236

INDIA

and the testimony of a long succession of Viceroys
witnesses to the success with which the high functions
of this service are discharged. The Indian Civil Service
is called “covenanted ” because after passing an examination
 a covenant is made with Government in the person
of the Secretary of State for India, ‘“ not to engage in trade,
not to take bribes, to subscribe for pensions, &amp;c.”
The administrative offices in the regulation provinces
are held almost exclusively by covenanted civilians, as
well as a large share of those in the non-regulation
provinces. In the covenanted class are included a certain
number of the natives of India who may have attained
their position either by direct competition, or by nomination
 and subsequent qualification under the rules laid
down by Lord Lytton in 1879. These latter virtually
belong to the Indian Civil Service.
Amongst “uncovenanted ” civilians is included every
public servant who does not belong either to the covenanted
 Indian Civil Service or to the Army. The great
majority of civil servants belong to this category, and
they fill some of the most important administrative posts
in the empire. Sir John Strachey has pointed out that
there are still many branches of the administration for
which it is impossible to find duly qualified natives. Civil
Engineers, Telegraph and Forest Superintendents, and
the superior officers of the Educational and Public Works
departments must still necessarily be Europeans. Appointments
 to the Educational Department are made by
selection by the Secretary of State. The other departments
 referred to are officered by Englishmen who have
been through a course of education at the Cooper's Hill
Engineering College after passing a competitive examination
 for entrance. Excepting the above, all appointments
to the civil offices of the Indian Government are made by
the Government of India, the rule being maintained that
qualified natives are to be employed in preference to
Europeans in every branch of the service ; so that in all
the subordinate offices of the Secretariat and the Public
Works, Survey, Telegraph, &amp;c., natives and Europeans