Saturday, April 20, 2013

Supernatural Beings in India

1. bhoot or bhut 
is a supernatural creature, usually the ghost of a deceased person, in the popular culture, literature and some ancient texts of the Indian subcontinent.[1] Interpretations of how bhoots come into existence vary by region and community, but they are usually considered to be perturbed and restless due to some factor that prevents them from moving on (to transmigration, non-being, nirvana, or heaven or hell, depending on tradition). This could be a violent death, unsettled matters in their lives, or simply the failure of their survivors to perform proper funerals.[1]
Naming :
Bhūta is a Sanskrit term that carries the connotations of "past" and "being"[2] and, because it is descended from "one of the most wide-spread roots in Indo-European — namely, *bheu/*bhu-", has similar-sounding cognates in virtually every branch of that language family, e.g., Irish (bha), English (be), Latvian (but) and Persian (budan).[3][4]
In Urdu/HindiPunjabiKashmiriBengaliSindhi and other languages of the northern subcontinent, the concept of bhoots is extensively used in idiom. To be "ridden by the bhoot of something" (bhoot sawaar hona) means to take an obsessive interest in that thing or work unrelentingly towards that goal. Conversely, to "dismount a bhoot" (bhoot utaarna) means to break through an obsession or see through a false belief that was previously dearly held.[5][6] "To look like a bhoot" (bhoot lagna) means to look disheveled and unkempt or to dress ridiculously. A house or building that is untidy, unmaintained or deserted when it should not be is sometimes pejoratively called a bhoot bangla.[7]
Characteristics:
Bhoots are able to alter and assume forms of various animals at will, but are usually seen in human form.[8] However, their feet often reveal them to be ghosts, as they are backwards facing.[9] As the earth is regarded as sacred or semi-sacred in many traditions of the Indian subcontinent, bhoots go to lengths to avoid contact with it, often floating above it, either imperceptibly or up to a foot above.[9] Bhoots cast no shadows, and speak with a nasal twang.[10] They often lurk on specific trees and prefer to appear in white clothing.[11] Sometimes bhoots haunt specific houses (the so-called bhoot banglas, i.e. bhootbungalows), which are typically places where they were killed or which have some other significance to the bhoot.[12]
Many ghost stories in the region combine these elements. For instance, they might involve a protagonist who fails to flee or take countermeasures when they run across a bhoot. Instead, they unwittingly accept the bhoot's companionship (e.g., makes the ghost a companion as he/she walks through a forest, picks up the ghost in his car because it looks like an attractive woman waiting by the roadside at night). They become progressively aware that their companion is dressed entirely in white and has a funnily nasal voice, before the horrifying realization dawns on them that their companion's feet are turned backwards, or he/she is not casting a shadow in the moonlight, or is walking without actually touching the ground. Bhoots are said to seek out milk and immerse themselves in it. Consuming bhoot-contaminated milk is considered a typical route for bhoot-possession of humans, which has also been a frequent plot element in bhoot stories.[10]
A particular kind of bhoot, that of a woman that died during pregnancy or childbirth, is known as a churail (dakini in Nepal and eastern India). Churails look like human women, but their feet are turned backwards or other features are turned upside down. They can change their forms at any time. Churails often try to lure young men at road crossings and fields or similar places. If a man is enamored of achurail, it is believed that she will cause his death. There are, however, stories of people living with a churail, or even marrying one.

