All India Services: Change in selection process for appointment

MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL,PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS

RAJYA SABHA

ANSWERED ON-29.08.2013

(a) whether Government has decided to change the selection process for appointment by promotion/selection to the various cadres of All India Services, and if so, the details thereof along with the reasons;

(b) whether all the stake holders have been consulted in the matter, and if so, the details thereof along with objection raised against the proposal, State/Union Territory-wise; and

(c) the steps taken by Government to protect the interests of officers of State civil service cadre and ensure justice to them?

(a): It has been approved in principle, to consider a few changes in the scheme of selection process for recruitment to the promotion quota of various cadres of All India Services. As per the existing regulations, the assessment of the suitability of a candidate is made on the basis of his service records. As per the revised scheme, it is proposed to assess the candidate on the basis of four components i.e. ‘Written Examination’, ‘Length of Service’, ‘Assessment of Performance Appraisal Reports’ and ‘Interview’.

(b): The above decision was taken after consulting the State Governments and the concerned Cadre Controlling Authorities (CCAs i.e., the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Environment and Forest). Further, to implement the scheme, necessary amendments in the concerned rules/regulations are necessary. The State Governments & the CCAs concerned have been consulted on this aspect also. The Central Government has received certain objections from different quarters, such as that the new scheme will be detrimental to the interests of senior state services officers, the officers belonging to the categories of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes; it would also undermine the element of experience viz-a-viz academic knowledge and would be against the larger public interest as the officers would prefer studying in place of doing public service, etc.

(c): The inputs received in this regard from the State Governments and other quarters will be kept in view in firming up the regulations.

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