The home ministry has sent a proposal to the Prime Minister’s Office, seeking to make it compulsory for IPS officers at the Superintendent of Police (SP) and Deputy Inspector General levels to come for the Central deputation, if they want to be considered for Additional Director General and upwards empanelment, failing which they will be barred from the Central posting for their remaining career, according to sources.
A DG rank officer at the Centre welcomed the move. “This is doable. Agencies like CBI and IB get officers at the DIG, SP level on deputation but para military forces, other central organisations struggle for man power. This proposal if implemented would solve the problem,” he told News18.
An IG rank officer in a state, however, pointed out how this could unnecessarily victimise the junior officers since without the No Objection Certificate from the state, no officer can go on the central deputation. “Today, states have become very inward looking. Earlier, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal were known to not release officials for central deputation. Now, the malaise has spread to other states too. If the proposal is implemented, this lacuna of state NOC must be addressed,” he said.
The MHA proposal comes after the Centre sent the draft to the states to amend the All India Service Rules that would allow it to call any IAS or IPS or IFS officer on Central deputation. The Centre has been facing a shortage of officials at the DIG and SP level since states have refused to release junior officers.
Most opposition-ruled states have opposed this proposal. West Bengal, for example, has said this is a violation of the federal structure and spirit of the Constitution. Officials told News18 that some BJP-ruled states such as Madhya Pradesh have also expressed their concern about the proposal to amend the All India Service Rules.
According to officials, 50% of positions in the central police organisations at the DIG and SP level are vacant. The latest MHA proposal is meant to address the issue but this too could see opposition from the states.
“This idea of making deputation compulsory at the SP/DIG level has been in the discussion for some years now. But concerns were raised about state opposition,” an officer in the know told News18.
Existing rules for the central deputation state that an officer will have to spend three years at the Centre till the level of Inspector General for him/her to be considered for empanelment for senior positions in the central organisation. This means most officials come to the Centre only at the IG level making the central organisations struggle for DIG/SP level officers.
Officers told News18 if the lacuna of state NOC is not addressed it could mean debarring many SPs and DIGs officers, which could further translate into the shortage of IGs and upward rank officers too.
In June 2020, the government made it compulsory for the IAS officials to serve at the Centre as Deputy Secretary or Director if they wanted to be considered for the Joint Secretary level empanelment at the Centre. All IAS officers from 2007 batch onwards are governed by this rule from Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). The MHA proposal is seeking similar rules for the IPS too.
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