National Civil Services Day

 Happy National Civil Services Day

21 April as National Civil Services Day is celebrated since 21st April 2006. 

GG Warren Hastings founded the service for the British East India Company but it was shaped and organised  well by GG Charles Cornwallis (1786), who is considered the Father of Civil Services in India. ICS was introduced for India on the recommendation of Macaulay Committee Report (1854) (recruitment on merit through competitive examinations) and Satyendra Nath Tagore (brother of Rabindranath Tagore) became the first ICS of India. 

The provision of formation of Civil Service Commission in India was made in Govt of India Act 1919, followed by Lee Commission Report in 1924, and the first Public Service Commission was established on 1st October 1926 in Delhi. With the implementation of GOI Act 1935 from the 1st April 1937, it became Federal Public Service Commission. With the proclamation of Constitution of India, it became Union Public Service Commission from 26 January 1950. The UPSC Office at Dholpur House, New Delhi is the Temple of Development for the civil servants in India. 

Whether India is Federal or Union, the answer lies in the journey of the Commission. 

At the time of Independence, there was a demand from the provinces and from the politicians to abolished the AIS, the British heritage of power and exploration, and to leave the recruitment of the civil servants in the hands of the Provinces. But with the insightful intervention of Sardar Patel, he convinced the PM Pt. Nehru and the three civil services (Administrative, Police and Forest) continued with its All India Service status, to be recruited by UPSC and appointed by the President of India. It is to note that there was no dispute or oppose in continuing the Central Services of India existed in 1947. 

On 21 April 1947, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel addressed the first batch of IAS Officers  in Independent India. He referred to civil servants as the 'steel frame of India' in his inspiring speech.

Sardar Patel’s vision for the Civil Servant was “a civil servant can’t afraid to, and must not take part in politics. Nor must be involve himself in communal wrangles….must maintain utmost impartiality and incorruptibility of administration… the future of civil services depends on foundation and tradition laid down by the civil servants..through their character, abilities and spirit of service. 

Wishing you Happy National Civil Services Day  and Congratulations on becoming a building block of the great Nation of India. 🇮🇳 

Let’s follow the Vision of Sardar Patel in its letter and spirit. 

Punamchand 

21 April 2023