CHENNAI: Several officers from the civil services, activists and political leaders condemned the Prime Minister Office’s (PMO) proposal to allocate service to those appointed to the civil services after completion of the foundation course. They called it a measure to handpick a ‘subservient’ bureaucracy, one that is ‘loyal’ to the ruling government. The duration of the foundation course for officers of almost all services is three months and takes place at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie. Currently, the service allocation for selected candidates is done on the basis of their performance in the civil services examination, conducted by the UPSC and is allotted much before the commencement of the foundation course.
The PMO has asked the departments concerned to assess if it was possible for selected candidates to be allocated a service after the completion of the foundation course.“This is an attempt by the BJP government to select their preferred candidates,” said retired IAS officer Christodas Gandhi. “They are trying to convert the Academy into a gurukul where those selected will go to any length to appease the selectors in a bid to get a good service.”Others too believed that the move was unnecessary and would be ‘dangerous’ for the functioning of the bureaucracy.
“This is an absurd and absolutely retrograde step,” retired IAS officer MG Devasagayam. “It is a devious attempt to capture and control the civil services. Objectivity is definitely a concern as this move provides the opportunity for candidates to be screened and assessed during the foundation course. Already, the UPSC is loaded in favour of the Hindi-speaking candidates. With this move, it will effectively wipe out a significant representation from south India as there is a very strong chance that those from the Hindi-speaking belt will be given preference.”
Further, there is the issue of reservation. Here too, there was a lot of confusion about how this move would affect that. While some officers said that it would not impact the intake as there is a fixed number that has to come from the marginalised sections, they did say that there is a possibility that those from different castes, religions and linguistic groups may be relegated to lower-ranking services.
Some even expressed their concern about the process of internal assessment and questioned how objectivity would be maintained as there was no clarity about what ‘performance’ would be judged during the foundation course. “It is a little premature to comment but I do not know how far objectivity can be maintained when there is an internal assessment,” said retired IAS officer CP Singh. However, some officers said it was not a move that can be implemented. “It is not possible legally,” said a senior IAS official on the condition of anonymity.