The Moily Report

The principle of ‘perform or perish’ could soon apply to babudom as well. Non-performing senior bureaucrats are in danger of being booted out if the government accepts the recommendations of the second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC).The report proposed the sacking of government servants after 20 years of service if they are found to be unfit.Besides recommending a performance-based system for bureaucrats, the ARC has also come out with a number of radical suggestions for revamping the Civil Services Examination (CSE) system, including changing the age criteria, number of attempts and subject requirements at the graduation level for aspirants of IAS, IFS, IPS and other Group A and B central services. Suggesting new conditions of performance-based appointments and continuation of service, the report said all public servants should be subjected to two intensive reviews on completion of 14 years and 20 years of service.The ARC, headed by M Veerappa Moily, has for this purpose suggested bringing a new civil services law with provisions of performance-based continuation of service, accountability, and new system of promotion and cadre allotment. The 377-page report also talks about mandatory training at different stages of a civil servant’s career. Moily, while releasing the report, said, “Every government servant should undergo mandatory training at the induction stage and also periodically during his or her career. Successful completion of these trainings should be a minimum necessary condition for confirmation in service and subsequent promotions.’’ The objective of mid-career training should be to develop domain knowledge and competence required for the changing job profile of the officer, he said. The ARC, which has so far brought out nine reports on different subjects including public order, human resources and right to information, also recommends a new appraisal system for bureaucrats which, it said, should not only be transparent but also based on modern management techniques.Recommending a system of consultative appraisals, it said, “The government should expand the scope of the present performance appraisal system of its employees to a comprehensive performance management system.’’ The report said the annual performance agreements should be signed between the department minister and the secretary of the ministry or heads of departments, providing physical and verifiable details of the work to be done during a financial year. “The actual performance should be assessed by a third party,’’ it said.No guarantee of job beyond 20 years if performance is not up to mark .A Central Civil Services Authority to be set up to look into promotion, cadre allotment, foreign posting, accountability and tenures. All top posts to have specified tenure. Appraisal system should be more consultative, transparent.Performance appraisal should be year-round process.
For Civil Services aspirants: Permissible age for appearing in the Civil Services Exam should be 21 to 25 years for general candidates, 21 to 28 years for OBCs and 21 to 29 for SC/STs and physically challenged as against existing upper age limit of 30 for general, 33 for OBCs and 35 for SC/STs .Number of permissible attempts should be 3, 5, 6 and 6 for general, OBC, SC/ST and physically challenged as against existing 4, 7 and unlimited (subject to age limit) for general, OBC and SC/ST respectively. Number of short-listed candidates after preliminary exam should be two to three times of the number of vacancies .Prelim Exam—only one or two general studies papers (including Constitution of India, Indian legal system, Indian economy, polity, history and culture). There should be no optional subject—as is the current practice. Main Exam— Only compulsory subjects (2 papers) and essay (one paper); no optional subject. Currently, aspirants have to appear in two optional subjects — two papers each—besides essay and general studies