The Forum of Free Enterprise is a non-political organization founded in 1956 by A. D. Shroff, and has been established to educate public opinion in India on free enterprise and a democratic way of life. The Forum publishes booklets to further its objects. The following booklet is titled “The Civil Service in Transition” was published in November 2000 and was authored by B.K. Nehru. This booklet is a textual representation of a lecture delivered by the author in the series “Looking Back: India in the 20th Century” in New Delhi, on 15th October 1999. The author discusses the evolution of Indian civil services. The author discusses the role of civil services in India. And further, the author critically analyses the condition of civil services in governance in India. The author concludes by highlighting his two great fears about the future: One is disrespect of the judiciary by the popular leader, and the other is that absolute power which has succeeded in destroying the Civil Service is now beginning to interfere with the autonomy of the Armed Forces.