Abstract

This case discusses about the new guidelines for the empanelment of civil services officers in India to be deputed to the Center. In June 2016, the Modi government created a flutter by rejecting the names of a few IAS officers that were put forward for holding posts of Joint Secretary, Additional Secretary, Departmental Secretary, and Chief Secretary. The reason for the rejection was the poor performances on delivery and lack of personal integrity of the officers. As ‘Minimum Government, Maximum Governance’ was a key point on Modi’s manifesto, he started making extensive changes in the administrative system after coming to power. The case details the efforts put by Modi government to replace the old method of empanelment with a more comprehensive appraisal system. He introduced the new guidelines to ensure greater uniformity, consistency, and transparency in administration. The case provides a background of the Civil services in India, cadre structure, classification of officers and the earlier methods used for evaluating officers. The faults in the earlier empanelment method are also mentioned in the case. The case chronicles the revisions made in the appraisal process and the Annual Performance Appraisal Report formats for evaluating bureaucrats on the new parameters.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Understand the Indian Civil Services System and its importance in the administrative machinery.
• Understand the background and reasons for the government to bring about major changes in the appraisal system of its officers.
• Critically analyze the changes brought about by the government in the appraisal process and its effectiveness in making the desired improvements in governance.
• Analyze the differences in the aspects to be considered by a government vis-à-vis a business enterprise in designing a performance appraisal system and the constraints it faces in doing so.

Keywords

Indian Civil Services, Empanelment Process :Old Method, Faults in the process, Reforms by Modi Government, Revamping of the appraisal process, Roadblocks