Appendix 2
Role of Top Civil Servants in Policymaking
Political neutrality is a cardinal virtue in the Indian civil service tradition—rightly so, as unlike some other democracies such as the United States, career civil servants hold all the top and middle-level positions. Civil servants are expected to loyally serve the government of the day, irrespective of their personal beliefs and policy preferences. However, it is a misguided notion to equate political neutrality with the idea that civil servants have nothing to do with politics. While they are not in politics, they cannot avoid politics any more than fish can avoid the water in which they swim. The oft-touted proposition that ministers make policy and civil servants implement them is ...
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