2. Ghosts in Bengali culture

Ghosts are an important part of folklore in BengalFairy tales, both old and new often use the concept of ghosts. In modern day Bengali literature as well, references to ghosts may be often found. It is believed that the spirits of those who cannot find peace in the afterlife or die unnatural deaths remain on Earth. The common word for ghosts in Bengali is bhut or bhoot (Bengali: ভূত). This word has an alternative meaning: 'Past' in Bengali. Also the word Pret (Sanskrit) is used in Bengali to mean ghost.
In Bengal, ghosts are believed to be the spirit after death of an unsatisfied human being or a soul of a person who dies in unnatural or abnormal circumstances (like murder, suicide or accident). Even it is believed that other animals and creatures can also be turned into ghost after their death.
Usually after the death there are some Hindu rituals that are used to follow in Bengal which ends with a holy food offerings (called ‘Pindodaan’) to the spirit of the dead person. This final ritual is done at Pret Pahar (Mountain of Spirits) in Gaya, Bihar. It is believed that if this final ritual remains incomplete the spirit cannot leave this mortal world for heaven and haunts their relatives to complete it.
Types of ghosts
There are many kinds of ghost believed in Bengali Culture. Few are referred here:
  • Petni: Petni are basically female ghosts who have some unsatisfied desires such as dying unmarried. This word originated from the Sanskrit word Pretini (feminine gender of Pret). They can take any appearance even as male. It is a ghost of usually those who committed crimes in life and are cursed to walk the Earth as ghosts. The Petni can be very vicious, and apparently can appear to be almost completely human until they attack. The only distinguishing characteristic of the ghost is the feet – the feet of Petni are backwards.
  • Shankhchunni: The word "Shankhchunni" comes from the Sanksrit word Shankhachurni. It is a ghost of a married woman who usually wears a special kind of bangles made of Shell (called ‘Shankha’ in Bengali) in their hands which is a sign of married woman in Bengal. Shankhchunni usually haunts the rich married women so that they can enjoy a married life and can satisfy all their desires just like a married woman. People say that they live in mango trees.
  • Chorachunni: thief ghost, very mischievous and usually the souls of dead thieves.
  • Penchapechi: An unusual form of ghost. The Penchapechi take the form of owls and hunt in the forests of Bengal. It follows hapless travelers through the woods until they are completely alone, and then it strikes. Unlike other ghosts, the Penchapechi actually consumes its victims, feeding on their body in an almost vampiric way.
  • Mechho Bhoot: This is a kind of ghost who likes to eat fish. The word Mechho comes from Machh that means fish in Bengali. Mechho Bhoot usually lives near to the village ponds or lakes which are full of fish. Sometimes they steal fish from kitchens in village households or from the boats of fishermen.
  • Maal: This is a mermaid like creature which dwells in the rivers and lakes of Bangladesh. It drags unsuspecting people into the water, drowning them.
  • Nishi: One of the most cruel of ghosts, the Nishi lures its victim to a secluded area by calling to the person with the voice of a loved one. The Nishi only strike at night, and their victims are never seen again, so it is unknown what happens to them. They may become Nishi themselves. According to folklore, the Nishi cannot call out more than twice, and so no one should answer a voice at night until it has called three times.
  • Gechho Bhoot: It is a kind of ghosts lives in trees. The word "Gechho" comes from "Gaachh" which means tree in Bengali language.
  • Bramhadaitya: These are one of the most popular and less harmful categories of ghosts in Bengal. It is the ghost of holy Brahmin. Usually they appear wearing a traditional Dhoti (Bengali dress for men) and the holy thread on their body. They are very kind and helpful to human being as depicted in many Bengali stories and movies.
  • Aleya: Marsh gas apparitions that confuse fishermen, make them lose their bearings and eventually drown
  • Begho Bhoot: This is a ghost of those person who are killed or eaten by the tigers in jungle. Mainly in Sundarban area (in West BengalIndia) which is a Royal Bengal Tiger Sanctuary, the villagers believe in this kind of ghost. These ghosts use to frighten persons who entered the jungle in search of honey or woods and try to put them in front of tigers. Sometimes they do the mimicry of tigers to terrify the villagers.
  • Skondhokata or Kondhokata: It is a headless ghost. Usually the spirit of those persons who died by cutting their heads in train accident or else. This kind of ghost always searches their missing heads and pleads others to help them to search it. Sometimes they attack the humans and make them slaves to search their lost heads.
  • Kanabhulo: This is a ghost which hypnotize one person and takes him to some unknown places. The victim instead of going into his house or the destination goes to another place which is silent and eerie. After going to that place the ghost kills the person. The victim in this case looses his sense. Generally these types of ghost strikes in night in villages. The victims were generally single person or separated from group.
  • Dainee: This is what we called witch in English language. Dainee are not actually soul or spirit rather living beings. Usually in villages of Bengal old suspicious women who know mumbo-jumbo and other witchcrafts or black magic are considered as Dainee. It is believed that the Dainee kidnaps children and kills them and sucks their blood to survive 100 of years.
  • Betaal: This is a fictional ghostly character found in a series of 25 stories named "Betaal Panchvimshati". The hero of this series is king Vikramaditya, the legendary emperor of Ujjain, India. He tries to capture and hold on to Betaal that tells a puzzling tale and ends it with a question for the king. But the condition is the kind should walk without uttering a word, otherwise Betaal would fly back to its place. The king can be quiet only if he does not know the answer, else his head would burst into pieces. Unfortunately, the king discovers that he knows the answer to every question; therefore the cycle of catching Betaal and letting it escape continues for twenty-four times till the last question puzzles the king.


