PM AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

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Context - The Prime Minister awarded Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration on Civil Services Day.

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The Prime Minister awarded the Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration on 21 April 2022.
The award ceremony was organized on the occasion of Civil Services Day, at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
PM Awards for Excellence in Public Administration has been initiated with a view to acknowledge the outstanding and creative work done by Districts/implementing units and Central/State organizations for the welfare of citizens.
Outstanding work done in the five identified priority programmes was awarded on Civil Services Day 2022:
- Promoting “Jan Bhagidari” or People’s Participation in Poshan Abhiyan.
- Promoting excellence in sports and wellness through the Khelo India scheme.
- Digital payments and Good Governance in PM SVANidhi Yojana.
- Holistic Development through One District One Product scheme.
- Seamless, End-to-End Delivery of Services without Human Intervention.

National Civil Service Day

21st April is celebrated as the national Civil Service Day as it marks the anniversary (21st April 1947) of the historic address given by the country’s 1st home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to the newly appointed administrative services officers.
- During the Speech, Sardar Patel had referred to the newly-appointed civil servants as the “steel frame of India”.
- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is regarded as the ‘Father of all-India Services’.
The country’s first National Civil Service Day event was organised on 21st April 2006 in New Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan. Since then this function has become an annual affair that celebrates the contributions of civil servants to the country's development.
On this day, Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration are awarded “to acknowledge, recognize and reward the extraordinary and innovative work done by Districts/ Organizations of the Central and State Governments".

Civil Services

In India, the Public Services or Civil Services are classified into 3 categories;
- All-India Services
- Central Services
- State Services
Articles 308 to 314 in part XIV of the Indian Constitution has provisions with regard to All-India Services, Central Services and State Services.
Article 309 authorizes the Parliament and the State legislatures to regulate the recruitment and the conditions of service of the persons appointed to public services and posts under the Centre and the states, respectively.
The Parliament or State legislature can impose ‘reasonable’ restrictions on the Fundamental Rights of public servants.
According to Article 310, members of the civil services of the Centre and the all-India services, hold office during the pleasure of the president.
- Members of the State civil services hold office during the pleasure of the State governor.
Article 311 provides two safeguards to civil servants against any arbitrary dismissal from their posts:
- A civil servant cannot be dismissed or removed by an authority subordinate to that by which he was appointed.
- A civil servant cannot be dismissed or removed or reduced in rank except after an inquiry in which he has been informed of the charges against him and given a reasonable opportunity of being heard.

All-India Services

These services are common to both Central and state governments.
The members of these services occupy top positions in both the Centre and the states.
At present, there are three all-India services;
- Indian Administrative Service (IAS)
- Indian Police Service (IPS)
- Indian Forest Service (IFS)
In 1947, the Indian Civil Service (ICS) was replaced by IAS, and the Indian Police (IP) was replaced by IPS.
- In 1966, the Indian Forest Service was established as the third all-India service.
The All-India Services Act of 1951 authorized the Central government to make rules in consultation with the state governments for the regulation of recruitment and service conditions of the members of All-India Services.
The members of these services are recruited and trained by the Central government but are assigned to different states for work.
- They belong to different state cadres; the Centre has no cadre of its own in this regard.
They serve the Central government on deputation and after completing their fixed tenure they go back to their respective states.
- The Central government obtains the services of these officers on deputation under the well-known tenure system.
Their salaries and pensions are met by the states.
The all-India services are controlled jointly by the Central and state governments.
- The ultimate control lies with the Central government while the immediate control is vested in the state governments.
Any disciplinary action (imposition of penalties) against these officers can only be taken by the Central government.
The Indian Parliament can create new All-India services if the Rajya Sabha passes a resolution with the support of two-thirds of the members present and voting.

Central Services

It comes under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Central government.
The Central services are classified into;
- Group A
- Group B
- Group C
- Group D
Group A and Group B are known as gazette officers while group C and group D are non-gazette.