Do We Need Agnipath For Civil Services? – Free PDF Download

Question

• The working of current civil services is marred multiple challenges. In light of the above statement highlight the structural & political challenges faced by civil services. Also suggest measures/reforms that are needed in India to address such challenges.

The News

The News

The Big Question

• Is there a need of Agnipath for Agniveer like scheme for All India Services also?

Problems of Civil services

• Colonial attitude of Civil Services
• Status Quoist mentality
• Rule book bureaucrats lacking innovation
• Political Interference in bureaucracy
• Generalist rather than specialist
• Corruption & lack of accountability
• 7 Top heavy bureaucracy due to default promotions

The Suggestion

The Suggestion

• The GoI should think of an Agnipath scheme for the AIS.
  • The performance of all AIS officers should be subjected to a strict review at three stages
    • Once when they have completed 15 years of service, then after 25 years of service, and, finally, after 30 years of service.
  • The objective of the reviews should be to weed out 25 per cent of officers at the first stage, 10 per cent officers at the second stage and 5 per cent officers at the third stage.

The Suggestion

• Weeding Out Criteria
  • Weeding out should be for
    • Poor performance
    • Charges of corruption
    • Misconduct of a serious nature
    • Being physically unfit etc

The Suggestion

• Safeguards:
  • Screening at each stage needs to be very rigorous and the mechanism to do so must be impartial. Weeding out at different stages can be done by a panel, which may comprise retired judges, officers of impeccable integrity drawn from different services, and distinguished members of the civil society.
  • It must be doubly ensured that the officers are not victimised for political reasons. If an officer feels aggrieved by the decision of the panel, he should be able to approach a tribunal.
  • The officers may be given copper/silver/golden handshakes at the three stages.

How will it help?

• The periodic trimming of AIS would ensure that officers become performance-oriented, acquire new skills and a flair for innovation in administration.
• The complacency and smugness, which we presently notice, would disappear in a majority of cases.
• There would also be less jostling at the top. Trimming process would also ensure that the structure of services becomes pyramid-shaped.

How can it be done?

Will it be easy?

• Prakash Singh:
  • There would be fierce resistance to this scheme from within the AIS.
  • The services, however, need a shake up…!!
• The officers deserve an injection of agni.

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