New Delhi: An RTI application filed by a whistleblower has prompted the Union Government to seek an urgent status report from all states on the constitution of Civil Services Boards (CSBs), reviving compliance with a Supreme Court directive issued more than a decade ago.
DoPT Seeks Urgent Status Report From States
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) wrote to all state governments on December 16, asking them to confirm whether Civil Services Boards have been constituted in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directions. States have been asked to clarify if CSBs are functioning as mandated for managing postings and transfers of civil servants.
Supreme Court Mandate on CSBs
The Supreme Court, in its landmark judgment dated October 31, 2013, directed the establishment of Civil Services Boards in every state. The objective was to ensure stability in postings of civil servants by fixing a minimum tenure of two years for officers belonging to the All India Services (AIS), including IAS, IPS, and IFS.
Following the verdict, the DoPT issued a formal notification in 2014, making it mandatory for states to implement the CSB framework.
Mandatory Role of CSBs in Postings and Transfers
Both the apex court’s judgment and the subsequent DoPT notification clearly stipulated that postings to cadre posts must be based on the recommendations of the Civil Services Board. The rules also emphasized that AIS officers should normally be given a minimum tenure of two years in a posting to ensure administrative continuity and independence.
Reporting Requirement on Premature Transfers
As per the norms laid down in 2014, state governments are required to submit quarterly reports to the Centre. These reports must detail cases where officers were transferred before completing the prescribed minimum tenure and provide justifications for such premature transfers.
Follow-Up After a Decade
The recent communication from the DoPT is effectively a follow-up action on its own notification issued more than ten years ago. However, the move comes after a prolonged period during which compliance by states remained largely unmonitored at the central level.
RTI by Whistleblower Spurs Action
Significantly, this renewed push by the Centre came only after an RTI application was filed by whistleblower Sanjiv Chaturvedi (IFS:2002:UK), an Indian Forest Service officer of the Uttarakhand cadre, on December 3.
Chaturvedi’s RTI sought certified copies of file notings, documents, and correspondence identifying states that have constituted Civil Services Boards. It also asked for details of premature transfers of All India Service officers—IAS, IPS, and IFS—made in violation of tenure norms since the 2014 DoPT notification.
Renewed Focus on Administrative Reforms
The development has once again brought attention to long-pending administrative reforms aimed at insulating civil servants from arbitrary transfers. The Centre’s latest move may compel states to review their compliance with the CSB framework and explain deviations from tenure protections mandated by the Supreme Court.
