Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Services

The Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Services was established in 1968 to provide continuity in the functioning of the Armed Forces of the Republic of India, including the Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence (Army, Navy and Air), Defence Staff Headquarters and the Inter Service Organizations under the Ministry of Defence. The Service contributes significantly in the functioning of Armed Forces Headquarters/Inter-Service Organizations except those relating to technical and combat aspects in respect to the Armed Forces.

The Joint Secretary (Trg) and Chief Administrative Officer in the Ministry of Defence is the Cadre Controlling Authority and Head of the Department for AFHQ Civilian Employees. The cadre was established in 1968.[1][2][3] The number of employees in the service in 1968 was 1778;[1] in 2011, 2644,[4] and in 2016, 3235.[5]

Background

In 1942, during World War II, civilian employees under different departments and branches of the Armed Forces Headquarters responsible for providing static ancillary services were reorganized and consolidated under one head who was called the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). The first CAO took over on the 1st of August, 1942.[6] In 1987, the post of Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), was upgraded to the level of a Joint Secretary (JS), under the Defence Secretary, who is the Cadre Controlling Authority and Head of the AFHQ employees.[3][7][8]

Upgrading of Posts

The AFHQCS had four grades in 1968: 204 were in Group A, and 1472 in Group B. The highest grade was senior civil staff officer, a level analogous to deputy secretary.[1] After the 4th Central Pay Commission (1986), a large number of existing posts were upgraded, which were again upgraded after the Sixth Central Pay Commission (2006). In 2011, the AFHQCS had 409 personnel at group A, including 4 at Joint secretary level, and 2235 at group B.[2] In July 2013 a committee was constituted to carry out further cadre restructuring/review of AFHQ Civil Service to further enhance the career prospects of the AFHQ-Civil Service.[3] It currently has six grades/levels, from Assistant Section Officer to Principal Director.[4][9][10]

Grades and levels

Inductions into the service is from upper division clerk by promotion from the Assistant Section Officer, and direct recruitment at the level of Assistant Section Officer.[2] The evolution of the service, its hierarchical structure, pay grades, and levels, are tabulated below:

AFHQ Civil Service: Grades and Levels Table 1
Designation and Group Pay grade-scales

1968

 Pay

Band and Scale

[after 6CPC]

2008[2]

 Grade Pay (Rs)

2008

 level

in Pay matrix 2016[11]:p75[12]

1 Senior Administrative Grade (2001) [2] designation changed to Principal Director in October 2002.[13](Group`A’)

AFHQ Civil Service has 4 posts of Principal Director.[3]

 - PB-4

37400-67000

 10000 14
2 Director

(Group `A’)

Directors of the AFHQ Civil Service eligible for appointment to Principal Director on completion three years service.[2]: Schedule IV p 20[3]

 - PB-4

37400-67000

 8700 13
3 Senior Civilian Staff Officer/Joint Director (2001)[2] designation changed to Joint Director in October 2002.[13](Class I/ Group `A’)

Joint Directors of the AFHQ Civil Service eligible for appointment to the Director grade on completion of 05 years of approved service in the grade[2]: Schedule IV p 20[3]

 1100-50-1400 PB-3

15600-39100

 7600 12
4 Civilian Staff Officer (2001) designation changed to Deputy Director in October 2002.[13](Group `A’)

Deputy Directors of the AFHQ Civil Service will be eligible for appointment to the Joint Director grade and to other administrative posts

on completion of 05 years of approved service in the grade.[2]: Schedule IV p 20[3]

 740-30-100-50-1150 PB-3

15600-39100

 6600 11
5 Assistant Civilian Staff Officer (2001) Designation changed to Section Officer in October 2002[13] Group `B’

50% of the posts of Section Officers are filled by Direct Recruitment.[3]

Section Officers eligible for promotion to the grade of Deputy Directors

on completion of 06 years service.

In addition, up-gradation (Non-Functional Scale) to the Grade Pay of Rs. 5400/- in PB-3 on completion of 4 years approved service as Section Officer[2][3]

 350-25-500-30-520-EB-20-800 PB-2

(i) 9300-34800 (on

initial appointment)

(ii) 15600-39100

(Non-functional

scale/Grade Pay on

completion of 4 years

approved service)

 (i) 4800

(ii) 5400

(Non-

functional

Grade Pay)

 8-9
6 Assistant Section Officer

(Group `B’, Non-Gazetted) Ministerial.

