C. Role of Civil Services in Indian Democracy
- Give advice to political executives.
- Assist the political executive to: (a) Formulate policy (b) Implement policy.
- In any democracy, Ministers are responsible to the people through Parliament and therefore the civil servants have to be accountable to the Minister.
- However, an impartial civil service is responsible not only to the government of the day but
to the Constitution of the land to which they have taken an oath of loyalty. - At the same time, implementing the policies of the duly elected government is a core function of civil servants.
- Civil Servants (Eg: Secretaries) have the constitutional mandate to advice the political executives (ministers).
NB: Qualities expected from Civil Servants: Knowledge, experience, understanding of public affairs etc.