question_answer

Recently, DoPT announced lateral entry for 10 identified posts on contract at the level of joint secretary. The Government has also sent as many as 150 civil servants on compulsory leave citing their tainted service record and efficiency. Civil Services Reforms are thus at the core of Government’'s agenda to improve the overall governance in the country.

Civil service reforms aim at strengthening administrative capacity to perform core government functions and to raise the quality of service to population.

Many experts are of the opinion that the bureaucratic system in India has not evolved according to the changing nature of administrative challenges and a growing economy where the activity is shifting towards the private sector. This enhance the need of civil Service reform.

NITI Aayog in its Three Year Action agenda (2017-18 to 2019-20) suggests these reforms

Institutionalize goal setting and tracking for each department: Each Ministry and government agency should set outcome-based goals with a clear timeline.

Longer tenure of Secretaries: Currently, by the time an officer is promoted from Additional Secretary to Secretary, usually she has two years or less left before retirement therefore officer hesitates to take decisions on any major project. This causes inordinate amount of delay in decision-making. One possible solution to this problem is early promotion to the Secretary position.

Increase specialization and induct lateral entry: Officers may be encouraged to gain expertise in specific areas in the early stages of careers and the current system of rapid rotation of officers across ministries may be replaced by a system of longer postings according to specialization.

Implement an HR system for government employees: It should be implemented through a unified single online platform that covers employees from the time they are hired to when they leave service. It could also facilitate Massively Open Online Course style capacity building for government employees.

E-governance and paperless governance: This would permit increased efficiency, better tracking of progress on files and improved interface with citizens.

Outsource service delivery: This would reduce dependence on government administrative machinery. Identification of such services should be taken up and PPP models to provide those services should be explored.

Recent development about civil service reform

· Recently central government has taken two major steps in civil service reform.

· Proposed change in the service allocation and cadre allocation to successful candidates of the Civil Services Examination.

· The DoPT has come up with an advertisement of lateral entry of ‘'talented and motivated Indian nationals'’ to join the government at the level of joint secretary.

The proposed cadre policy states that after the foundation course, the cadre allocation and the service allocation may be decided.

Presently, the service allocation is done right in the beginning when the candidates get selected after the UPSC examination and the cadre allocation is done based on a certain principle laid down by the Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT) from time to time.

Which among the following is/are recommendations made by the Niti Ayog?

A) Ministries and departments should set outcome based goals with timeline

B) Early promotion to the secretary level

C) Both (a) and (b)

D) Neither (a) nor (b)