UPSC » Governance Notes » Role of Civil Services in Governance

Role of Civil Services in Governance

In India Civil Services are divided into 3 categories and these are: All India Service, Central Service, State Service.  The members of these services perform their duties for both centre and state hence they are known as All India Services. Services with members working only for the Union Government are called Central Civil Services. In India state governments also have their own services. The services are divided in 4 categories (Group: A, B, C and D.) and this categorisation is same in centre and state both.

  • The importance of the civil services is huge, especially in a country like India. Diversity is every aspect and meeting the constitutional goals for social, political, and economc justice, reducing inequality, providing etc. Hence in this task the role of the civil Services is very crucial for achieving inclusive growth and greater improving quality of life.

Basis of Governance: 

  • The main role of Civil Services is in transformation policies from on paper to grass root level. Like Government forms policies at the top level then these policies have some programmes for achieving specific targets and for achieving said objectives and targets these programmes transformed into projects and then to task at very micro level. The role of Bureaucracy nowadays is becoming very crucial as now the government is looking to reduce its role to just “regulator, mediator, underwriter, provider of services, promoter of national standards of decent living and economic and social diagnostician and repairman”.
  • Be it any political system parliamentary or Presidential, Democratic or Communists all these countries or political systems need Regardless of their political system (democratic or communist), all countries require administrative apparatus to carry out policy.
  • Policy Making and Policy Implementation and Collection of Relevant Data: Policymaking demands the collection of relevant data and information to identify core issues. Civil servants owing to their diverse knowledge and expertise provide relevant data for substantiating policy proposals.
  • Think-Tanks of the Government: Since civil servants work on ground realities, they well understand the problems and their likely solutions. Their diverse knowledge and experience are then put to use by assuming the role of think tanks of the government.
  • Policy Formulation: Bureaucrats create and rephrase policy ideas based on their knowledge, experience, and understanding of public affairs, taking into account various aspects of the constitution, laws enacted by parliament, and other existing rules and regulations. 
  • Implementing Laws and Policies of the Government: Civil servants regulate the behaviour of the people by implementing laws and policies. Civil services provide the administrative machinery through which the development objective of the government is achieved.
  • Provisioning Services to the People:

⇒ Maintaining law and order. Example: Prevention of organised crime, hate crimes, maintain peace and harmony among various sections of the society.

⇒ Protection of the environment against pollution, illegal cutting of forest, illegal sand mining, or other unauthorised extraction of natural resources.

⇒ Management of public enterprises in order to achieve socio-economic equality. Between 1995 and 2012, E.g., E. Sreedharan, a civil engineer, is credited with changing the face of public transportation in India with his leadership in the construction of the Konkan Railway and the Delhi Metro while serving as managing director of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).

  • Welfare Services: Civil servants ensure the welfare of the people by implementing various government schemes such as MGNREGA, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, PM Garib Kalyan Yojana, PM Matru Vandana yojana, and so on. Most importantly the efforts and level of the administrative system worked in Pandemic/ Covid-19.
  • Maintain Continuity in Administration: Being a permanent executive, Bureaucracy is called as steel frame hence even after change in government after every 5 years. For example, when the President’s rule imposed in any state under the A-356 Governor carries out administration with aid and help from the Chief Secretary of the state and as usual other officials and staff.
  • Important Functions Carried Out by the Civil Servants:

⇒ In every ministries/ department policy and work is carried out by the civil servants.

⇒ Management and administration of financial operations like collection of taxes (both direct and indirect) etc is one of the key responsibilities of the Bureaucracy.

⇒ With various organisational methods for reforms has been used for efficient and effective administration also they perform various responsibilities like performing administrative adjudication and tribunals etc.