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Flexible Complementing Scheme for Scientists – Modifications Based on Fifth Central Pay Commission Recommendations

In Governance & Administration, Legislation & Law, Science & Technology
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This Office Memorandum details modifications to the Flexible Complementing Scheme for scientists in various scientific departments, stemming from recommendations by the Fifth Central Pay Commission. Key decisions include applying the scheme to all departments (excluding Space, Atomic Energy, and DRDO), maintaining the existing merit-based promotion system for those departments, and focusing on rigorous assessment norms for promotions. The document also outlines criteria for identifying scientific institutions, assessment procedures, and residency period requirements for promotions at different scientist levels. It addresses the inclusion of scientific administrators and emphasizes the importance of field experience for promotions to higher grades. Finally, it establishes a process for extending the scheme to other scientific organizations and clarifies the review process for these extensions.

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No.2/41/97-PIC
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Department of Personnel & Training

New Delhi, dated 9th Nov., 1998

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Sub: Flexible Complementing Scheme for Scientists in various scientific departments – recommendations of the Fifth Central Pay Commission for modification of the Scheme- regarding.

The undersigned is directed to say that in Chapter 51 of its report, the Fifth Central Pay Commission has made a number of recommendations for modifying the existing Flexible Complementing Scheme in operation in Scientific & Technological Departments for in-situ promotion of scientists/technical personnel, with a view to removing the shortcomings/inadequacies in the Scheme highlighted by the Commission. The recommendations of the Fifth Central Pay Commission in this regard have been examined in consultation with the Secretaries of the Department of Science & Technology and some other major scientific Departments and the following decisions have been taken:

  1. The recommendation of the Pay Commission that the modified Flexible Complementing Scheme proposed by it should be applicable in all the Departments, including
    the Departments of Space, Atomic Energy and DRDO without any special dispensation for any individual Department, has not been accepted. The existing scheme of merit-based promotion system covering the Groups A, B & C personnel, as presently applicable in the Deptt. of Atomic Energy, the Deptt. of Space and the DRDO shall continue.

  2. The recommendation of the Pay Commission to define “scientific administrators” and to exclude them from the benefit of in-situ promotions under Flexible Complementing Scheme and to bring them under the ambit of “Assured Career Progression Scheme” formulated by the Pay Commission has not been accepted. However, it has been decided that the Flexible Complementing Scheme should, as per its original objective, be made applicable only to scientists and technologists holding scientific posts in scientific and technology departments and who are engaged in scientific activities and services. It has also been decided that assessment norms for promotions under the Flexible Complementing Scheme should be rigorous with due emphasis on evaluation of scientific and technical knowledge so that only the scientists who have to their credit demonstrable achievements or higher level of technical merit are recommended for promotion under the Flexible Complementing Scheme. For achieving these
    objectives, the following decisions have been taken:
    a) The criteria for identifying institutions/organisations as scientific and technological institutions as well as for defining scientific activities and services, scientists and engineers and the scientific posts shall be as prescribed in Annexure I to this Office Memorandum. The FCS shall not be applicable where the criteria specified vide this Office Memorandum are not fully met.
    b) A revised assessment procedure as prescribed in Annexure II to this Office Memorandum shall henceforth be followed by all scientific Ministries/Departments for considering advancement under FCS.

  3. The recommendations of the Pay Commission that the existing disparities in the operation of Flexible Complementing Scheme in various scientific and technical departments in the matter of designation of posts, the number of pay scales and the residency period should be removed and there should be uniformity in this regard has been accepted. Accordingly, all the posts covered under the Flexible Complementing Scheme shall carry the following uniform scales of pay, designations and the minimum residency period linked to performance:-

    Scales of pay Designation Minimum Residency Period linked to performance
  4. It has further been decided that in order to extend the benefit of in-situ promotions under the Flexible Complementing Scheme to other Scientific Organisations that are demanding the extension of FCS in their case, the administrative Ministry of such institutions shall satisfy itself that such institutions are scientific and technical institutions and the officers are scientists holding scientific posts and are involved in scientific and technical acivities as defined in the Annexure I to this Office Memorandum and make its recommendations to the Department of Science & Technology. On receipt of such a request the Department of Science & Technology shall set up a Committee, including the representatives of the Department of Personnel & Training and of the Department of Expenditure as well as eminent scientists relevant to the discipline, for examining the proposal referred by the administrative Ministry concerned. A final decision on the proposal of an administrative Ministry for extension of FCS to other scientific organisations shall be taken based on the recommendations of this Committee. Since it is not necessary that all the pay scales under the Flexible Complementing Scheme should be applicable in all the scientific organisations, as the size of the organisation may not justify introduction of the entire group of scales, the Committee, while making its recommendation, would take a
    specific view as to the number of scales that should be operated in the organisation as well as the appropriate residency period for ensuring an even pace of promotion. However, the progression under Flexible Complementing Scheme will only be as per’scales indicated in para 3 of this Office Memorandum.
  5. It is requested that all the Ministries/Departments, where the Flexible Complementing Scheme is in operation, may initiate action for review of the provisions of the Flexible Complementing Scheme and amend the provisions of the relevant recruitment rules so that the scheme is brought in conformity with the decisions/guidelines being conveyed vide this Office Memorandum. Results of the review may also be conveyed to the Department of Science & Technology, the nodal department for operation of the Flexible Complementing Scheme. Action for extension of the Flexible Complementing Scheme to other scientific organisations, where the same is not in operation at present, may be taken in accordance with the decision contained in para 5 of this Office Memorandum.
  6. The relevant provisions of Department of Science & Technology Office Memorandum No.A.42014/2/86-Admn.1(A)
    dated the 28th May, 1986 stand amended to the extent the provisions of this Office Memorandum are at variance with the provisions of the said Office Memorandum.

