Public Services - Clarity Desk Hub IAS

The Indian Constitution recognises that no government can function without a permanent, professional administrative machinery.
This machinery is what we call Public Services or Civil Services.

To understand them systematically, public services in India are classified into three broad categories:

All-India Services
Central Services
State Services

Let us explore them one by one.

All-India Services

These are the most unique services in India’s administrative structure.
Their defining feature is that they are common to both the Centre and the States.

Key Principle

Members of All-India Services serve:

Under the Central Government (on deputation)
Under the State Government (as part of a state cadre)
—by turns.

This dual control is what gives All-India Services a distinct federal character.

The Three All-India Services

At present, India has three All-India Services:

Indian Administrative Service (IAS)
Indian Police Service (IPS)
Indian Forest Service (IFoS)

Historical Background

In 1947, ICS was replaced by IAS, and IP was replaced by IPS.
In 1966, Indian Forest Service (IFoS) was created as the third All-India Service.

Thus, only three services enjoy this constitutional status today.

Constitutional Provision: Article 312

Article 312 empowers:

Parliament → to create new All-India Services
BUT only if Rajya Sabha passes a resolution first

Why Rajya Sabha?

Because Rajya Sabha represents the states.
So this safeguard ensures that any new All-India Service is created with the concurrence of states.

Important note:

Rajya Sabha’s resolution does not itself create the service.
Parliament must pass a law to actually establish it.

Constituent Assembly Debates

Initially, the Draft Constitution had no mention of All-India Services.
But due to the strong advocacy of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, provisions were added for:

Constitutional status to All-India Services
Power to create new AIS

Patel firmly believed that a unified, impartial civil service was essential to national integration.
Hence he is often called:

👉 “Father of the All-India Services”

All-India Services Act, 1951

This Act authorised the Central Government to:

Frame rules on recruitment
Regulate service conditions

But this must be done in consultation with the state governments.

Training and Cadres

Officers are recruited and trained by the Centre (through UPSC).
They are then allocated to a state cadre (for example, Bihar cadre, Kerala cadre).
The Centre itself does not have a cadre of its own.
Officers come to the Centre on deputation through a fixed tenure system.

Important Feature

Even though they are posted in different states:

👉 Each All-India Service is ONE unified service with common rights, status, and uniform pay scales nationwide.

All three are Class-I (Group-A) services.

Categories / Scales within All-India Services

AIS officers move through three broad levels:

Junior scale
Senior scale
Super time scale

They begin at the junior level and progress through senior to super time scale with experience.

Administrative Control

Control is joint, but divided between Centre and States:

State Government

Immediate control
Supervision of day-to-day work
Pays salary and pension

Central Government

Ultimate control
Discipline and penalties
(Only the Centre can take disciplinary action against AIS officers.)

This arrangement ensures balance in India’s federal structure.

State Cadres: 26 in Total

There are 26 cadres, including two joint cadres:

Assam–Meghalaya
AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh–Goa–Mizoram–Union Territories)

Officers allotted to AGMUT serve rotationally across multiple territories and UTs.

Central Services

Unlike All-India Services, Central Services work exclusively under the Union Government.

They handle → Functional, Technical, Professional, Domain-specialist roles across Central ministries and departments.

Most Central Services are managed by their respective ministries, but broad personnel policy is framed by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions—the nodal personnel agency of the Union.

Evolution of Classification

Before Independence:

Class I, Class II, Subordinate, and Inferior Services

After Independence:

First Pay Commission (1946–47) →
Renamed Subordinate/Inferior services as Class III & Class IV

Later:

Third Pay Commission (1970–73) →
Reclassified everything into:
- Group A
- Group B
- Group C
- Group D

This is the present system.

Central Services Categories

Group A

Highest level of Central Services
Gazetted officers
Policy-making, leadership, technical and administrative roles

Group B

Also gazetted in many cases
Supervisory and intermediate roles

Group C

Clerical and support personnel
Non-gazetted

Group D

Manual staff
Non-gazetted
(Note: Many Group D roles have been upgraded due to pay commission reforms.)

Group A Central Services (66 in total)

Some major ones include:

Indian Foreign Service
Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax)
Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Indirect Taxes)
Indian Audit and Accounts Service
Indian Railway Services (multiple engineering & accounts branches)
Indian Defence Accounts Service
Indian Information Service
Indian Economic Service
Indian Statistical Service
Indian Corporate Law Service
Central Labour Service
Central Health Service
…and many more.

Most Group A services also have a corresponding Group B feeder service.

Gazetted vs non-Gazetted

Group A & B → Gazetted
Group C & D → Non-Gazetted

Special Note: Indian Foreign Service (IFS)

IFS is the topmost Central Service in:

Prestige
Status
Pay scale
Emoluments

It competes closely with the All-India Services in terms of standing.

Its officers serve in:

Embassies
High Commissions
Consulates
Permanent Missions abroad

IFS is managed by the Ministry of External Affairs.

State Services

State Services consist of personnel who work entirely under the jurisdiction of State Governments.

They are equivalent to Central Services, but at the state level.

Nature & Position in Administrative Hierarchy

State Services handle general, functional, technical, medical, engineering, judicial and various administrative roles within state departments.
However, in hierarchy, they occupy lower positions than All-India Services officers (IAS, IPS, IFoS).

This means that while a state’s top administration is led by AIS officers, the backbone of day-to-day governance is actually run by State Service officers.

