The Civil Services Day celebrates the contribution of India’s civil servants in the field of public service. Celebrated every year on April 21, this day reminds the civil servants to recommit and rededicate themselves to the cause of the nation and citizens.
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Why is Civil Services Day Celebrated?
Civil Services Day is celebrated to recognize the contribution of civil servants in the field of public service. It also recognizes their excellence in work. After independence, the first Home Minister of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, gave a vision of national development and addressed the newly appointed probationers of civil services. That day was April 21, 1947, and the place was Metcalf House, New Delhi. Since then, the civil servants have contributed with integrity and hard work in the development process of India.
A nation must recognize the contribution of all men who toil for the service and welfare of their country. In this background, the Government of India decided to celebrate National Civil Services Day on April 21 every year. The first civil services day was observed and held in Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, on April 21, 2006.
Civil Services Day aims to motivate civil servants to make them better administrators.
Importance of Civil Services Day
Civil servants are the steel frame of India. They have contributed immensely to the cause of nation-building. It is important to recognize their contribution and excellence in work through felicitation and awards. Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration is awarded on civil services day.
- This award recognizes the hard work of Districts/Implementing Units to implement the government priority program.
- The award function on civil services day is an important platform to connect and bring together civil servants from all over the country.
- It also helps them learn and understand that they should implement good practices in public service and grievance redressal across the country.
- It reminds civil servants of appreciation, evaluation, and introspection as tools to make better public administrators.
- One of the important functions of Civil Services Day is to inspire youth to choose civil services as a career.
Read More: Can an Average Student Crack IAS?
How to Serve the Nation by Becoming a Civil Servant
Civil services, including the Indian Administrative Service, are some of the prestigious services in India. A person who becomes an Indian Administrative Service officer functions in various high-level management roles under the offices of the Government of India and state governments.
The posts of district collectors, divisional commissioners, secretaries, and other high-level offices are for the IAS officers. Even the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), and Chairman of various public sector undertakings are mostly appointed from the members of IAS.
The above discussion shows that the civil servants in India enjoy a rare and exclusive opportunity to serve in higher echelons of administration.
To become a civil servant, you have to apply for the UPSC examination and should follow all the eligibility criteria for the UPSC examination:
- A person must qualify for the entrance exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
- The UPSC conducts the Civil Services Examination every year (once a year) to fulfill posts under various services falling under the purview of this commission.
- Some of the services included are Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Railways Service, and Indian Postal Service, etc.
- The examination is of 3 levels and comprises preliminary, mains, and personality tests.
- The preliminary exam consists of two objective-type multiple-choice papers.
- The Mains examination tests the depth of the understanding of subjects and is a subjective written test. It consists of 9 question papers. Then comes the personality test, which is a type of face-to-face viva-voce.
- The vacancies for the civil services posts vary according to the requirements of the government, and generally, 600-1100 posts are there.
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The role of UPSC in Civil Service
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is an independent constitutional body to conduct exams to appoint candidates to the All-India Services, central services, and various public services of the Union Territories in India. It appoints candidates to various Group A and Group B services. It is the “watchdog of the merit system” in public appointments.
If you want to become a civil servant in India, you must qualify for the UPSC examination.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Q 1. Why is Civil Services Day celebrated?
Answer: Civil Services Day is celebrated to celebrate the contribution of civil servants in the field of public service. It also recognizes their excellence in work.
Q 2. When did civil services start in India?
Answer: A merit-based modern civil service in India was introduced in 1854. It was based on the recommendation of Lord Macaulay’s Report of the Select Committee of British Parliament. It recommended a permanent, merit-based system to be filled by competitive examination.
Q 3. Why do we celebrate Civil Service Day on April 21?
Answer: India celebrates Civil Services Day on April 21 every year. The first Home Minister of independent India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, addressed the new probationers of various administrative services in 1947. To recognize that historic day India celebrates this day on April 21.
Q 4. What is the importance of Civil Services Day?
Answer: Civil servants are the steel frame of India. They have contributed immensely to the cause of nation-building. It is important to recognize their contribution and excellence in work through felicitation and awards.