3. Preta, प्रेत (Sanskrit), Peta (Pāli) or Yidak (ཡི་དྭགས་) in Tibetan [1]) is the name for a type of (arguably supernatural) being described in BuddhistHinduSikh, and Jain texts that undergoes more than human suffering, particularly an extreme degree of hunger and thirst. They are often translated into English as "hungry ghosts", from the Chinese, which in turn is derived from later Indian sources generally followed in Mahayana Buddhism. In early sources such as thePetavatthu, they are much more varied. The descriptions below apply mainly in this narrower context.
Pretas are believed to have been jealous or greedy people in a previous life. As a result of their karma, they are afflicted with an insatiable hunger for a particular substance or object. Traditionally, this is something repugnant or humiliating, such as human corpses or feces, though in more recent stories, it can be anything, however bizarre.[2]
[edit]The Sanskrit term preta means "departed, deceased, a dead person", from pra-ita, literally "gone forth, departed". In Classical Sanskrit, the term refers to the spirit of any dead person, but especially before the obsequial rites are performed, but also more narrowly to a ghost or evil being. [3] The Sanskrit term was taken up in Buddhism to describe one of six possible states of rebirth. The Chinese term egui (餓鬼), literally "starving ghost", is thus not a literal translation of the Sanskrit term.Names
[edit]Description


A Burmese depiction of hungry ghosts (pyetta)
Pretas are invisible to the human eye, but some believe they can be discerned by humans in certain mental states. They are described as human-like, but with sunken, mummified skin, narrow limbs, enormously distended bellies and long, thin necks. This appearance is a metaphor for their mental situation: they have enormous appetites, signified by their gigantic bellies, but a very limited ability to satisfy those appetites, symbolized by their slender necks.
Pretas are often depicted in Japanese art (particularly that from the Heian period) as emaciated human beings with bulging stomachs and inhumanly small mouths and throats. They are frequently shown licking up spilled water in temples or accompanied by demons representing their personal agony. Otherwise they may be shown as balls of smoke or fire.
Pretas dwell in the waste and desert places of the earth, and vary in situation according to their past karma. Some of them can eat a little, but find it very difficult to find food or drink. Others can find food and drink, but find it very difficult to swallow. Others find that the food they eat seems to burst into flames as they swallow it. Others see something edible or drinkable and desire it but it withers or dries up before their eyes. As a result, they are always hungry.
In addition to hunger, pretas suffer from immoderate heat and cold; they find that even the moon scorches them in the summer, while the sun freezes them in the winter.
The sufferings of the pretas often resemble those of the dwellers in hell, and the two types of being are easily confused. The simplest distinction is that beings in hell are confined to their subterranean world, while pretas are free to move about.

