The book for the first time offers a comprehensive and contemporary account of the state of civil services in South Asia countries. It brings together experiences of former senior bureaucrats and critics from India and other SAARC nations to affirm the state of civil service and the need for reforms.

While there have been studies describing the character, structure and the progress of the administrative systems in South Asia, there is no comprehensive account on the region’s present bureaucracy. This book attempts to bridge that gap through 15 insightful chapters by experts and experienced bureaucrats. There is a general introduction too by the editor. The chapters have been divided thematically into four parts. The first two parts discuss the present state of civil service in India and possible reforms. The third part offers a comparative account of the functioning of civil service commissions in the SAARC nations. The fourth part has case studies based on on-the-job experience of bureaucrats from SAARC countries that describes how the system functions within the parameters of good governance.

I. GOVERNANCE AND CIVIL SERVICE
Mohammad Hamid Ansari Governance and Public Service K S Chalam Constitutional Status of Civil Service in India Bhure Lal Civil Service Values and Neutrality T S N Sastry Importance of Social Security in Good Governance
II. CIVIL SERVICE REFORM IN INDIA
N Vittal Accountability in Public Service Bhure Lal Corruption in All India Services P K Saxena Institutional Reforms in Indian Civil Service Madhav Godbole Reinventing the Civil Servant
III. FUNCTIONING OF SERVICE COMMISSIONS IN SAARC REGION
D Francis Comparative Study of Service Commissions in SAARC Nations: Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Maldives
IV. CASE STUDIES
B K Chaturvedi and Sekhar Chandra The Right to Good Governance: Present Scenario and Future Lessons Parveen Talha Indian Revenue Service: Reflections of a Woman Bureaucrat Humera Ahmed Indian Postal Service: A Rewarding ‘Social Service' K S Chalam Functioning of Union Public Service Commission of India Rana Bhagwandas Pakistan: Federal Public Service Commission and Its Functions Pirthiman Pradhan Functioning of Royal Bhutan Service Commission Bibliography Index