Indianisation of Public Services

The development of public services in India is not a modern Indian phenomenon nor a contribution of British rule in India, as it is often assumed. There is historical evidence that Civil service structures existed in ancient India, but they did not operate properly, It was also a framework or institutional device because there was no continuity of civil servants. As we know, this system was first introduced by the British. Today, Civil servants are the result of successive changes under the control of the East India Company. This section reviews the public service systems that existed before their advent. Development of public services under the East India Company and Crown and various laws. In addition, the structure of public services has changed in the times since Independence.

WHAT IS THE INDIANISATION OF ADMINISTRATION?

The Indianization of British colonial bureaucracy was a process introduced in late British India (early 20th century), in which Indian officers were promoted to senior civil servants who were previously assigned only to the British.

CIVIL SERVICE IN EAST INDIA COMPANY RULE (1675-1875)

1. The development of civil service in India dates back to the first quarter of the 17th century, when some British merchants arrived in India for trade purposes under the flag of the East India Company.
2. According to the EAST INDIA COMPANY RULE (1675-1875), we can think of civil services as the service of civil servants by custom, where a group of people known as “public servants” handled the East India Company’s trade.
3. They differed from the company’s naval and military officers. The company’s servants were commercial agents known as “factors” and were in charge of trading posts located along the coast. This “factor” was neither a politician nor an administrator but had the idea of ​​​​oriental trade.
4. In 1675, the company established regular ranks. Therefore, the young man was first hired as an ‘Apprentice’ and then became a ‘writer’. After five years, maybe a ‘factor.’
5. Initially, the board had no right to appoint these positions. Later on, in 1714, it got changed, and the appointments in the company were made on the recommendation of the board members.
6. The Act additionally prohibited private buying and selling. It became confined to the ones engaged in business transactions. It forbade civil servants from accepting any presents from the people.
7. In 1806, the court established an educational institution in Haileybury, England, which was granted public institution status by the Charter Act of 1813. The company’s court-appointed writers were required to complete two years of training. You must study at an institution and pass an exam before being approved as a writer. His research fields include classical European languages, law, political economy, general history, and Asian languages. The university was abolished in late 1857.

IMPERIAL CIVIL SERVICE (1858-1917)

1. The Indian Government Act of 1858 gave His Majesty the power to appoint high-ranking leaders of a political nature. The Minister of India exercised her powers at the cabinet-level, and she was assisted by the Deputy Minister and a Board of Directors of 15 members.
2. The law stipulated that no Indian shall be deprived of land “for religion, place of birth, descent, colour, or any other reason.”
3.  Although open competition was there under the Charter Act 1853, provisions such as meeting competitive eligibility criteria and holding exams in London prevented Indians from competing.
4. In 1870 the British Parliament passed a law allowing the appointment of Indians (of proven merit and ability) to any office or office without reference to the 1861 Act.

AITCHISON COMMISSION

1. In 1886, a commission led by Sir Charles Aitchison was appointed to prepare a plan to allow Indians in all government service sectors.
2.  The issue of hiring Indians was expected to be considered in uncoordinated services, including sub-administrative positions and positions normally provided by law to civil servants provided by contract.
3. The committee rejected ​​changing the recruitment system to a stipulated civil servant. He recommended the abolition of statutory offices and advocated subdividing public offices into imperial, clergy, and subordinate. The local service was the exclusive area of ​​extended employment for Indians in civil services. He also proposed reducing the list of positions reserved by the 1861 Act for civil servants and transferring a certain number of positions to local civil servants. Following the recommendation of the committee, court officials were abolished.
4. A local official is named after the specific province to which it belongs. The lower office of the covenant ministry was changed to the lower office.

CIVIL SERVICES UNDER THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA ACTS, 1919 AND 1935

1. On August 20, 1917, E.S. Montague, who was then India’s Secretary of State, said in the House of Representatives to expand Indian participation in all government branches and gradually implement responsible government in India as part of the British Empire.`
2. A year later, in 1918, Montagu and Chelmsford (then Governor-General), in a joint report on constitutional changes, voted in favour of supplementing British civil service recruitment by fixing a certain percentage of recruits directly from India.
3. This percentage is set at 33% for senior positions and increases by 1.5% annually. They have suggested increasing hiring rates in other services in India. They argued that appointments should be open to all civil servants for a separate competitive examination in India without racial discrimination.
4. The Government of India Act, 1919 for Constitutional Reform recommended that India-wide, provincial and subordinate services be divided into three tiers. All imperial services active at the time in the province, whether reserved or relocated, were designated “All India Services”. Members of All India Services have special guarantees regarding dismissal, wages, pensions, and other rights.
5. The Act proposed a constitution for the Civil Service Commission, which was commissioned to recruit civil servants to guarantee political influence. In 1922, the first competitive examination was held under the auspices of the Public Affairs Committee. Selected Indian candidates underwent a two-year probationary period at a UK university.

THE LEE COMMISSION

1. The British backlash against the Indianization of services caused a great political uproar in India. It was chaired by the Royal Commission on the Highest Civil Services in India in 1923, taking into account the many complexities related to civil service obstacles.
2. The core services were Indian state and diplomacy, state rail management, postal and telegraph, customs, accounting, and science and technology departments.
3. The Lee Commission’s main recommendations relate to services operating in the delegated areas (e.g., Indian Education Services, Indian Agricultural Services, etc.). The relevant local government should do further recruitment and appointments.
4. Therefore, these services need to be localised. Existing members of the All-India service were to retain all rights of All-India Service officers, but the state government was only given the right to appoint when a new post emerged.

THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA ACT, 1935

1. The rights and privileges of civil servants were carefully protected when the 1935 law established state autonomy among responsible Indian ministers.
2. As a result of introducing state autonomy under the law, only three services, Indian Civil Service, Indian Police Services, and Indian Medical Services, will continue as All India Services.
3. Recruitment of all other Indian services (Indian agricultural services, veterinary services, education services, technician services, forests) was entrusted to the state government, and its recruitment and management were entrusted to the state government. Serving members continue their existing terms, and terms of use are fully protected.

Conclusion

Public services in India are not thoroughly according to the Indian phenomenon; we can think of it as the combination of British, modern Indian, and ancient Indian phenomena. We can also feel the essence of public services in ancient India. Public services have been going through long Step by step developments and policies.