Reforming India's Bureaucratic Corridor: NaMo Government's New Empanelment Process

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EXCERPTS

EMPANELMENT OF GROUP ‘A’ OFFICERS: OLD METHOD

In the Government of India, Group A officers worked at the levels of Under Secretary or Deputy Director, Deputy Secretary or Joint Director, Director, Joint Secretary, and Additional Secretary. The CSS provided a systematic procedure for the selection and appointment of officers to senior administrative posts at the Center. Appointments to all posts of the rank of Under Secretary and above in the Government of India were filled under the CSS, with officers from the AIS and participating Group 'A' services being appointed. Such officers served the Government of India for a stipulated tenure on deputation. After their tenure was over, they returned to their parent cadre as their growth, development, and career prospects lay mainly in their own Service. The objective of the empanelment practice was to draw suitable and eligible officers from the AIS and Group 'A' Services participating in the CSS. The exercise was normally conducted on an annual basis and involved the preparation of APAR for all officers in an objective and impartial manner..

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NEED FOR CHANGE

The bureaucracy inherited from the British Raj in India continued to thrive for a long time. Although post Independence many previous governments tried to introduce administrative reforms in the all-India services, much of those remained mere lip service...

ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS BY MODI GOVERNMENT

In 2014, when Modi took over the reins of the Central government, he emphasized good governance. Modi was aware of the flaws in the selection process but opted to go in for the reforms in phases...

NEW METHOD FOR EMPANELMENT

The Government of India, in order to efficiently implement the new selection method, did an extensive study on the top management practices of several countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and New Zealand...

ROADBLOCK AHEAD

By November 2015, the fight over pay disparity divided the 7th CPC too. Justice AK Mathur, Chairman, 7th CPC, backed the demand for parity between IAS and non-IAS services. He opined that was no basis for the IAS to be a dominant service and that it should be treated on a par with other All India Services. He said, “I felt that there is a lot of angst among civil servants across services against the IAS and their superiority. We noticed in our interactions that the non-IAS officers were peeved at the way the colonial hangover of Indian Civil Service (ICS later became IAS) still remains. IAS Association told us that we should not go beyond recommending the pay structure...

EXHIBITS

Exhibit I: Group A Services

Exhibit II: Evolution and Reforms in Administrative System in India

Exhibit III: Classification of Civil Services in India

Exhibit IV: Organizational Chart of Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions

Exhibit V: Annual Performance Assessment Report (2015)