In India, the public services, also known as civil services or government services, are categorized into three types: All India services, Central services, and State services.
All India Services
All India services serve both the Central and state governments. They include top positions under both the Central and state governments and the members rotate their service between them.
➤ Current Services: There are three All India services:
- Indian Administrative Service (IAS)
- Indian Police Service (IPS)
- Indian Forest Service (IFS)
- History: The Indian Civil Service (ICS) was replaced by IAS in 1947, and the Indian Police (IP) was replaced by IPS. The IFS was established in 1966 as the third All India service.
- Regulation: The All India Services Act of 1951 authorizes the Central government to create rules for recruitment and service conditions in consultation with state governments.
- Control: These services are controlled jointly by the Central and state governments. The ultimate control lies with the Central government, while immediate control is with the state governments. Any disciplinary action against the officers can only be taken by the Central government.
- Father of All India Services: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was a key advocate for All India services in the Constituent Assembly and is known as the "Father of All India Services."
Central Services
Central services personnel work exclusively under the Central government's jurisdiction. They hold specialized positions in various Central government departments.
- Classification: Initially, Central services were classified into Class-I, Class-II, subordinate, and inferior services. After Independence, these were renamed as Group A, Group B, Group C, and Group D, respectively.
- Groups:
➤ Group A and Group B consist of gazetted officers.
➤ Group C consists of clerical personnel, while Group D consists of manual workers.
- Prestige: Indian Foreign Service (IFS) is the highest Central service in terms of prestige, status, and pay. It competes with the All India services and ranks next to the IAS.
State Services
State services personnel work under the exclusive jurisdiction of the state government. They hold positions in various state departments.
- Positions: They occupy lower positions compared to the All India services in the administrative hierarchy.
- Services: Common state services include:
➤ Civil Service, Police Service, Forest Service, Agricultural Service, Medical Service, Veterinary Service, Fisheries Service, Judicial Service, Public Health Service, Educational Service, Co-operative Service, Registration Service, Sales Tax Service, Jail Service, and Service of Engineers.
- Classification: Like Central services, state services are categorized into four groups:
➤ Group A (Class I), Group B (Class II), Group C (Class III), and Group D (Class IV).