NEW DELHI: Almost two-thirds of the 43 joint secretaries and additional secretaries appointed last month by the Centre were non-IAS officers, indicating that those from the allied services are now manning key posts in the middle rung of the central bureaucracy. Things have reached a stage where some of the ministries have no IAS officers posted as a joint secretary.
Data from department of personnel and training (DoPT) shows that over the last decade – from 2011 to 2020 – share of all IAS officers in the central deputation at the level of deputy secretaries and above under the Central Staffing Scheme (CSS) had dropped to as low as 34%, before going up. This has meant officers from forest, postal, railways, ordnance factories and even information services are driving policy making.
The acute shortage of IAS officers – described as generalists in the bureaucracy – coming for central deputation has prompted government to review rules, prompting a volley of protest from the states, particularly those ruled by opposition parties.
TOI spoke to several serving and former IAS officers to find the reasons behind the fall in the number of appointments of IAS officers in the joint secretary level.
Most of them said there are fewer IAS officers available at middle level for appointment at the joint secretary level and states are also facing shortage of such officers. Officers blame the sharp reduction in the intake between 1998 and 2006. Usually, direct-recruit IAS officers get empanelled as joint secretaries after 15-16 years of service.
Besides, living standards in state capitals comparable with those in national capital, a Delhi posting seems to have lost its charm.
A top down approach to policy initiatives has reduced the attraction for a central deputation with those looking for future posting at additional secretary or secretary level now opting for it.