SC: Fix the tenure of bureaucrats to immunize them from the Political Influence

The Supreme Court of India on 31 October 2013 directed the Government of India and the States to pass order within three months on giving the fixed tenure to civil servants. The Supreme Court has also directed to constitute a Civil Services Board at nation and state levels for management of the transfers, posting, reward, inquiries and process of promotion, punishment and disciplinary matters of bureaucracy. The decisions were taken to bring bureaucracy out from political interference and to give end to regular transfers of the civil servants from political executive.  

The Supreme Court bench headed by Justice K S Radhakrishnan said that the fixed tenure of the bureaucrats would help to promote the professionalism, efficiency and good governance.

The Parliament has been also directed by the Supreme Court to enact a law to regulate transfer, posting and disciplinary action on the IAS officers and to immunize them from political interference.

As the Supreme Court held that the condition of bureaucracy is deteriorated due to the interference from the political people. The court also said that the civil servants should not act on the verbal orders given by the political executives and all the actions taken by the political executives on the basis of written communication.

The Court directed on a petition submitted by 83 former civil servants, like former cabinet secretary T S R Subramanian, former Indian ambassador to the US Abid Hussain, former chief election commissioner, N Gopalaswami and others, demanding reforms to ensure bureaucracy to get them out from the political influences.