https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

“IAS Officers Can’t Be Reviewing Authorities for IFS Officers,” Remarks Supreme Court Terming It “Contemptuous”; Know the Matter Here

The court has directed the Madhya Pradesh government to reframe its rules within one month, strictly adhering to the 2000 Supreme Court ruling
Indian Masterminds Stories

In a sharp rebuke to the Madhya Pradesh government, the Supreme Court on Wednesday quashed a government order that had empowered IAS officers to review the performance appraisal reports (Annual Confidential Reports or ACRs) of Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers, calling the move “contemptuous” and a violation of previous Supreme Court rulings.

Also Read: Supreme Court to Examine MP Government’s New Performance Appraisal Mechanism for IFS Officers

A bench comprising Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Augustine George Masih was hearing petitions that questioned whether IAS officers — such as district collectors or senior administrative officers — could legally act as reporting, reviewing, or accepting authorities for IFS officers working within the forest department.

The bench ruled that the June 29, 2024, Government Order (GO) issued by the Madhya Pradesh government was in direct violation of the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling dated September 22, 2000, which had laid down clear guidelines regarding performance appraisals within the All India Services.

“We have no hesitation to hold that the impugned GO is rather contemptuous in nature… issued without even seeking clarification or modification of this court’s earlier ruling,” said the Chief Justice, who authored the verdict.

In its 2000 ruling, the apex court had clarified that:

  • IFS officers up to the rank of Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests must have their ACRs reviewed only by immediate superior officers within the forest department.
  • Only for Principal Chief Conservators of Forests, who have no superior within the IFS, can the reporting authority belong to a different service.

The court observed that all other states had complied with the 2000 ruling, while Madhya Pradesh had defied it, continuing with the practice of letting IAS officers record and review ACRs for IFS officers.

“It appears that, while other states were adhering to the practice of internal service reviews, Madhya Pradesh was not following this established system,” the bench noted.

Though the top court expressed that it could have initiated contempt proceedings against those responsible for the GO, it chose not to, stating instead:

“However, we refrain ourselves from doing so. The said GO being in violation of the directions of this court is liable to be quashed and set aside.”

Directions to Madhya Pradesh Government

The court has directed the Madhya Pradesh government to reframe its rules within one month, strictly adhering to the 2000 Supreme Court ruling. It emphasized that IFS officers’ appraisals must be conducted within the forest hierarchy, and inputs from district collectors — if any — must be recorded separately and reviewed by forest department superiors, not IAS officers.

The bench also cited a clarification from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) issued in September 2004, which had reaffirmed that the 2000 ruling applied to IFS officers working within the forest department, not those on deputation or posted outside.

This verdict serves as a significant reaffirmation of the service-wise separation of supervisory roles in India’s civil services and emphasizes the judiciary’s commitment to upholding cadre autonomy and institutional integrity.

Also Read: SC Steps in to Resolve Dispute Over IFS Performance Appraisals by IAS Officers


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Former IAS Officer & Now Politician Jagmohan Singh Raju
Former IAS Officer and Politician Jagmohan Singh Raju Demands Inquiry into Punjab IAS & IPS Officers’ Alleged Misconduct
bureaucracy news
NPPA Director ICAS Richa Pandey’s Term Ends Early; IAS Kalpashree K R Appointed as Joint Secretary (Vigilance) in Andhra Pradesh
Fake IAS Saurabh Tripathi
Photos with CM, Governor Reveal Lucknow’s Fake IAS Officer Saurabh Tripathi’s Lavish Life Using Forged IDs and Beacon-Fitted Cars
IFS Officer Tshering Wangchuk Sherpa
Vietnam Gets New Indian Envoy: IFS Officer Tshering Wangchuk Sherpa Appointed Ambassador | Career Insights
Profile P
Leadership Change in Meghalaya: CS Donald Wahlang to Retire Sept 30; IAS Shakil P. Ahammed Tipped as Successor
Ex-IRS Officer Ganapati Bhat
Impeachment Probe: Ex-IRS Officer Ganapati Bhat Appointed to Committee Investigating Justice Varma
Prabodh Saxena IAS
Himachal Pradesh Chief Secy Prabodh Saxena’s Service Extension Limited to 6 Months by Union Govt Amid Corruption Case, High Court Informed
DRDO MSMEs Defence
DRDO Conclave Empowers MSMEs to Strengthen Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor, Supports Aatmanirbhar Bharat Vision
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IPS Shikha Goel
Decoding Digital Dangers: Insights from IPS Shikha Goel on Cyber Crimes
IPS Mukesh Kumar Bhamoo
Managing Elections, Communal Tensions, and Public Safety – Meet IPS Mukesh Kumar Bhamoo | Video Interview
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-25 at 13.56
Operation Hunt: IPS Dr. Karanraj Vaghela’s Mission to Nab Valsad’s Most Wanted
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
Ishwarlal Gurjar UPSC
10th Grade Failure to Indian Police Service: Ishwarlal Gurjar’s UPSC Success Path
Read the inspiring journey of Ishwarlal Gurjar from a small village in Rajasthan to becoming an IPS officer....
IAS Minnu P M
“Lazy, Sleepy, Yet Determined”: Minnu P M’s Honest Take on Cracking UPSC
Minnu PM, once a clerk in Kerala Police, cleared UPSC with AIR 150 after five years of struggle. Her...
IPS Ashish Tiwari
From IIT and Investment Banking to Public Service, Meet IPS Ashish Tiwari 
Ashish Tiwari, IIT graduate and former investment banker, chose public service over global finance. As...
Social Media
IAS Sakshi Sawhney Amritsar DC
Punjab Floods: IAS Sakshi Sawhney’s Emotional Appeal to Elderly Man Wins Hearts, Video of Humanity Goes Viral
Viral Video Captures Emotional Moment as Amritsar DC Shows Sensitivity and Courage Amid Relief Effor...
Masahiro Hara
From Go Board to Global Use, How QR Codes Changed the World: IRAS Officer Ananth Rupanagudi Spotlights Masahiro Hara’s Vision
IRAS officer Ananth Rupanagudi shared a video on Masahiro Hara, the inventor of QR codes, highlighting...
IFS Susanta Nanda Video
A Mother’s Duty: Tigress Watches Over Cubs Splashing in Waterhole — Heartwarming Video Shared By Retd. IFS Officer Susanta Nanda
A tender wildlife video shared by Retd. IFS officer Susanta Nanda shows a tigress keeping watch over...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Pilibhit Primary school
Transforming Education in UP’s Pilibhit: How This IAS Officer Changed 90,000+ Kids’ Lives
Former IAS Officer & Now Politician Jagmohan Singh Raju
Former IAS Officer and Politician Jagmohan Singh Raju Demands Inquiry into Punjab IAS & IPS Officers’ Alleged Misconduct
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IPS Shikha Goel
IPS Mukesh Kumar Bhamoo
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-25 at 13.56
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT