By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, MAR 16, 2017: Civil Service Associations in the country, have recently made a representation, seeking equality between various services, for the selection and empanelment procedure for recruitment to higher administrative posts.

Central Government service offers two types of posts - higher posts include cadre posts; and posts filled under Central Staffing Scheme (CSS), by deputation. The organized Group 'A' Services have designated cadre posts at higher levels in the Central Government, which are exclusively manned by the officers of respective services. Meanwhile, the deputation posts are filled primarily under the CSS, which has been in operation since decades, providing a systematic mechanism for selection and appointments of officers to senior administrative posts at the Centre. Needless to say, those posts which are specifically held by cadres within the organized Group 'A' Services are excluded from the purview of the CSS scheme.

Empanelment of officers from the participating services is conducted annually, based on merit, competence and suitability of the officer. The guidelines for empanelment are broadly same for all the services participating under CSS. As provided by DOPT, there is a differential gap of two years between the officers of the Indian Administrative Service and officers of other participating Services in empanelment to the posts of Additional Secretary and Secretary /equivalent at the Centre. Further, Department of Expenditure maintains a status quo in this regard. Appointments to senior posts in the Government of India are filled under the CSS from amongst the empanelled officers.

Further, the officers are also promoted within their respective cadres. For instance, in case of the Indian Revenue service (IT), 1052 posts have been provisioned in the cadre under the Government of India at higher level for Indian Revenue service (IT) officers only, including 391 Additional Secretary level and 26 Apex level posts. Similarly, in the Ministry of Railways 1678 posts have been provisioned at higher level, exclusively for different Railways services/cadres, including 255 Additional Secretary level and 12 Apex level posts.

Considering the instance of the Indian Police Service (IPS), there are 180 deputation posts including 40 Additional secretary level and 11 Apex level posts in Government of India at higher level exclusively for IPS officers against which presently 172 IPS officers are posted at Centre. Similarly, in case of the Indian Forest Service (IFoS), there are 33 deputation reserve posts including 13 Additional Secretary level and 2 Apex level posts at higher levels exclusively for IFoS officers at the Centre. There are no deputation posts in Government of India exclusively for IAS officers and they are considered under Central Staffing Scheme along with other participating services.

The above facts & figures were stated by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Dr. Jitendra Singh, in a written reply to a question by Mr Dharmapuri Srinivas and Dr. Pradeep Kumar Balmuchu in the Rajya Sabha today.