An efficient and competent bureaucracy is indispensable to any modern state. This short introduction identifies the importance of civil services in nation-building and governance, and puts forth its varied roles in the current polity: as a regulator, a facilitator, and an executer of development policies. Presenting a clear and concise introduction to the civil services in India, the book engages with:its evolution, size, and structure against a brief historical background the processes of recruitment, training, and performance assessment the managerial, political, social, and judicial mechanisms of accountability; and the relationship between civil servants and the political executive Through in-depth theoretical analyses, it captures the various contributions and drawbacks of the services; and advocates reforms in the existing set-up towards a cleaner, more efficient and performance-based structure in keeping with India's influence as an emerging superpower.