The Supreme Court on Wednesday pointed out the ongoing rivalry between civil servants from different services, particularly between Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers and those from the Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFS).
A Bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and Augustine George Masih observed that IAS officers often assert their dominance over their IPS and IFS counterparts.
“IAS officers always want to show their supremacy over IPS and IFS. This has been my experience as a government pleader and judge. Such conflicts exist in all states, leading to resentment among IPS and IFS officers, who question why they must report to IAS officers despite being from the same cadre,” Justice Gavai remarked.
The comments came during the hearing of an environmental case, where the issue of IAS officers instructing forest officers surfaced. The Bench acknowledged that such tensions have been a long-standing issue within the bureaucracy.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Central government, assured the Court that steps would be taken to resolve these internal disputes among civil servants.
This observation by the Supreme Court sheds light on the challenges of inter-service coordination within India’s administrative structure, a concern that has persisted across various states.
