DoPT approves 67:33 formula for IAS officers
*Will clear decks for posting of more officers
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 6: After ‘One Nation One Constitution One Flag’ and ‘One Nation One Tax’, the Central Government today also approved implementation of 67:33 formula for posting of Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officers in Jammu and Kashmir, bringing it at par with all other States and Union Territories of the country.
The historic decision was taken by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Government of India annulling the UPA-II order making special provision in the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir for IAS officers by implementing 50: 50 formula i.e. the posting of 50 percent Direct Recruits of IAS in J&K and induction of rest of 50 percent officers through promotional quota of KAS officers.
The UPA-II had approved the order during the National Conference-Congress regime headed by Omar Abdullah.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the DoPT today annulled the UPA-II order and restored 67:33 formula, which means Jammu and Kashmir will now get 67 percent IAS officers every year from Direct Recruits through the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and 33 percent from promotional quota of the KAS officers bringing the newly created UT at par with rest of the States and UTs in the country.
“A final call on implementation of 67:33 quota for IAS officers in Jammu and Kashmir by revoking the previous decision taken by UPA-II headed by Dr Manmohan Singh on the request of then State Government led by Omar Abdullah, has been taken by the DoPT,” sources said, adding that formal orders are being issued in the next couple of days.
When contacted, Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Dr Jitendra Singh told the Excelsior that following abrogation of Article 370 and conversion of the State into Union Territory, all Central guidelines of the DoPT will be fully applicable to Jammu and Kashmir.
“It will be in the interest of the Government officers if timely Cadre Review is also carried out by the Union Territory Government as it helps in finding out additional vacancies leading to posting of more officers,” Dr Jitendra Singh said.
When the BJP Government led by Narendra Modi Government came to power in 2014 and the DoPT was held by Dr Jitendra Singh, it had refused to extend the UPA-II order on 50:50 quota for the IAS officers but the arrangement continued by default. However, following scrapping of special Constitutional provisions of Jammu and Kashmir and conversion of the erstwhile State into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh, the DoPT has revoked the order of the UPA-II and restored 67: 33 formula in the UT.
Pointing out that some officers in Jammu and Kashmir Government were also in favour of continuing 50:50 formula for the IAS officers, sources said the Central Government didn’t accept their demand and restored 67:33 formula for the Union Territory as it was committed to bringing J&K at par with all other States and Union Territories of the country.
“Restoration of 67:33 formula for the IAS officers in Jammu and Kashmir will bring the Union Territory at par with rest of the country just like the Central Government has done in the case of Constitution, Flag and Tax,” sources said.
The Central Government, according to sources, was quite confident that the Union Territory Government of Jammu and Kashmir would complete the Cadre Review well in time to facilitate the DoPT to allocate increased number of IAS officers to the UT to improve Civil Services structure.
According to sources, it was not only the previous PDP-BJP Government from 2015 to 2018 but even before that the National Conference-Congress coalition Government too didn’t hold Cadre Review of the IAS officers for some years resulting into delay in increasing their strength.
“With Cadre Review, the posts of the IAS officers in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will go up and this could help local youth qualifying the Civil Services exams to get absorbed in their home UT,” sources pointed out.
With DoPT approving 67:33 ratio, sources said the Union Home Ministry which deals with induction of IPS officers, will also revert to this pattern shunning 50:50 practice, which was adopted along with IAS during UPA-II. Inductions into IPS haven’t been held since 2014.
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