10 ka dum

There is something else that is keeping bureaucrats busy these days apart from the Pay Commission. This is the new ACR system, essentially annual assessment reports by superiors, which from now on will be graded on a scale of 10. While the IAS is said to have already begun implementation, the IFS and IPS officers received their notification last month. There is considerable worry because along with the change has come a fresh benchmarking system. So, for IFS officers to be even considered for the joint secretary rank, there is a cut-off of 85 per cent. This essentially means the average of the last 10 ACRs must be a minimum 85 per cent. Similar is the case with the police. In effect, any officer must have scored a 9 in at least eight of the last 10 ACRs to be even shortlisted. Some feel this will draw better commitment, others say it opens doors for further sycophancy. Only time will tell.