4. Vetala
vetala (Sanskrit vetāla or वेताळ) is a ghost-like being from Hindu mythology. The vetala are defined as spirits inhabiting corpses and charnel grounds. These corpses may be used as vehicles for movement (as they no longer decay while so inhabited); but a vetala may also leave the body at will.
Gray (undated: c2009) provides a survey of chthonic charnel ground accoutrement motif such as skull imagery in the textual tradition of the Yogini tantras and discusses 'vetala' (Sanskrit).[1]




 
 

In Hindu folklore, the vetala is an evil spirit who haunts cemeteries and takes demonic possession of corpses. They make their displeasure known by troubling humans. They can drive people mad, kill children, and cause miscarriages, but also guard villages.
They are hostile spirits of the dead trapped in the 'twilight zone' between life and afterlife. These creatures can be repelled by the chanting of mantras. One can free them from their ghostly existence by performing their funerary rites. Being unaffected by the laws of space and time, they have an uncanny knowledge about the past, present, and future and a deep insight into human nature. Therefore many sorcerers seek to capture them and turn them into slaves.
sorcerer once asked King Vikramaditya to capture a vetala who lived in a tree that stood in the middle of a cremation ground. The only way to do that was by keeping silent. Every time Vikramaditya caught the vetala, the vetala would enchant the king with a story that would end with a question. No matter how hard he tried, Vikramaditya would not be able to resist answering the question. This would enable the vetala to escape and return to his tree. The stories of the vetala have been compiled in the book Baital Pachisi.
There is also a strong Vetala cult in the Konkan region, under the names of Betal, Vetal, etc. Since Shri Betal is said to be the brother of Shri Shantadurga. Therefore, wherever a temple of Shantadurga is, there will be a temple dedicated in honour of Shri Betal either within the temple complex of Shri Shantadurga or somewhere in the sylvan surroundings.. It seems, however, that the relation between the literary Vetala and this demigod's is feeble at best. There is a Shri Betal temple in Amona, Goa. Vetál is the worshipper (or sevak) of Kala Bhairava and is the head of all spirits and ghouls and vampires and all kinds of pisachas. He has another form which is a more potent and fiery form, that of Agni Vetal who is the sevak of none other than Kalika. Lord Agnivetal has flames on his head and controls fire. He is also known as Agya Vetal. Agnivetal is used by Tantriks to perform evil black magic on people. But it isn't Lord Agnivetal's fault because the Tantriks misuse the powers given to them on propitiating Agnivetal(rather his Daityas which are at his feet-they are the ones who accept the blood sacrifices).

Per the 1886 Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency:
His features and his body are like those of a man except that his hands and feet are turned back. His eyes are a tawny green, his hair stands on end, and he holds a cane in his right and a conch shell in his left hand. Vetál lives on air. When he goes his rounds he is dressed in green and either sits in a litter or rides a horse. Some of his spirits walk before and others walk after him, holding lighted torches and shouting.[1]

  1. Pishacha
Pishachas (DevanāgarīपिशाचIASTPiśāca) are flesh eating demons, according to Hindu mythology. Their origin is obscure, although some believe that they were created by Brahma. Another legend describes them as the sons of either Krodha (a Sanskrit word meaning anger) or of Dakṣa’s daughter Piśāca. They have been described to have a dark complexion with bulging veins and protruding, red eyes. They are believed to have their own language, which is called Paiśāci.
They like darkness and traditionally are depicted as haunting cremation grounds along with other demons like Bhut (meaning ghosts) and Vetālas. Piśācas have the power to assume different forms at will, and may also become invisible. They feed on human energies. Sometimes, they possess human beings and alter their thoughts, and the victims are afflicted with a variety of maladies and abnormalities like insanity. Certain mantras are supposed to cure such afflicted persons, and drive away the Piśāca which may be possessing that particular human being. In order to keep the Piśāca away, they are given their share of offerings during certain religious functions and festivals.
The origin of Piśāca is unknown. It is probably the personification of ignis fatuus.[1] It is also maybe the demonization of some Indian tribes by Aryans who lived in the Piśāca KingdomPāṇini, in hisAṣṭādhyāyi, told us that the Piśāca were a "warrior clan". In Mahābhārata, the "Piśāca people" (equivalent to the modern day Nuristani people) are said to live in northwest India, and they are descendants ofPrajāpati Kaśyapa. And there are some Piśāca languages in north India.[2]




 



