
- From 1922, ICS exams were conducted in Allahabad (now Prayagraj) and later in Delhi. London exams continued alongside.
Public Service Commission: It was set up on 1 October 1926. The Government of India Act, 1935 led to the creation of a Federal Public Service Commission and provincial commissions, bringing partial administrative autonomy.

1947: After Independence, the ICSs were restructured as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).
1950: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) replaced the Federal PSC and became the central body for recruiting All India Services and Central Services.

Aitchison Commission: Formed in 1886 to enhance Indian participation in public services. It recommended abolishing the Statutory Civil Service and classifying services into Imperial, Provincial, and Subordinate categories.
Islington Commission’s Report (1917): It recommended that 25% of the higher government posts should go to Indians.
Royal Commission on Superior Civil Service in India (1923): The commission was set up under the chairmanship of Lord Lee.
- It recommended the division of main services into 3 classes – All India Services, Central Services and Provincial Services.