Examine the following statements regarding ‘Article 311’ of the Constitution and the protection granted to Civil Servants:
- No civil servant shall be dismissed by an authority subordinate to the one by which they were appointed.
- No officer shall be removed without informing them of the charges and giving them an opportunity for inquiry.
- In the interest of national security, the President or Governor can remove an officer without an inquiry.
- This protection is available only to All India Services officers and not to state service officers.
Which of the above statements are correct?
Correct answer: B
Explanation
Statements 1, 2 and 3 correctly capture Article 311's safeguards: no civil servant can be dismissed by an authority subordinate to the appointing one, none can be removed without being told the charges and given an inquiry, and the President or Governor can dispense with the inquiry in the interest of state security. Statement 4 is wrong because this protection covers all civil servants of the Union and the States, not just All India Services officers.