Indian Civil Services


Construction
The Civil Services of India can be classified into two types - the All India Services and the Central Civil Services (Group A and B). The recruits are university graduates (or above) selected through a rigorous system of examinations, called the Civil Services Examination (CSE) conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
two types of Civil Services of India:
  • All India Services (ICS)
  • Central Civil Services (CCS)
All India Civil Services (AIS)
All appointments to All India Civil Services are made by the President of India.
Central Civil Services (CCS)
The Central Civil Services are concerned with the administration of the Union Government.
Group A[10]
All appointments to Civil Services, Group A are made by the President of India.
    • Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Services, Group A
    • Archaeological Service, Group A
    • Botanical Survey of India, Group A
    • Central Engineering (Electrical and Mechanical) Service, Group A
    • Central Engineering Service (Roads)
    • Central Health Service, Group A
    • Central Legal Service (Grades I, II, III and IV only)
    • Company Law Board Service, Group A
    • Central Power Engineering Service, Group A
    • Central Revenues Chemical Service, Group A
    • Central Water Engineering Service, Group A
    • Directorate General of Civil Aviation DGCA, Group A
    • Directorate General of Mines Safety, Group A
    • General Central Service, Group A
    • Geological Survey of India, Group A
    • Indian Archaeological Service, Group A
    • Indian Civil Accounts Service, Group A
    • Indian Cost Accounts Service, Group A
    • Indian Defence Estates Service, Group A
Group B[11]
All appointments to Group B are made by the authorities specified by a general or special order of the President.
  • Indian Foreign Service, Group ‘B’ - (General Cadre, Grade I and General Cadre, Grade II only)
  • Central Secretariat Service, Group 'B' (Section and Assistants’ Grade officers only)
  • Indian Posts and Telegraphs Accounts and Finance Service, Group ‘B’ Telecommunication Wing.
  • Indian Posts & Telegraphs Accounts & Finance Service, Postal Wing, Group ‘B’
  • Indian Salt Service, Group ‘B’
  • India Meteorological Service, Group ‘B'
  • Central Secretariat Official Language Service, Group ‘B’
  • Central Secretariat Stenographers’ Service, (Grade I, Grade II and Selection Grade officers only)
  • Central Health Service, Group ‘B’
  • Botanical Survey of India, Group 'B'.
  • Geological Survey of India, Group 'B'.
  • Geological Survey of India, Group 'B'.
  • Survey of India, Group 'B'.
  • Zoological Survey of India, Group 'B'.
  • Central Electrical Engineering Service, Group 'B'.
  • Central Engineering Service, Group 'B'.
  • Central Power Engineering Service, Group ‘B’
  • Postal Superintendents’ Service, Group ‘B’
  • Postmasters’ Service, Group ‘B’
  • Telecommunication Engineering Service, Group ‘B’
  • Telegraphs Traffic Service, Group ‘B
  • Central Excise Service, Group ‘B’
  • Customs Appraisers Service, Group ‘B’- (Principal Appraisers and Head Appraisers)
  • Customs Preventive Service, Group ‘B’ – (Chief Inspectors)
  • Defence Secretariat Service
  • Union Territories Administrative Service
  • Union Territorries Police Service
State Civil Services (SCS/PCS)
The State Civil Services (also known as Provincial Civil Services) examinations and recruitments are conducted by the individual states of India. The state civil services deals with subjects such as land revenue, agriculture, forests, education etc. The officers of the state civil services are recruited by different States through the State Public Service Commissions. The categories of services to which candidates are selected through the state civil services (SCS) examination are as under:
