job). Grands corps de l'État Certain corps enjoying particular prestige are called the "grands corps de l'État": Grand Technical Corps of the State, consisting of engineers, generally recruited at École polytechnique (also at the écoles normales supérieures). In practice, they are more likely to be employed in executive positions than in purely technical positions. Corps des mines, merged with the Corps of Telecommunications in 2009 Corps des ponts, des eaux et des forêts (IPEF) Corps des télécommunications, merged into the Corps des mines in 2009 Corps de l'armement Corps de l'INSEE Administrateurs des assemblées parlementaires : administrateur de l'Assemblée nationale, administrateur du Sénat Grand Administrative Corps of the State, generally recruited through the École nationale d'administration Conseil d'État Inspection générale des finances. Cour des comptes High-level administrative positions are typically paid much less than the equivalent positions in private industries. However, members of grand Corps often practice pantouflage — that is, they take temporarily (and sometimes permanent) leave from government work and go work in industry. Occasionally, people from a ministry supervising some industry would later go to work in that same industry; this practice was later prohibited. Pantouflage however still exists, and the coziness between some industrial, political and administrative circles is regularly denounced. Members of the great administrative corps are well represented in politics. This is facilitated by civil servants (of any level) being able to exercise elected office on a temporary leave (détachement) from government. Duties Civil servants have duties; failure to carry them out may result in disciplinary action, up to discharge. The main duties are: Full commitment to professional activity A civil servant should devote his full professional activity to his appointed task. By exception, a civil servant may in addition to his regular activities write books; he may also accomplish certain tasks (teaching...) with the permission of his hierarchical supervisor. Morality One cannot be a civil servant if one has been convicted of a crime incompatible with one's functions. In certain exceptional cases, certain aspects of the private life of a civil servant may be termed incompatible with his functions. For instance, it is inappropriate for a member of the police or the judiciary to live with a delinquent partner or a prostitute. Appreciation of what is appropriate or not is largely a matter of case law. Reserve A civil servant should not, by his actions and especially by his declarations, cause harm to