Types of State Services (common across most states)

These include:

Civil (Administrative) 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
Engineering Services

Every service is prefixed with the state’s name (e.g., Rajasthan Administrative Service, Tamil Nadu Police Service).

Among these, the State Civil Service (or administrative service) is the most prestigious.

Classification of State Services

Like Central Services, State Services are divided into:

Class I (Group A)
Class II (Group B)
Class III (Group C)
Class IV (Group D)

Gazetted vs Non-Gazetted:

Class I & Class II → Gazetted
Class III & Class IV → Non-gazetted

Difference:

Gazetted officers’ appointments, transfers, promotions, retirements are published in the State Gazette.
Non-gazetted employees’ details are not published.

Gazetted officials enjoy certain privileges not available to non-gazetted staff.

Promotion of State Service Officers to All-India Services

The All-India Services Act, 1951 mandates:

States must fill up to 33⅓% senior posts in IAS, IPS, and IFoS through promotion from State Services.
Promotion is based on recommendations of a selection committee headed by:
- UPSC Chairman or
- A Member of UPSC

This creates a channel for capable state officers to rise into AIS.

Constitutional Provisions (Articles 308–314)

These Articles form the constitutional foundation for all public services (AIS, Central, and State).

Let’s understand them:

Article 309 → Recruitment & Service Conditions

Article 309 gives:

Parliament → power to legislate on recruitment & service conditions for Central Services
State Legislatures → same power for State Services

Until laws are made:

President (for Centre)
Governor (for State)
may make rules on these matters.

What do “conditions of service” include?

Everything from:

Pay, allowances, increments
Leave, tenure, transfers
Promotion, deputation
Disciplinary actions
Work hours, holidays
Pension, provident fund, gratuity

Restrictions on Fundamental Rights of Public Servants

To ensure integrity, discipline, neutrality, efficiency:

Service rules (e.g., Central Civil Services Conduct Rules) can impose “reasonable restrictions” on employees.

For example:

Restrictions on political activity
Duty of secrecy
Prohibition of public criticism of government
Rules on accepting gifts or joining private employment

These ensure a neutral and professional civil service.

Article 310 → Tenure of Office (Doctrine of Pleasure)

Civil servants hold office:

At the pleasure of the President (for Central & AIS officers)
At the pleasure of the Governor (for State officers)

This means the government can dismiss them, but this power is not absolute, because Article 311 provides safeguards.

Exception: Special Contract Appointments

If a person is appointed on a special contract because of unique qualifications, and:

Their post is abolished during contract period, or
They are required to vacate the post without misconduct

→ The President/Governor may pay compensation.

Condition:
This applies only to new entrants—not existing civil servants.

Article 311 → Safeguards to Civil Servants

This Article places two major restrictions on the doctrine of pleasure.

Safeguard 1

A civil servant cannot be dismissed or removed by an authority subordinate to the one who appointed them.

Safeguard 2

A civil servant cannot be:

dismissed
removed, or
reduced in rank

without an inquiry, where:

Charges are communicated
Reasonable opportunity to be heard is given

These safeguards apply only to:

Civil servants of Centre
All-India Services
Civil servants of states
Persons holding civil posts

Not applicable to:

Defence services
Military posts

Exceptions for safeguard 2: When Inquiry is NOT Required

Inquiry may be skipped in three cases:

Conviction
If the employee is convicted on a criminal charge.
Impracticability
If the disciplinary authority believes inquiry is not practical (must record reasons in writing).
Security of the State
If the President/Governor thinks inquiry is against national security.

Removal of “Second Opportunity” (42nd Amendment)

Earlier, civil servants were given:

Opportunity during inquiry
Second opportunity to represent against the proposed penalty

The 42nd Amendment Act, 1976 abolished this second opportunity.

Now:

Punishment can be imposed directly based on inquiry findings.

Supreme Court Interpretation: Components of “Reasonable Opportunity”

The Court clarified that reasonable opportunity includes:

Right to deny guilt and see charges + evidence
Right to cross-examine witnesses and present one’s own evidence
Right to receive inquiry officer’s report before disciplinary authority decides the penalty

This ensures fairness.

Article 312 → All-India Services

Key features:

(i) Creation of New AIS

Parliament may create a new All-India Service only if:

Rajya Sabha passes a resolution
Supported by two-thirds of members present and voting
Declaring such creation is in national interest

This protects the federal balance since states work directly with AIS officers.

(ii) Parliament Can Regulate Service Conditions

Using the All-India Services Act, 1951.

(iii) Recognition of IAS & IPS

IAS and IPS existing in 1950 are deemed to be created under Article 312.

(iv) All-India Judicial Service

The Article allows creation of an all-India judicial service, but:

Must be equivalent or above District Judge level
Law creating it will not be treated as a constitutional amendment

Important:
Despite the provision (added by the 42nd Amendment), no such service exists yet.

Articles related to Public Services

Article No.	Subject-matter
308.	Interpretation
309.	Recruitment and conditions of service of persons serving the Union or a state
310.	Tenure of office of persons serving the Union or a state
311.	Dismissal, removal or reduction in rank of persons employed in civil capacities under the Union or a state
312.	All-India Services
312A.	Power of Parliament to vary or revoke conditions of service of officers of certain services
313.	Transitional provisions
314.	Provision for protection of existing officers of certain services (Repealed)