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Tuesday, September 23, 2025
TopicIndian Civil Services

Topic: Indian Civil Services

Nehru rejected it, Bose cracked it, RC Dutt served in it. Nationalists and the ICS

The Indian Civil Service was the British Empire’s steel frame, built to serve the Crown. Nationalists sat for the exam too — some quit, others stayed.

If you want an efficient all-India service, allow them to open their mouth freely—Sardar Patel

On 10 October 1949, during the Constituent Assembly debate, Vallabhbhai Patel strongly defended the civil services and the guarantees provided to them during the transfer of power from British rule.

A new breed of civil servants under Mission Karmayogi will take India to Amrit Kaal goals

Mission Karmayogi aims to fundamentally re-engineer the mechanisms of traditional Indian civil services to create a responsive, transparent, and accountable governance structure.

Indian civil services is short on women. It’s not the govt’s fault

Not only do fewer women apply for the Indian civil services examination, but they also tend to withdraw from the race as they age.

House panel flags surge in technocrats recruited for civil services, fewer candidates from humanities

Panel noted that above 70% of recruits in civil services nowadays are from technical streams and ‘allurement to become a civil servant’ is adversely affecting other fields.

Why has India’s steel frame turned laid back? Vinod Rai’s book talks modernising civil services

The book launch had a panel comprising decorated members from politics and civil services. And Jaishankar turned the 'specialists versus generalists' debate on its head.

Govt to form panels of retired IAS officers to probe complaints against serving ones

Committees to conduct departmental inquiries into complaints of corruption, disproportionate assets & violation of service rules that PMO & other ministries get through different channels.

Bhutan’s performance-based pay for civil servants revives debate over similar policy in India

Bhutan's Pay Structure Bill says performance-based incentives can go up to 100% of basic pay. But in India, similar policy mooted by 7th Pay Commission is still in cold storage.  

‘What Next’ for UPSC-negatives? Indians with wasted youth don’t want to return empty-handed

While the passionate preparatory struggle of India's UPSC aspirants is widely acknowledged, their years after the negative result is spent in quiet solitude, loss of esteem, even shame.

On Camera

Bads of Bollywood can’t get more brazenly nepo. The joke’s on us

After watching the most discussed series on Netflix, I was planning to write an asterisk-heavy column. As a tribute to the asterisks in its...

Market regulator SEBI clears Adani Group of impropriety alleged by Hindenburg Research

SEBI probe concluded that purported loans and fund transfers were paid back in full and did not amount to deceptive market practices or unreported related party transactions.

India takes a relook at Russian Su-57, but not for its stealth. Here’s why

India exited the Indo-Russian FGFA programme in 2018. But now it might procure at least 2 squadrons of Su-57 aircraft from Russia and evaluate Russian proposal to manufacture them in India.

India doesn’t give walkovers to Pakistan in war. Here’s why it shouldn’t do it in cricket either

Many really smart people now share the position that playing cricket with Pakistan is politically, strategically and morally wrong. It is just a poor appreciation of competitive sport.