Fixed 2-yr tenure for IAS, IPS, IFoS officers as Centre forms fresh rules

Officers of the three premier services IAS, IPS and IFoS will now spend a minimum of two years in each posting, according to new rules aimed at checking political interference.

However, transfers and postings before two years can be done by a Civil Services Board to be constituted by states under the new rules circulated by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) of the central government.

A cadre officer, appointed to any cadre post, shall hold the office for at least two years unless he or she is promoted, retired or sent on deputation outside the state or for training exceeding two months, the rules said on Thursday.

"The Centre or the state government... may transfer a cadre officer before the minimum specified period on the recommendation of the Civil Services Board," the rules said.

States have now been mandated to constitute a Civil Services Board, which is to be headed by the chief secretary. However, the competent authority may reject the recommendation of the Civil Services Board by recording the reasons for the same.  For transfer and postings of Indian Administrative Service officers, the board will have the senior-most Additional Chief Secretary or Chairman, Board of Revenue or Financial Commissioner, or an officer of equivalent rank and status as member, and Principal Secretary or Secretary of the Department of Personnel in the state government, as member secretary.

For the posting and transfer of Indian Police Service officers, the board will have two more members Principal Secretary or Secretary, Home, and the Director General of Police. For Indian Forest Service officers as well, the board is to have two additional members Principal Secretary or Secretary, Forest, and the state's Principal Chief Conservator of Forest.  "All appointments of cadre officers shall be made on the recommendation of the Civil Services Board," state the rules, which were notified by the DoPT on Tuesday.