What is the Civil Services?
The term ‘Civil Services’ refer to a branch of government service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations.
What is the Civil Services?
The term ‘Civil Services’ refer to a branch of government service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations.
Thus, it is a body of government employees entrusted with the administration of the country and mandated to carry out the policy of the government of the day.
The Civil Services have three major functions i) It advises the government on policies ii) It helps prepare and draft new legislation and iii) It helps the government to run the country according to the legislation passed by the government.
The Civil Service executes government decisions and therefore plays a vital part in the government. It is split into a number of departments attached to a government department. A Cabinet minister heads one of these departments and those civil servants within that department are meant to work for that minister in carrying out government policy. Civil servants are not elected; they apply for a post in the Civil Service and any promotion within the Civil Service is dependent on decisions made within the Civil Service itself - not by the electorate. Appointments to these posts are based on very specific ability as opposed to background and gender. A civil servant is meant to be neutral in a professional sense. They might have their own political views, but these must not be allowed to interfere or jeopardize their work. While the civil servant works for the department (and therefore the government) he/she is in, there are a number of legally enforceable restrictions placed on all civil servants.
