Civil Service Cadre allocation: Central Government Interference feared

New Delhi: Modi government looks set to revamp the cadre allocation of civil service candidates - currently based on merit decided in the competitive examinations conducted by UPSC - by changing the criteria for cadre allocation. As per the new system, probationers will be evaluated through the foundation course during the training period and will be placed in cadres such as IFS, IAS and IPS as per ranking there.

In a circular issued by the prime minister's office on Friday (see Report) based on the performance in the training, candidates will be finally ranked for which cadre they will be allotted.

The decision effectively bids bye to the system followed by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) which ranks candidates based on their scores in various phases of selection, both written and interview. There has been no room for any personal and objective assessment to influence in the ranking so far. The candidates get selected for their respective choice of services as per the ranking in the final evaluation after written test and interview. They are then put under training under different batches in Lal Bahadoor Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA).

The chief merit attributed to the existing system is that it is least vulnerable to external interference and the body of selectors in UPSC are generally viewed as too high and inaccessible to allow favouritism. The selection of UPSC members, and the methods of selection also have built-in checks against such subjective decisions. When this is changed to a format where the officials in LBSNAA have a say in deciding who to appoint in which cadre in a way that is amenable to individual or political interests, it is seen as bound to erode the objectivity and impartiality of officials. In other words, the new criteria will provide ample room for political masters to create yes-men in the civil service.

PMO's circular specifies that from 2019 on, the performance at LBSNAA will also be taken into account to determine the ranking. The training, normally to last three months, has study of Hindi as an item in the syllabus. It is observed that if this is one of the criteria for ranking, candidates from non-Hindi states will suffer a great disadvantage on this score beside native Hindi speakers.

It is also pointed out that those who can influence the decision makers in the training centre and rate candidates, will get better ranking by undesirable methods.

The reforms which effectively takes away the role and authority of UPSC has already invited strong criticisms, with the Congress making the first dissent note. Congress party spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala said that the prime minister's first objective is to destroy all the institutions of the country.