National Civil Services Day is observed on April 21, every year, to celebrate all the civil servants who dedicate their lives to the cause of citizens. The day aims at renewing their commitments to public service and excellence in work.
Getting into civil services is one of the most sought-after dreams for Indians.
HISTORY
On April 21, 1947, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first Home Minister of Independent India, inaugurated the All India Services.
He gave a powerful speech at the All India Administrative Service Training School at Metcalfe House, Delhi. In his speech, he referred to civil servants as the ‘steel frame of India’.
Since then, the day commemorates the special occasion.
ABOUT THE DAY AND CIVIL SERVICES
The first celebration of Civil Services Day was held on April 21, 2006, at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
The civil service system is the backbone of the administrative machinery of the country. The civil service members do not take any pledge to any political ruling party. However, their responsibility involves being the executioners of the policies of the ruling party.
It consists of All India services and Central services. The central services consist of Group A and Group B services.
AWARDS
To mark Civil Services Day, the country rewards the ‘Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration’ to various officers to celebrate their work.
The ‘Prime Minister Award for Excellence in Public Administration’ is awarded in three categories-
Category 1: It comprises of eight northeastern states and the three hill states namely Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir.
Category 2: It consists of seven Union Territories.
Category 3: It consists of the rest of the eighteen states of India.
Under this scheme of awards instituted in 2006, all the officers individually or as a group or as an organization are eligible.
The award includes a medal, scroll and a cash amount of Rs 1 lakh. In the case of a group, the total award money is Rs 5 lakh subject to a maximum of Rs 1 lakh per person. For an organization, the cash amount is limited to Rs 5 lakh.
The award function is organized by the Department of the Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances and Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
FAMOUS WORDS FOR CIVIL SERVANTS
– “Indian Administrative Service is the steel frame of India” : Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
– “The civil servant is primarily the master of the short-term solution”: Indira Gandhi
– “The Prime Minister and the chief ministers are one team. The Cabinet Ministers and the State Ministers are another teams. The civil servants at the centre and the states are yet another team. This is the only way we can successfully develop India”: PM Narendra Modi
On Civil Services Day, tributes to the great Sardar Patel, who envisioned our administrative framework and emphasised on building a system that is progress-oriented and compassionate.
Sharing my speech from Civil Services Day in 2018. https://t.co/KANhpFsTkd
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 21, 2020
They are the change-makers, the implementers, the strategists- No policy that impacts people can be executed without their effective participation. NewsMobile salutes the resolve of many unsung heroes that silently serve the people.