SC Orders that IAS Officers Should Not Take Verbal Orders from Political Bosses Thursday Oct 31,2013

The Supreme Court on Thursday Oct 31,2013 said IAS officers should not take verbal orders from their political bosses, and ordered landmark reforms to insulate the bureaucracy from victimisation.

Civil servants must refrain from acting on oral instructions of political bosses, except in certain exceptional circumstances,the SC said

A Bench of Justices K.S. Radhakrishnan and Pinaki Chandra Ghose referred to the recommendations of the Hota Committee (2004) and the Santhanam Committee report, which highlighted “the necessity of recording instructions and directions by public servants.”

The Bench said: “We notice that much of the deterioration of the standards of probity and accountability with the civil servants is due to the political influence of persons purporting to represent those who are in authority. The Santhanam Committee on Prevention of Corruption, 1962 has recommended that there should be a system of keeping some sort of records in such situations. Rule 3(3) (iii) of the All India Service Rules specifically requires that all orders from superior officers shall ordinarily be in writing.”