- The Comptroller and Auditor General of India is appointed by the The procedure and the grounds for his removal from office are the same as for a Supreme Court Judge. He is not eligible for further office under the Union or a State government after he ceases to hold his office.
- The accounts of the Union and of the States shall be kept in such form as the President may, on the advice of the CAG, prescribe.
- The reports of the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India relating to the accounts of the Union shall be submitted to the President, who shall cause them to be laid before each House of Parliament.
- The reports of the CAG of India relating to the accounts of a State shall be submitted to the Governor of the State, who shall cause them to be laid before the Legislature of the State.
- The duties, powers and conditions of service of the Comptroller and Auditor-General have been specified by the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (Duties, Powers and Conditions of Service) Act, 1971.
- Provision was made in Article 312 of the Constitution for creation of one or more All India Services common to the Union and State.
- The Indian Administrative Service and the Indian Police Service are deemed to be constituted by the Parliament in terms of Article 312 of the Constitution.
- After the promulgation of the Constitution, a new All India Service, namely, the Indian Forest Service was created in 1966.
- A common unique feature of the All India Services is that the members of these services are recruited by the Centre but their services are placed under various State cadres and they have the liability to serve both under the State and the Centre.
- The Constitution provides for an independent body known as Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for recruitment to Group ‘A’ and Group ‘B’ Gazetted posts under Central Government and for advice in various service matters.
- The Chairman and Members of the Commission are appointed by the President for tenure of six years or till they attain the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
- To ensure independence, the chairman after completion of tenure is not eligible for any further employment either under the Government of India or Government of a State.
- The Members are also covered by the above provision but they are eligible for appointment as chairman of Union Public Service Commission or State Public Service Commission.
- The UPSC conducts various examinations every year for the recruitment of Group ‘A’ and ‘B’ posts. Some of the important examinations are Civil Services Examination, Combined Defence Services Examination, Combined Medical Services, Engineering Services, Indian Forest Service, Indian Economic / Indian Statistical Services.
- Second ARC in its 10th Report in November, 2008 on the subject “Refurbishing of Personnel Administration” has given various recommendations on Civil services Reforms.
- Inter-cadre deputation is permissible to All India Service officers on completion of their nine years of service and before attaining promotion to super-time scale in his/her own home cadre.
- Inter-cadre transfer is normally permissible to an All India Service officer on the ground of his / her marriage to another officer of the All India Services. Other grounds for cadre transfer of All India service officers is ’extreme hardship’ which includes (a) threat to the life of the officer or his immediate family and (b) severe health problems to the officer or his immediate family due to the climate or environment of the state to which he is allotted.
- In the case of lady officers borne in North Eastern cadres marry officer borne in another cadre, the lady officer is mandatorily transferred to her spouse’s cadre if she so requests except her home cadre. All India service officers belonging to North Eastern cadre may be allowed transfer of cadre to any other cadre in the North-East in relaxation of the existing conditions subject to availability of vacancy in the insider quota.
- Articles 341 and 342 of the Constitution define as to who would be the SCs and the STs with respect to any State or Union Territory.
- The representation of OBCs in the services is low for the reasons that reservation for OBCs has started only in 1993.
