The Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC) has invited applications from Group ‘A’ officers belonging to the Indian Revenue Service – Custom & Indirect Taxes (IRS- C&IT) for appointment at the level of Secretary & Additional Secretary in the Government of India.

Usually, officers from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) get the position of Secretary to the Government of India. However, there are number of other positions in the Central government where officers are appointed with pay and perks of Secretary, Secretary Equivalent or even as Special Secretary.

However, eligible officials do not seem to be very excited about the present move and do not see much merit in this exercise. One such officer said IAS officers belonging to the 1990 and 1991 batch had already been empanelled as Secretary and Additional Secretary respectively.

“The 1989 batch of IAS is already posted as Secretary. For other services you are making them eligible for Additional Secretary now,” he said pointing out the difference in treatment.

Questions raised

Another officer too raised the issue of posting. “When you are already empanelled as Joint Secretary (JS) and Additional Secretary (AS) and not suitably posted, then how is this exercise is going to benefit you?” he asked

This is the second invitation for the positions since July. While the first one was for the 1988 batch (Secretary) and 1994 batch (Additional Secretary) officers, the second one is for 1989 batch (Secretary) and 1995 (Additional Secretary) batch officers.

According to a communication by the CBIC dated November 2, for Secretary level empanelment, there are two eligibility criteria – a minimum of 30 years services in Group A and minimum of 2 years’ services in a post in the Level 15 of pay matrix (₹1.82 lakh to ₹2.24 lakh) or more. Apart from these, there are other criterions for consideration. The year of examination (for the applicant) should not be later than 1989 (1988 batch), the applicant should have been empanelled at the Additional Secretary level and should also have had at least 3 years experience under the Central Staffing Scheme at the level of Deputy Secretary and above. The officer concerned should have at least one year’s residual service.

Criteria for Addl Secy

For Additional Secretary level empanelment, eligibility criteria includes a minimum of 25 years of service in Group A and minimum of 7 years’ in a post in the Level 14 of pay matrix (₹1.44 lakh to ₹2.18 lakh) in the pay cadre. There are other conditions for this post as well. The year of examination (for the applicant) should not be later than 1994 (1995 batch) and the applicant should have been empanelled as a Joint Secretary. There are conditions related with CSS and residual service as well.

The last date of sending the application through online mode is November 5.

IRS is one of the 19 services and posts (3 All India Services, 12 Group A posts and 4 Group B Posts) for which the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts Civil Service Examination (CSE) every year.

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