After independence, neither the structure of administrative system nor its processes were conducive to the new socio-political order i.e., democratic polity and society. What Sardar Patel, basically an “integrationist”, did not visualize was that the Indian Administrative System cannot retain its old haggard “organisation” with change in complexion of polity.
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What Patel did was to retain the services without changing” methods and procedures” of recruitment and training of Indian Civil Services.
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What Sardar Patel did was to integrate all the I.C.S. into Indian Civil Services so that the “administrative machines” could move on without a halt, jolt or break, because at the crucial juncture, perhaps, it was the most suitable alternative system emanated from this “process of integration”. The mistake was best choice indeed but it should have been gradually rectified or remodified which was done neither by Nehru nor Indira.
The structure of Indian Civil Service must conform to the following:
1. Organisation structure of Indian civil service should conform to new political order and half social revolution.
2. Behaviour of Indian Administrators should-conform to democratic culture.
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3. Administrative culture should not be antagonistic to democratic political culture.
4. The style of working, the practice and procedures adopted by administrators should conform to democratic process and culture.
All the above mentioned four structural functional aspects are deficient, at present, in Indian administrative organisation.
Administrative reforms are highly essential but Indian political mind always remained adamant, at least, so far as the prevention part of reforms is concerned.
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“The entire process of development and nation-building hinges on the effectiveness of administrative reforms. Administrative reforms cover a wide gamut. They must cover policy, institutional, structural, procedural and behavioural aspects of administrative working”. Let us discuss now the ARC and its recommendations about government of India.
The only recommendation which could gain acceptance by the government was with regard to the Central Personnel Agency. In 1970, the union government set up a separate Department of Personnel, though, here too, it made minor changes in the functions which the commission had itself visualized for it.
