Having introduced a Performance Appraisal Report (PAR) and other administrative reforms for IAS officials, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wants to include the Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFS) under their umbrella.Manmohan has asked the Home Ministry and Ministry of Environment and Forests to examine the initiatives taken for the IAS earlier this year, and adapt them to the members of IPS and IFS. The government had notified the reforms with respect to IAS officers while constituting the Administrative Reforms Commission, according to PM’s Media Advisor Sanjaya Baru.The reforms include introduction of PAR for career planning, training and promotion of officers. It was meant to bring transparency in terms of assessment of work output, personal attributes and competencies. It also enabled feedback from the assessee. In addition, an independent Eminent Persons Group will provide inputs about the professional competence and reputation of the officer at various stages of his career.As part of the reforms, an intensive review of performance of officers will be undertaken at the end of 15 and 25 years of service, respectively. Promotion to senior grades would be based on these reviews. At both stages, officers who do not qualify will not be promoted to Selection Grade, or equivalent level, and Additional Secretary in Government of India, or equivalent level, respectively. They would have the option of choosing voluntary separation.The system was introduced to enable accelerated promotion of good officers so that they had a longer tenure of service in senior positions. Also, to ensure that positions in Government of India were open to the best, and to remove subjectivity or arbitrariness, a set of guidelines had been approved regarding appointment under the Central Staffing Scheme.These included publicising vacant positions with all relevant details; maintaining transparently a database of all qualified IAS officers to ensure fair selection process; Civil Services Board, headed by Cabinet Secretary, to consider eligibility of the officer based on relevant parameters, including seniority, quality of PARs. The government had decided to strengthen mid-career training of officers. Courses would be offered by Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration and other institutions, between 14th and 16th year of service and again between 26th and 28th year of service.Participation in these courses would be mandatory for further promotions. The Academy is being re-equipped to undertake this task, a PMO statement said.
