UPSC Recruitment Alert: Age limit, eligibility for IAS, IPS, other Civil Services to change; work outsourced? Details here

UPSC recruitment: If the Niti Aayog - Government of India's top think tank - get its way, then the recruitment process for IAS, IPS, IRS and other civil services will under go a massive change in the next few years.  In its "Strategy for New India @ 75" report, the Niti Aayog has recommended the government to undertake a number of changes to reform civil services. Take a look at some of the most important recommendations:  

- Age limit: The Aayog recommends that the upper age limit for the civil services should be brought down to 27 years for the general category. This should be done in a phased manner by 2022-23.

- Outsource service delivery: The report says, "Efforts need to be made to outsource service delivery to reduce dependence on the administrative machinery. Research is needed to identify possible services to be outsourced; various PPP models should be explored to determine the best possible mode of outsourcing."

- The Niti Aayog has urged the government to promote an officer-oriented culture and focus on expanding the numbers of officers. 

- The government has been asked to widely disseminate job descriptions and selection criterion and eliminate elements of arbitrariness. 

- Reduce the number of civil services: The Aayog has said the existing 60 plus separate civil services at the central and state level should be reduced. "Recruits should be placed in a central talent pool, which would then allocate candidates by matching their competencies and the job description of the post. Concomitantly, the number of exams for civil services should ideally be brought down to one with all India ranking. States may also be encouraged to use this pool for recruitments." 

- Lateral entry to civil cervices: The Niti Aayog has urged the government to encourage lateral entry to civil services. "Inducting specialists at higher levels of government will provide much needed expertise," it says. 

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- Nurture specialization: "The key to reform in the civil services is encouraging officers to cultivate specializations based on their education and skills early on in their careers. Wherever possible, longer tenure postings need to be made based on the officers’ expertise. However, it is also necessary to ensure cross-sector mobility for civil servants from areas where they have become surplus to areas of emerging importance," says the report. 

-  Mentoring young officers: The report says, "Upon induction, young officers should be assigned mentors, preferably with an officer having a similar functional specialization or with high-quality NGOs for values and softskill mentorship."

- Municipal corporation cadres: The report says that the number of staff at municipal corporations should be increased. "Measures that monitor performance along the same lines as proposed for other services, including through online appraisals and biometric attendance, need to be introduced."

The government has not reacted to the recommendations as of now.