This Office Memorandum details a revised rotational transfer policy for officers of the Central Secretariat Service (CSS). The policy establishes tenure guidelines for various grades – Director, Deputy Secretary, Under Secretary, Section Officer, and Assistant – specifying the duration of service in a Ministry/Department before a mandatory transfer. Exceptions are outlined for promotions within the same Ministry/Department and for officers nearing retirement. The memorandum also addresses the posting of CSS officers at the induction level, emphasizing training and a more strategic allocation process based on qualifications and aptitude. The overarching goal is to enhance officer mobility, adaptability to evolving socio-economic conditions, and contribute to good governance through initiatives like e-governance. Ministries are requested to publicize the decision and submit details of CSS officers.
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No.21/27/2006-CS.I
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances \& Pensions
(Department of Personnel \& Training)
$2^{\text {nd }}$ Floor, Lok Nayak Bhavan, Khan Market, New Delhi, Dated the $17^{\text {th }}$ April, 2007
OFFICE MEMORANDUM
Subject:- Rotational transfer policy applicable to officers of Central Secretariat Service – Review of.
The undersigned is directed to inform that the existing policy of rotational transfer of CSS officers issued vide O.M. No.31/23/98-EO(MM-I) dated 24.12.1999 has been reviewed and in pursuance of DOP\&T order dated $20^{\text {th }}$ April, 2005, entrusting CS division with posting/transfer of CSS officers, it has now been decided to lay down the following policy for the rotational transfer of CSS officers in different Ministries/Departments.
(i) A Director of CSS shall have a tenure of 5 years in the same Ministry/Department. There may not be any objection to appointing a Director on promotion as Joint Secretary in the same Ministry/Department if selected for such appointment on the basis of availability of a post as well as the suitability of the officer concerned. However, the combined tenure in such cases shall not exceed 5 years in the same Ministry/Department.
(ii) The tenure of Deputy Secretary shall be 5 years in the same Ministry/Department. There may not be any objection to appointing a Deputy Secretary on promotion to the post of Director in the same Ministry/Department if selected for such appointment on the basis of availability of a post as well as the suitability of the officer concerned. However, the combined tenure in such cases shall not exceed 5 years in the Ministry/Department (including ad-hoc appointment in the grade, if any).
(iii) The tenure of Under Secretary shall be 7 years. There shall not be any objection to appointing an Under Secretary on promotion as Deputy Secretary in the same Ministry/Department, if selected for such appointment on the basis of availability of a post as well as the suitability of the officer concerned. However, the combined tenure in such cases shall not exceed 7 years in the same Ministry/Department (including adhoc appointment in the grade, if any).(iv) The tenure of a Section Officer in a Ministry/Department shall be 10 years. Section Officer shall be transferred from one Ministry/Department to another on his/her selection to Grade-I (Under Secretary) of Central Secretariat Service. There shall not be any objection to appointing a Section Officer on promotion as Under Secretary in the same Ministry/Department, if selected for such appointment on the basis of availability of a vacancy/post as well as the suitability of the officer concerned. However, the combined tenure in such cases shall not exceed 10 years in the same Ministry/Department (including ad-hoc appointment in the grade, if any).
(v) The tenure of an Assistant in a Ministry/Department shall be 12 years. An Assistant of CSS shall be posted out of the Ministry/Department presently working to another Ministry/Department on promotion as Section Officer. However, there shall not be any objection to appointing an Assistant on promotion as Section Officer in the same Ministry/Department, if selected for such appointment on the basis of availability of a vacancy/post as well as the suitability of the officer concerned. However, the combined tenure in such cases shall not exceed 12 years in the same Ministry/Department (including ad-hoc appointment in the grade, if any).
(vi) An officer of CSS who is to retire within 2 years, in any of the above grades, shall not ordinarily be transferred.
(vii) However, in exceptional cases, if it is considered desirable, in public interest, to retain any officer in the Ministry/Department where he/she is working, beyond the tenure prescribed in the guidelines, such retention can be made only with the prior approval of MOS(PP) up to a maximum period of one year.
2. Posting of CSS officers at Induction level:- It has been decided that in future the candidates who qualify the Graduate Level Examination at the Assistant Grade will be nominated to Institute of Secretariat Training and Management (ISTM) directly to undergo 28 weeks residential training programme and thereafter they will be nominated to various Ministries/Departments by CS Division of DOP\&T after carrying out their preappointment formalities. The candidates shall be allocated to the Ministries/ Departments based on factors such as their qualification, ranking, proven areas of interest, recommendations of Director, ISTM on the potential shown by the candidate during training period, aptitude etc.
3. The objectives of the Rotational Transfer Policy proposed in the above paras is, to provide greater mobility, inculcate initiative and to condition the officers to adopt to the changing socio-economic scenario of the country and the initiative being introduced by the Central Government for good governance from time to time through measures such as e-governance and other IT enabled-: 3 :-
solutions for ensuring better outcomes from Government policies and programmes, and also to keep alive the learning capabilities of the officers so as to become effective change agents.
- It is requested that the above decision may be given wide publicity and brought to the notice of all the concerned. It is also requested that information about CSS officers (as in the proforma enclosed) may be furnished to this Department latest by 30th April, 2007 for taking further action in pursuance of the provisions of the policy.
Encl.: As above.
(R. Ramanujam)
Joint Secretary to the Govt. of India
Tel./Fax : 23094010
To
Joint Secretary (Admn.)
Ministry/Department
New Delhi.DETAILS INDICATING THE OFFICERS OF CSS GRADE IN POSITION (ASSISTANT, SECTION OFFICER, UNDER SECRETARY, DEPUTY SECRETARY (AS ON DATE)
NAME OF THE MINISTRY/DEPARTMENT: $\qquad$ Grade: $\qquad$
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No. | Name of the Officer \& Date of Birth (S/Shri) | Date since when working in the Min./Deptt. | Whether regular or adhoc. If regular, the Select List Year |
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