Question

Choose the correct statement(s) regarding the All India Services.

1. The All India Services are controlled jointly by the Central and state governments, with ultimate control vested in the Central government.

2. The Indian Forest Service was created in 1966 under the All India Services Act, 1951.

3. Disciplinary action against All India Services officers can only be taken by the state governments.

• A. 1 and 2 only
• B. 1 and 3 only
• C. 2 and 3 only
• D. All of the above

Answer 1

Answer:

A. 1 and 2 only

All India Services (AIS)

• The All India Services (AIS) are a distinctive feature of India's federal system, comprising officers recruited by the Centre and allocated to various states. These officers serve both the Union and state governments.

• Presently, there are three All India Services: the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the Indian Police Service (IPS), and the Indian Forest Service (IFS).

Key Facts about All India Services:

• Recruitment and Training: Officers for all three All India Services are recruited by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) through a common competitive examination. They receive central training (e.g., LBSNAA for IAS, SVP NPA for IPS, IGNFA for IFS) before being allocated to different state cadres.

• Joint Control Mechanism: The AIS officers are under the joint control of both the Central Government and the State Governments. While they serve in the states and are accountable to the state administration for day-to-day functioning and immediate transfers, the ultimate control and major policy decisions regarding their service conditions, recruitment, and disciplinary matters rest with the Central Government.

• Constitutional Basis: Article 312 of the Indian Constitution empowers the Parliament to create new All India Services by law, provided the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) passes a resolution to that effect with a special majority (two-thirds of members present and voting). This highlights the federal nature and the states' involvement in their creation.

• The All India Services Act, 1951: This Act provides the legal framework for regulating the recruitment and conditions of service of persons appointed to the All India Services. It empowers the Central Government to make rules for these services in consultation with the state governments.

• Creation of the Indian Forest Service (IFS): The Indian Forest Service was indeed constituted in 1966 under the All India Services Act, 1951. Before this, only the IAS and IPS existed as All India Services.

• Disciplinary Action: Disciplinary action against All India Services officers is a complex process. While a state government can initiate disciplinary proceedings and impose minor penalties, major penalties like dismissal, removal, or compulsory retirement require the concurrence and final approval of the Central Government (specifically, the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Personnel and Training, which is the cadre controlling authority for IAS and IPS, and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for IFS). Therefore, the statement that disciplinary action can only be taken by state governments is incorrect.