  • State Civil Services, Class-II (SCS)
  • State Police Service, Class-II (SPS).
  • State Forest Service, Class-II(SFS).
  • Block Development Officer.
  • Tehsildar/Talukadar/Assistant Collector.
  • Excise and Taxation Officer.
  • District Employment Officer.
  • District Treasury Officer.
  • District Welfare Officer.
  • Assistant Registrar Cooperative Societies.
  • District Food and Supplies Controller/Officer.
  • Any other Class-I/Class-II service notified as per rules by the concerned State i. e. officers/lecturers/ assistant/associate professors/principals of Government Degree Colleges, Class I.
Employment by Agency
Federal Government executive branch civilian employment:
Independent agencies:
Main article: List of Indian agencies
Reforms and Changes
As of 2011, in a duration of past three years over 450 chargesheets have been filed and a total of 943 cases are at different stages of investigation by CBI against civil servants.[12][13]
By a corporate consultancy firm based in Hong Kong in 2012, Indian bureaucracy is ranked and rated as the worst in Asia with a 9.21 rating out of 10.[14][15][16] A paper prepared in 2012 by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions states that corruption is prevalent at all levels in civil services and it is institutionalized.[17][18]
On 28 November 2011, the Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT) of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions created a proposal to retire and remove incompetent, inefficient and unproductive All India Service officers after 15 years of service, instead of tolerating them to superannuate at the age of 60. FormerCabinet Secretary TSR Subramanian welcomed this move with caution saying, "Periodical weeding out is very good. But the process to determine who needs to be prematurely retired should be fair and transparent. There is a possibility that even good IAS and IPS officers may be targeted because of political reasons,". Former UPSC chairman PC Hota echoed his sentiments remarking that, "We need drastic remedies. The situation has become terrible. The other day an IAS officer in Delhi was arrested for disproportionate assets of Rs.3.15 crore. She is just a 2000-batch IAS officer with 11 years of service. But at same time, the officers' service records should be analysed before a decision against him was taken".[19][20][21] The proposal has been accepted and rule 16(3) of the All India Services (death-cum-retirement benefits) Rules of 1958 was amended on 31 January 2012.[19][21][22]
In order to bring in more suitable candidates, changes in the entry level exams of All India services conducted by UPSC were introduced in year 2011 by UPSC in Preliminary Stage Exams. The UPSC is under consideration to change exam pattern for Mains stage exam, by 2014.
Miscellaneous
Civil Service Day
The Civil Service Day is celebrated on 21 April every year.[23] The purpose for this day is to rededicate and recommit themselves to the cause of the people. It is observed by all Civil Services. This day gives civil servants the opportunity for introspection and thinking about future strategies to deal with the challenges being posed by the changing times.[24]
On this occasion, all officers of Central and State Governments are honoured for excellence in public administration by the Prime Minister of India. The 'Prime Minister Award for Excellence in Public Administration' is presented in three categories. Under this scheme of awards instituted in 2006, all the officers individually or as group or as organization are eligible.[24]
The award includes a medal, scroll and a cash amount of 
INR
100,000 (US$1,820). In case of a group, the total award money is 
INR
500,000 (US$9,100) subject to a maximum of 
INR
100,000 (US$1,820) per person. For an organization the cash amount is limited to 
INR
500,000 (US$9,100).[24]





