UPSC Prelims 2020 Question:

In the context of India, which one of the following is the characteristic appropriate for bureaucracy?

Explanation:

• The Indian bureaucracy consists of the All-India services, State services, employees of the Local Governments, and technical and managerial staff running Public Sector Undertakings.
  
  
• Bureaucracy or the permanent executive is a body of appointed officials which are primarily responsible for two functions: 
  • Providing policy inputs to the elected representatives who form the popular executive
  • Implementation of the public policy approved by the popular executive.
    
    
• Bureaucracy has no direct role in the dynamics of parliamentary democracy as it works on principles of political neutrality and anonymity. It is apolitical.
  
  
• In context of India, bureaucracy is represented by All India Services which are unitary in characteristic. They are often criticised by the state governments for going against the federal spirit. 
  

• Even though bureaucracy acts as catalyst for economic growth and provides stability to administration and policy to some extent, it has no direct role in political stability. Political stability in India’s parliamentary system is dependent on the confidence enjoyed by executive in Lok Sabha. 
  

Therefore, option (4z) is the correct answer.

Subject: Polity | Governance