EDITORIALS & ARTICLES
What is meant by "Central Deputation of IAS Officers"?
- The Centre has proposed amendments to the IAS (Cadre) Rules in order to exercise greater control in central deputation of IAS officials.
- The officers of the IAS are under the dual control of the state governments to which they belong and the central government which is their appointing authority.
- But there has been a gradual decline in the number of officers who opt for central deputation.
- Due to the overall shortage, most states are unwilling to release IAS officers for Central deputation.
- This proposed amendment created a strife between the Centre and the states.
Meaning of Central Deputation
- The IAS officers work for the central government on “deputation” from their respective State cadre.
- They are to provide a measure of administrative unity in our diverse and plural society.
- Thus, they are mandated to serve the state cadre and the central government.
- They are allowed to take up the Central deputation voluntarily, whose names are sent to the centre by the respective states.
- There is an inbuilt provision to keep a certain number of posts for meeting the needs of the Centre.
- Each state has a certain quota beyond which its officers are not accepted by the Centre.
Challenges
Some of the reasons for non-availability of officers for Central Deputation are:
Shortage of Officers
- Generally, about 25 to 30 per cent of the total cadre strength of the states used to be officers on central deputation.
- At present less than 10 percent officers are working in various central ministries.
- The reasons for this non-availability of officers for central deputation are inadequate recruitment of officers and better service conditions in the states.
- Non-availability of sufficient number of officers at the Centre is affecting the functioning of the central government
States’ fears
- The states fear the overreaching power of the Centre in sending the officers for deputation.
- Earlier, the Centre had no role in deciding an officer for deputation.
- The states prepare the list of officers to be sent for central deputation
- The Centre can now exercise power by demanding an officer.
- But it may be counterproductive to effective cadre management.
- Arbitrary and sudden transfers of officers from the states to the Centre can be highly disruptive, undermining governance in the state.
Uncertainty in the Bureaucrats
- The IAS Officers choosing deputation have concerns about the family life especially regarding education of their children.
- There is also an issue of added expenditure with respect to transport and the higher cost of living in Delhi.
Road ahead
Improving the working Condition
- The Centre should work on improving the working conditions for officers at the deputy secretary and director level.
- It can incorporate a deputation allowance for the period of deputation in Delhi.
- It should ensure that the family lives of officers go undisrupted during the period of deputation.
- For example, education of the children could be assured by ensuring admission in schools like Sanskriti and other reputed institutions.
Improving Centre-State Relation
- Initiating a process of consultation with the states, including the officers.
- It should be well-advised, without undermining the authority an efficiency of the states and causing undue distress to the officers.
- The states also have to look at this issue in a non-adversarial manner.
- The shortage should be meted out by an equitable sharing between the Centre and the states.
For the sake of effective governance and in the spirit of cooperative federalism, the Centre should address the fall in central deputation by consulting both states and IAS officers. The changes to the IAS cadre rules proposed by the central government should therefore be viewed in the context of the structure and functioning of the central and state governments within our quasi-federal polity. Thus, while posting all-India service officers to the Centre, approval of the state government should not be done away with.
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