Assistant Section officer grade done by Direct Recruitment (50%) and 50% by Promotion from UDC grade.[3]

 210-10-270-15-200-EB-15-450- 20-520 Group `B’, Non-

Gazetted)

PB-2

9300-34800

 4600 7

Strength

The authorized strength of the service is 2644 (2011), an increase of 866, from a total of 1778 in 1968.[1][2] This is in addition to Armed Forces Headquarters Stenographers Service, which has an overall strength of 856 (8 Senior Principal Private Secretary; 44 Principal Private Secretaries; 300 Private Secretary; and 504 Personal Assistants).[14] The increase in strength of the service is tabulated below:

Strength of AFHQCS 1968-2016 Table 2
Designation and Group authorized strength

1968[1]:second Schedule

 authorized strength

2001 [2]:Schedule I p 13

 authorized strength

2011[4]

 authorized strength

2016[5]

1 Senior Administrative Grade][2] Designation Changed to Principal Director in October 2002.[13](Group`A’)

AFHQ Civil Service has 4 posts of Principal Director.[3]

 nil 2 3 4
2 Director

(Group `A’)

 nil 9 20 21
3 Senior Civilian Staff Officer/Joint Director.[2] Joint Director, since October 2002.[13](Group `A’) 12 72 83 157
4 Civilian Staff Officer. Deputy Director since in October 2002.[13](Group `A’) 194 253 303 419
5 Superintendent- Central civil services class II ministerial (1968)/ Assistant Civilian Staff Officer (2001). Designation changed to Section Officer in October 2002[13] Group `B’ 506 683 778 514
6 Assistant Section Officer

(Group `B’, Non-Gazetted) Ministerial.

 1066 1709

including leave reserve

 1457 2120
1778 2571 2644 3235

Time line

1 August 1942

In response to the demands of the World War II, all the civil man power in the then war department was consolidated under the Office of Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). The first four CAO were brigadiers of the Indian Army.[6]

16 August 1947

Colonel Pritam Singh, becomes the first Indian CAO.[6]

1 March 1968

Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service constituted as group B Service from the existing staff under the Armed Forces headquarters and inter service organisations. The highest grade in the AFHQ Civil Service is Senior Staff Officer, analogous to a deputy secretary, with pay grade of Lt colonel.[1]

1987

The post of CAO is upgraded to Joint Secretary.[6]

2001

The Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service Rules, 2001, superseded by Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service Rules, 1968. Two Existing posts upgraded to JS, and 9 to Director.[2]

31 October 2002

New designation of principal director (Senior Administrative grade); Joint Director (Senior Civilian Staff officer), analogous to civil service time scale post with 9 years; Deputy director (Deputy director), analogous to civil service time scale post with 4 years service; and section officer (Assistant civilian Officer) created.[13]

15 April 2011

Principal Director posts increased to 3: one each in the Military Secretary’s branch, Adjutant General’s branch, and Directorate general of Quality assurance. 20 existing post upgraded to Director post, a post analogous to civil service time scale post with 13 years[4]

2016

Principal Director posts increased to 4. Directors posts to 21/22. All promotion on time scale basis. All Directors in the service are empaneled to be Principal directors.[5] Strength of AFHQ CS is 3235.[5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "SRO 113 Civil Service Rules, 1968" (PDF). MOD. 1 April 1968. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "S.R.O. 87 Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service Rules, 2001" (PDF). S.R.O. 87. New Delhi: Ministry of Defence. 1 May 2001. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Ministry Of Defence. "PROFILE OF SERVICE, DUTIES, CAREER PROSPECTS OF SECTION OFFICER IN ARMED HEADQUARTERS CIVIL SERVICE" (PDF). MOD. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Ministry Of Defence (15 April 2011). "SRO 27 Armed Forces Headquarters civil Service (Amendment) rules , 2011" (PDF). SRO 27. New Delhi: MOD. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Ministry of Defence, CAO (21 October 2016). "Seniority list". Office of JS (Trg) &CAO, Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Ministry Of Defence, CAO (30 November 2016). "BRIEF HISTORY OF THE OFFICE OF THE JS (T) & CAO". CAO, Ministry Of defence. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  7. ↑ Ministry of Defence, Office of the JS(E/CAO). "Chief Administrative Officer". Office of the JS(E/CAO), Ministry of Defence, Government of India. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
  8. ↑ Ministry Of Defence (28 November 2016). "ORGANIZATIONAL CHART". Retrieved 28 November 2016.
  9. ↑ Som, Vishnu (January 6, 2018). "Defence Ministry Withdraws Controversial Order Seen To Downgrade Military Officers". NDTV. New Delhi. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman withdraws order on Officers' rank". The Economic Times. New Delhi. January 6, 2018. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Report of Seventh Central Pay Commission" (PDF). New Delhi: Government of India. 19 November 2015. Archived from the original (p 899) on 20 November 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  12. ↑ "MINISTRY OF FINANCE (Department of Expenditure) RESOLUTION" (Gazette Notification) (in Hindi and English). New Delhi: Ministry Of Finance. 25 July 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Ministry of Defence (31 October 2002). "Amendment to Army headquarter Civil service rules" (PDF). SRO 239. New Delhi: MOD. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  14. ↑ MINISTRY OF DEFENCE (25 March 2004). "S.R.O.47 Armed Forces Headquarters Stenographers' (Group `A' and `B' posts) Service Rules, 2004" (PDF). Retrieved 28 November 2016.
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