    7. (Smt. Bhavani Thyagarajan)
    Director

    To

    All Ministries/Departments.

    riteria for identifying Institutions/Organisatons as Scientific & Technical istitutions and definition of Activities and Services. Scientists & Engineers and icientific Posts.

    i) The institutions referred to as S&T would be characterised by pursuit of excellence;
    ii) They should be engaged in research, design, development or programme implementation (including review, analysis, promotion and aspects of science policy, etc.) which would cover a broad spectrum of pure and applied research but the essential feature would be innovative character and spirit of enquiry that permeates their overall functioning;
    (iii) The scientific culture is characterised by a few salient aspects, namely the persons involved are highly qualified and skilled technical personnel, involved in creative and innovative activity, they are willing to be judged on the basis of merit and competence rather than on the basis of seniority and a hierarchial structure;
    (iv) The criteria could cover the aims and objectives of the institution/organisation, qualifications of the personnel qualitative requirements for performance of various types of activities, etc.

    Scientific Activities and Services:

    Scientific activities and Services covered for considering the applicability of the Flexible Complementing Scheme are as under:
    (a) Fundamental/basic research: Original investigation to gain new scientific knowledge, not necessarily directed towards any specific practical aim or application.
    (b) Applied Research: Original investigation to gain new scientific or technical knowledge directed towards a specific practical aim or objective.
    (c) Experimental Development: Use of scientific knowledge directed towards producing new or substantially improved materials, devices, products, processes, systems or services.
    (d) S&T activities which are directly linked to R&D in terms of promoting the scientific activities and services.

    Scientists and Engineers: Persons,

    (a) who possess academic qualification of atleast Master’s degree in Natural/Agricultural Sciences or Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering/Technology/Medicine; and
    (b) working in those capacities, use or create scientific knowledge, and engineering and technological principles, i.e. persons with scientific or technological training who are engaged in professional work on S&T activities, high level administrators and personnel who plan, direct or coordinate the execution of S&T activities;

    Scientific Post is the one, the incumbent of which is a ‘Scientist or Engineer’ defined above in a scientific institution/organisation declared as ‘Scientific Department’ as defined and is engaged in the generation, advancement, dissemination, and application of scientific and technical knowledge in the S&T activities.

    CRITERIA FOR CONSIDERING PROMOTIONS UNDER FLEXIBLE COMPLEMENTING SCHEME

    (a) All officers will be first screened on the basis of gradings in the Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs) for consideration for promotion; the ACRs should be assessed on a 10 point scale giving 10 marks for “outstanding”, 8 marks for “very good”, 6 marks for “good”, 4 marks for “average” and 0 for “poor” and only those officers who satisfy the minimum residency period linked to their performance as indicated in the table below be screened in.

    Number of years in the grade
    3 4 5 6 7 8
    Minimum percentage for eligibility
    Scientist B to Scientist C 90% 80% 70% 65% 60% ..
    Scientist C to Scientist D … 90% 80% 75% 70% 60%
    Scientist D to Scientist E … 90% 80% 75% 70% 60%
    Scientist E to Scientist F … … 90% 80% 75% 70%
    Scientist F to Scientist G … … 90% 80% 75% 70%
    Exceptionally meritorious candidates with all outstanding gradings may be granted relaxation in the residency period, the relaxation being not more than one year on any single occasion. Such a relaxation will be limited to a maximum of two occasions in their entire career.
    (b) As the procedure adopted for assessment of CRs in various Scientific Departments differ at present, it has been decided that an external member, from Departments of Atomic Energy, Space or DRDO who have developed over the years a fine tuned system of screening in meritorious Scientists may be co-opted in the selection process, till such time a system gets established in other Scientific Departments. The position will, however, be reviewed after 5 years from the date of issue of this Office Memorandum.
    (c) All Officers who are screened-in will be called for an interview. The performance in the interview will also be graded similarly on a 10 point scale and the eligibility for promotion will be based on the same norms as in the above Table.
    (d) Field experience in research and development and/or experience in implementation of such scientific projects is compulsory for promotion of scientists recruited to the posts in the Secretariat of the Scientific Ministries/Departments to higher grades under FCS. Field
    experience of at least 2 years and 5 years respectively will be essential for promotion to Scientist F and Scientist G grades respectively. However, during the transitional period, Committee may relax this requirement in case of meritorious candidate.

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