All India Services

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed(July 2009)
The All India Services are the three all India Civil Services of India, namely the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the Indian Police Service (IPS) & the Indian Forest Service(IFS).[1]
Recruitment to IAS & IPS is made through the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on the basis of the annual Civil Services Examination, a competitive civil service exam. Recruitment to the IFS is made on the basis of the Indian Forest Service Examination, also administered by the UPSC. This is intended to insulate the civil service from political influences and prevent the development of a patronage system.
The officers of the All India Services are recruited and trained by the federal Union Government ("the Centre") and serve in the various State Governments ("the States") as well as Centre (which is why the Indian Revenue Service is a "central service" instead of an All India Service as they work only in the Central Government).
Contents
  [hide
[edit]Power, Purpose and Responsibilities
The All India Services Act 1951 empowers the government of India to make, after consultation with state governments, rules for the regulation of recruitment and conditions of service of the persons appointed to an All India Service. Nature of Work
Responsibilities vary with the seniority of the civil servant. Junior officers begin with probation and move up in the hierarchy. At the district level the responsibilities are concerned with district matters as well as all developmental affairs while at the divisional level the responsibilities focus on law and order also. Policy framing is carried on at the central level.
[edit]Allocation, division and cadres
The officers of All India Services are organized into cadres, derived from the states they are allotted to work in for as long as they continue to be a member of the respective Service. Twenty-four states have their own cadre, but there are also three joint cadres: Assam-MeghalayaManipur-Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram-Union Territories (AGMUT).
There are State Cadres and the Officers of All India Services (AIS) - Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service and Indian Forest Service - are divided into State cadres. When on probation the All India Service (AIS) Officers are allocated to their States. Officers of AIS working with the Central Government are posted on deputation for some years. The AIS officers in a State cadre may be original residents of that State but almost 2/3 of all officers are from out side the state. The AIS officer cannot demand his home State cadre but may put in request for being considered for the home cadre. Generally once allotted to a State, an officer for his whole service stays with that State cadre.
[edit]All India Services
[edit]Indian Administrative Service (IAS)
All India Services are controlled by the Central Government. Selected candidates are appointed to different state cadres and as and when required they also move to Central Government jobs on deputation.
IAS Officers are trained to handle govern­ment affairs. This being the main responsibility, every civil servant is assigned to a particular office which deals with policy matters pertaining to that area. The policy matters are framed, modified, interpreted in this office under the direct supervision of the Administrative Officer in consultation with the Minister. The implemen­tation of policies is also done on the advice of the Officer. Cabinet Secretary stands at the top of the government machinery involved in Policy making followed by Secretary/Additional Secretary, Joint Secretary, Director, Under Secretary and Junior Scale Officers in that order. These appointments are filled by civil servants according to seniority in the Civil Services. In the process of decision making, a number of officers give their views to the Minister who weighs the matter and makes a decision considering the issue involved.
The implementation process involves supervision and touring. The allocation of enormous funds to and by the field officers calls for supervision and the officials concerned have to reply to queries made in the Parliament for which they must remain well informed.
The civil servant has also to represent the Government in another country or in International forums. At the level of Deputy Secretary, he is even authorized to sign agreements on behalf of the Government.
A civil servant begins his career in the state with 2 years in probation. This period is spent at training schools, Secretariat, field offices or in a District Magistrate’s office. He is given the position of Sub-Magistrate and has to look after the law and order and general administration including developmental work in the area under his charge. After the probation and 2 years of services as a junior scale officer, the officer is put in the senior scale. Then he may function as District Magistrate, Managing Director of a Public Enterprise or Director of a Department. Senior Time Scale comprises the Senior grade, Junior Administrative Grade and the Selection Grade. Selection Grade is given on promotion after 13 years of regular service and officers are then assigned as Secretaries/Special Secretaries to the State Government. The next promotion within the State is that of a Commissioner & Secretary. This promotion also entitles them to the Super Time Scale.Then after 25 years of regular service an IAS officer may be promoted to Above super time scale who is designated as Principal Secretaries/Financial Commissioners in some states
Each State has many Secretaries/Principal Secretaries and only one Chief Secretary. Some appointments of Secretaries are considered more prestigious than others, e.g., the Finance Secretary, Development Commissioners, Home Secretary and hence they enjoy the salary of a Principal Secretary. Chief Secretary in the State is the top ranking civil servant and may be assisted by Additional Chief secretaries.In some cadres/States e.g. New Delhi, Financial Commissioner and other high ranking secretaries enjoy the pay of the Chief Secretary .
