
Who among the following Governor-Generals created the Covenanted Civil Service of India, which later came to be known as the Indian Civil Service?
- Warren Hastings
- Wellesley
- Cornwallis
- William Bentinck
Explanation
Option (c) is correct
- Lord Cornwallis, who served as Governor-General from 1786 to 1793, is often referred to as the “Father of Civil Service in India.“
- He introduced several key reforms:
- Separation of Powers: He separated the revenue administration from the administration of justice.
- Corruption Control: To curb widespread corruption, he raised the salaries of civil servants but strictly forbade them from engaging in private trade or accepting “presents” from locals.
- The “Covenanted” System: He established the Covenanted Civil Service, which consisted of higher-level posts reserved for Europeans who signed a formal “covenant” (contract) with the East India Company.


