24 to 25 JKAS officers likely to be cleared
*Final UPSC meet by July-end or Aug-start
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 7: Long wait of several months for induction of Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Services (JKAS) officers into Indian Administrative Services (IAS) is expected to be over either by the end of this month or start of August as the Union Public Services Commission (UPSC) is expected to call the final meeting within the next few days.
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“There were a series of queries raised by the UPSC and DoPT about the inductions pertaining to numbers of posts, officials who are likely to be inducted into the IAS including track record of some of them, Annual Performance Reports (APRs), Service Record etc,’’ official sources told the Excelsior.
They said all such queries have now been replied by the General Administration Department (GAD). Delay of near four months was caused in the inductions because of Parliamentary polls and imposition of Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
However, with new Government now in place and almost same officials in the DoPT, MHA and UPSC, the process for inductions has been resumed and hopefully it will be taken to logical conclusion by July-end or August-start, the sources said.
Though initially there were reports that the UPSC might settle for induction of 18 JKAS officers into IAS but now, as per the sources, 24 to 25 JKAS officers are expected to be inducted into the IAS. However, the final figure is decided at the crucial meeting of the UPSC which comprised UPSC Member, two senior officers of UT civil administration and representatives from DoPT and MHA.
“The inductions will overcome shortage of IAS officers in Jammu and Kashmir to quite an extent,’’ the sources said, adding that couple of newly inducted officers are likely to be sent on deputation to Ladakh depending upon the UT’s requirements.
The newly inducted officers will get AGMUT cadre now, they said.
This will be for the second time in last three years that JKAS officers will get inducted into IAS. On August 4, 2022, 16 JKAS officers were inducted into IAS. A total of 28 JKAS officers were cleared for induction on July 8, 2022 but 11 of them were later dropped as eight had retired from the services, two refused induction and one had died while fate of another was kept in sealed cover.
Eleven posts were later declared vacant while 13 posts were available for inductions taking total count of vacancies to 24.
All JKAS officers tipped for induction into IAS belonged to 1999 batch, the officials said.
There were a total of 41 posts pending for induction of JKAS officers into IAS.
“One post is still under dispute”, the officials said.
Induction of JKAS officers into IAS was not carried out for last nearly 12 years because of seniority disputes, legal hurdles etc.
The 1999 JKAS batch of officers had to wait for 23 long years for their induction into the IAS, the officials said. The Government now proposed to make it a regular feature every year so that the JKAS officers are timely inducted into the IAS like other States and Union Territories and not after 12 years as was the case earlier in Jammu and Kashmir.
It may be mentioned here that the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has deployed several officers of All India Services on two to three years deputation in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh due to shortage of the IAS officers.
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