In the District, the Senior most person is the Collector or Deputy Commissioner or District Magistrate. The DM/Collector/DC handle the affairs of the District including development functions. He necessarily tours all rural sectors inspecting specific projects, disputed sites and looks into the problems of people on the spot also.
At the divisional level, the Divisional Commissioner is in charge of his division. His role is to oversee law and order and general administration and developmental work. Appeals against the Divisional Commissioner are heard by the Chairman of the Board of Revenue.
[edit]Indian Forest Service (IFS)
Main article: Indian Forest Service
The Indian Forest Service was created in 1966 for protection, conservation, and regeneration of forest resources.
India was one of the first countries in the world to introduce scientific forest management. In 1864, the British Raj established the Imperial Forest Department. In 1866 Dr. Dietrich Brandis, a German forest officer, was appointed Inspector General of Forests. The Imperial Forestry Service was organized subordinate to the Imperial Forest Department in 1867. The British colonial government also constituted provincial forest services and executive and subordinate services similar to the forest administrative hierarchy used today.
Officers appointed from 1867 to 1885 were trained in Germany and France, and from 1885 to 1905 at Cooper's Hill, London, a noted professional colleges of forestry. From 1905 to 1926, the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and University of Edinburgh had undertaken the task of training Imperial Forestry Service officers.
From 1927 to 1932, forest officers were trained at the Imperial Forest Research Institute (FRI) at Dehradun, which had been established in 1906. The Indian Forest College (IFC) was established in the 1938 at Dehradun, and officers recruited to the Superior Forest Service by the states and provinces were trained there. Forestry, which was managed by the federal government until then, was transferred to the "provincial list" by the Government of India Act 1935, and recruitment to the Imperial Forestry Service was subsequently discontinued.
The modern Indian Forest Service was established in 1966, after independence, under the All India Services Act 1951. The first Inspector General of Forests, Hari Singh, was instrumental in the development of the IFS.
India has an area of 635,400 km designated as forests, about 19.32 percent of the country. India's forest policy was created in 1894 and revised in 1952 and again in 1988.
Ranks of the Indian Forest Service are as follows: Probationary Officer / Assistant Conservator of Forests, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Conservator of Forests (CFs), Chief Conservator of Forests (CCFs) Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Addl.PCCFs), Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) - highest post in a State, Director General of Forests - highest post at Centre, selected from amongst the senior-most PCCFs of states.
[edit]Indian Police Service (IPS)
Main article: Indian Police Service
The Indian Police Service
The Indian Police Service more popularly known as the IPS, is responsible for internal security, public safety and law and order. In 1948, a year after India gainedindependence from Britain, the Imperial Police (IP) was replaced by the Indian Police Service. The IPS is not a law enforcement agency in its own right; rather it is the body to which all senior police officers belong regardless of the agency for whom they work.
The IPS officer takes charge as an Assistant Superintendent of Police of a Sub-division after probation of 2 years. The tenure of this post is normally 2 years. The next appointment is as Additional Superintendent of Police and then as Superintendent of Police or Deputy Commissioner of Police and then as Deputy Inspector General of Policeor Additional Commissioner of Police, Inspector General of Police and finally, Director General of Police.
IPS officers also work in the national government agencies such as Intelligence BureauResearch and Analysis WingCentral Bureau of Investigation, etc. IPS officers also get highly placed in the Central Secretariat or the other protective forces such as Director General of Border Security Force, the Central Reserve Police Force and the Central Industrial Security Force, etc.
The Director General of Police and Commissioner of Police is the head of the entire police force of the State or Metropolitan City (e.g. KolkataDelhiMumbaiMadras etc.) and below him is the Additional DGP/Special Police Commissioner. The Inspector General or Joint Commissioner of Police is at the head of certain specialised police force likeCriminal Investigation Department, Special Branch, etc.
[edit]Reforms and Changes
In January 2012, the Government amended AIS Rule 16 (3) which permits the Central Government in consultation with the State Government to retire in Public Interest, incompetent and non-performing Officers after a review on their completion of 15 years or 25 years of qualifying service or attaining the age of 50.[2][3][4][5]
[edit]Equivalent Ranks
S No
Indian Police Service
Indian Forest Service
Indian Administrative Service
1
Assistant Superintendent of Police
Assistant Conservator of Forests
Section Officer to Government of India/SDO (States)
2
Superintendent of Police
Deputy Conservator of Forests
Under Secretary to Government of India/Deputy Commissioner/Directors (states)
3
Senior Superintendent of Police
Deputy Conservator of Forests
Deputy Secretary to Government of India /additional Secretary/DC(States)
4
Deputy Inspector General of Police
Conservator of Forests
Director to Government of India/Secretary/Spl. Secretary to state Govt
5
Inspector General of Police
Chief Conservator of Forests
Joint Secretary to Government of India/Commissioner & Secretary
6
Additional Director General of Police
Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests
N/A
7
Director Generals of Police
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests
Additional Secretary to Government of India/Principal Secretary
8
Director of Intelligence Bureau
Director General of Forests
Secretary to Government of India/Chief Secretary of State
[edit]References