In the second episode of CPR's special series as part of Azaadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav on the Indian Civil Services (ICS), our host, Yamini Aiyar (President and Chief Executive, CPR) is joined by Dr KP Krishnan (Honorary Research Professor, CPR and Former Civil Servant) to discuss the shifts in the design of the ICS, whether explicitly through policy changes or implicitly, in adapting to the complex social and political challenges of the country. Aiyar and Krishnan discuss the impact and significance of the changes to the ICS. They discuss the policy of age limits, reservation, promotions, recruitment sizes, cadre allocation and the structural changes that were brought about by the 73rd and 74th Amendments. They also discuss the growing trend to break the IAS monopoly by introducing other parts of the All India Services in response to the growing vacancies in the central cadre.