Prime Minister has greeted all civil servants and their families on the occasion of Civil Services Day. He said they are working round the clock, assisting those in need and ensuring everyone is healthy.
The Prime Minister paid tributes to Sardar Vallabhai Patel, who envisioned India's administrative framework and emphasized on building a system that is progress-oriented and compassionate.
When is it celebrated?
The Government of India celebrates April 21 every year as Civil Services day.
The first celebration of Civil Services Day was held on April 21, 2006, as Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
Why is it celebrated?
It was this day when Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first Home Minister of Independent India, gave an address to the probationers of Administrative Services Officers at Metcalf House, Delhi in the year 1947.
Since then, the day commemorates the special occasion. Sardar Patel aptly called the civil servants as the ‘steel frame of India’.
What are Civil Services?
The civil service system is the backbone of the administrative machinery of the country. It is the permanent executive branch of the Republic of India.
The policies and schemes are made by the government. The civil servants are the administrators. The civil servants are responsible for implementing all the government policies and schemes successfully up to the root level.
It consists of (IAS) Indian Administrative services, (IPS) Indian Police services, (IFS) Indian Foreign services along with central Group A and group B services.
What are the awards given on Civil Services Day?
On National Civil Services day, 'Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Public Administration' is awarded. A large number of districts across the country participate in this award program.
On National Civil Services day, the officers of central and state governments are awarded by the Prime Minister of India for their extraordinary services in the field of public administration.
The 'Prime Minister Award for Excellence in Public Administration 'is awarded in three categories:
Category 1: It comprises of eight northeastern states and the three hill states namely Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir.
Category 2: It consists of seven Union Territories
Category 3: It consists of the rest of the eighteen states of India.
Under this scheme of awards instituted in 2006, all the officers individually or as a group or as an organization are eligible.
The award includes a medal, scroll and a cash amount of Rs 1 lakh. In the case of a group, the total award money is Rs.5 lakh subject to a maximum of Rs.1 lakh per person. For an organization, the cash amount is limited to Rs.5 lakh.
The award function is organized by the Department of the Administrative Reforms and Public grievances and Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
Some quotes on national civil services day 2020
The civil servant is primarily the master of the short-term solution--Indira Gandhi
The Prime Minister and the chief ministers are one team. The Cabinet Ministers and the State Ministers are another team. The civil servants at the centre and the states are yet another team. This is the only way we can successfully develop India--Narendra Modi
With bad laws and good civil servants it's still possible to govern. But with bad civil servants even the best laws can't help--Otto von Bismarck
One of the keys to ensuring accountability is to have civil servants who witness fraud, waste and abuse to blow the whistle--Byron Dorgan
