Baswan Committee, Background, Recommendations, Significance

The Baswan Committee was set up by the Government of India to review and improve the civil services system in the country. It was formed to study how the overall functioning of civil services could be made more effective and better suited to the needs of modern governance. The committee was headed by B.S. Baswan, a former UPSC Chairman, focused on making the system more efficient, transparent, and responsive to people. Its suggestions aimed at bringing reforms so that government institutions can function better and serve the public more effectively.

Baswan Committee Background

• The committee was formed in August 2015 at a time when there were growing concerns that the Civil Services Examination had become lengthy, complex, and uneven, especially due to differences in optional subjects, high age limits, and multiple attempts, which created imbalance among candidates from different educational and social backgrounds.
• It carefully studied the entire examination process, including prelims, mains, and interview stages, and submitted its report in August 2016 to the government, after which it was sent to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) for further consideration and possible reforms.

Baswan Committee Key Recommendations

• • Age Limit Reduction: The committee recommended reducing the upper age limit (then 32 years for general category) so that candidates can enter civil services at a younger age, which would help in building a more energetic, long-serving, and adaptable administrative workforce.
  • Removal of Optional Subject: It suggested removing the optional subject paper from the mains examination because different subjects created scoring differences and gave unfair advantages to some candidates, thereby affecting the principle of a level playing field.
  • Changes in Exam Structure: The committee reviewed the structure of the exam, including the number of papers and evaluation methods, and suggested simplifying the pattern, improving transparency, and focusing more on testing practical knowledge, analytical ability, and problem-solving skills rather than rote learning.
  • Fixing IAS Intake: It recommended that the number of IAS officers recruited each year should be kept around 180, as increasing the intake beyond this level could affect the quality of candidates and also put pressure on training capacity at institutions like the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA).

• Additional Suggestions

• • The committee emphasized the need to improve the overall quality of civil servants by focusing more on ethics, decision-making ability, leadership skills, and administrative aptitude so that selected candidates are better prepared for real-life governance challenges.
  • It also highlighted the importance of better training, periodic performance evaluation, and continuous capacity building of civil servants even after recruitment, so that they remain efficient, accountable, and responsive to public needs.

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Baswan Committee Significance

• The Baswan Committee is significant because it brought major attention to the need for reforms in the Civil Services Examination system and highlighted key issues like fairness, efficiency, and quality of selection.
• Its recommendations started an important debate on UPSC reforms, especially regarding optional subjects, age limits, and exam structure, and even though many suggestions have not been fully implemented, they continue to influence discussions on improving the recruitment system for civil services in India.