BharatNotes Steel Frame
A metaphor for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) coined by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, describing the permanent civil service as the structural backbone holding together India's diverse federal polity.
Context & Background
Speech in Constituent Assembly (1947); Patel argued for retaining the ICS-trained officers to ensure administrative continuity at Independence.
UPSC Exam Relevance
Often quoted in reform debates; tension between steel frame (stability) vs reform demands (flexibility, accountability); relevant for essays on bureaucratic reform.
