India\'s Bureaucracy Is Considered One

India's bureaucracy is considered one of the most corrupt and confusing of all developed countries.

The term 'civil service' first came into effect with Britain's designation of employees of the East India Company who were initially engaged in trading. In 1858 the British occupiers gave these civil servants full administrative authority under the Indian Civil Services.

When the 'Rule of the Crown' replaced that of the "Rule of Company Bahadur," a bureaucratic hierarchical structure was established in India with the secretary of State for India ruling from Britain. Beneath him was the Viceroy and Governor General of India, and just below him the Provincial governors. Just below them came the Governors / Chief Commissioners, and then the Collectors / magistrates (or Deputy Commissioners) followed by other civil servants in regressive order of importance who occupied the lowest rung of this four-tiered bureaucratic ladder.

The Viceroy and the Governor General lived on Indian ground and controlled total provincial and local administration. The public services were under the control of the Secretary of State, but it was the Governor General of India who lay down the policies of government administration and reform that he termed 'Resolutions'.

The other different personnel / civil servants on the varying echelons of the ladder were in charge of controlling and supervising the running of their distinct district, locality, or other region or area as advised and commanded by echelons of British bureaucracy above them. At first, directors of the Company nominated higher civil servants, but the British Civil Service Commission was established in 1855 and it chose civil servants based on merit and academic privilege. All in all, the civil servants selected were accountable to the British rather than to the local Indian citizens and they inspired awe and intimidation in the Indian people rather than admiration and love. The highest echelons of rulership became known as 'Raj' and were distinguished by a control that was based on repression and fear.

The post 1919 era saw the emergence of Gandhi and the Congress that replaced British rule, as well as -- and contrary to Gandhi's attempts -- embracing of violence by some parties in order to gain independence.

India achieved her independence in 1947, but with it came a host of unexpected difficulties that the newborn country, until then dependent on Britain, had difficulties coming to grips with. These included development administration and promoting rapid socio-economic progress in a country that undergoing economic stress.

The state services were constructed according to departments and were divided into a descending level of four groups: Group A, B, C, and D. each distinguished by the responsibility of its work and the qualifications of its performers.

Group A -- the most important -- is the general administrative service whose members are annually promoted into the IAS. The higher civil servants generally come from the urban middle class with representation from rural populations being imbalanced. Add to this is the fact that discrimination is routinely practiced in appointment to civil service position with those from certain castes and tribes being ignored. More so, the fact that members of the civil service are paid in proportionate to their contributions (as are doctors and engineers) is one of the factors that continues to contribute to bureaucratic muddle and slowness as well as corruption with low motivation and morale being a result.