Babus need to be politically neutral: SC

One-liner: Civil servants are required to be politically neutral and under the administrative control of ministers for implementing the day-to-day decisions of the elected govt, the SC said on Thursday.

On powers of Delhi govt: The observation was made by a five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud in its judgment holding that the Delhi govt has legislative and executive powers over services except for public order, police and land.

Neutral civil service: "Civil servants are required to be politically neutral. The day-to-day decisions of the Council of Ministers are to be implemented by a neutral civil service, under the administrative control of ministers," the bench said.

Westminster style: The CJI referred to the role of civil services in a Westminster-style cabinet form of governance and said the policies of the govt are implemented not by the people, Parliament, the Cabinet, or even individual ministers, but by the civil service officers who are hence the vital part of the triple chain of accountability.

Accountability: Elaborating on the triple chain of command, the verdict said civil service officers are accountable to the ministers who in turn are accountable to Parliament or assemblies and these Houses are accountable to the electorate.