NEW DELHI: Sending a strong message to IAS officers reluctant to opt for central deputation, govt in the latest empanelment of joint secretaries has included only 16 such officers of 2009 batch in the ‘initial’ list out of the total 119 from the batch. This is the lowest number of IAS officers from any batch who have been empanelled in the ‘initial’ list.
Sources said fewer officers made it to the list as govt has strictly applied the norm of minimum two years service as a deputy secretary or director in the central govt for an IAS to be eligible for empanelment as a JS . Though this norm was made applicable from 2007 batch onwards, sources said there were relaxations for officers from 2007 and 2008 batches.
The empanelment of JS in the past few years shows that 49 IAS officers out of 89 from the 2005 batch made it to the ‘initial’ list. Similarly, 55 out of 87 IAS officers of 2006 batch were empanelled as JS in the first list. In the case of 2007 batch IAS officers, 31 out of 89 were initially empanelled as JS. As per notifications of DoPT, 64 IAS officers of 2008 batch out of 111 were empanelled as JS in first list.
Though govt has come out with fresh empanelment of officers as JS of these batches in the past under ‘initial leftover’ and ‘initial deferred’ categories, top officials said the first list of empanelment from 2009 batch officers is a message to all who are not keen to come to work in central govt.
