Introduction of Executive Assistant Scheme in the Central Secretariat regarding
No.7/1/2010-CS.I(P)
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
Department of Personnel and Training
CS.I Division
2nd Floor, Lok Nayak Bhawan,
Khan Market, New Delhi – 110003
Dated the 13th January 2016
OFFICE MEMORANDUM
Subject :
A proposal is under consideration of this Department for introduction of Executive Assistant Scheme in the Central Secretariat. The proposed scheme is attached.
2. The stakeholders concerned viz. Ministries/ Departments and Officers of CSS/CSSS/CSCS may furnish their comments, if any, on the proposed scheme within a period of one month of issue of this O.M.
(V.Srinivasaragavan)
Under Secretary to the Government of India
Tele : 24629412
Encl.: Proposed EA Scheme
To Ministries / Departments and officers concerned
Subject: Introduction of Executive Assistant (EA) Scheme in the Central Secretariat.
Background
1. Central Secretariat, at lower to middle levels, mostly consists of three Central Secretariat Services, namely the Central Secretariat Service (CSS), the Central Secretariat Stenographers’ Service (CSSS) and the Central Secretariat Clerical Service (CSCS). All the three services have separate service rules which govern the cadre management of each service. The cadre structure of these three services is as under.
1.1 Central Secretariat Service (CSS)
| CSS | Existing Strength | Pay Scale | Mode of recruitment |
| Assistant | 6680 | PB-2, GP: Rs. 4600 | 75% DR (graduate with computer proficiency)
15% SQ from UDCs with 10 years of service 10% LDCE from UDCs with 6 years of service |
| Section Officer | 3162 | PB-2, GP: Rs. 4800
After 4 years of approved service place in NFS of PB-3, GP: 5400 |
50% SQ from Assistants with 8 years of service
50% LDCE from both Assistants and graduate PAs with five years of approved service can participate. |
| Under Secretary | 1601 | PB-3, GP: Rs. 6600 | 100% by promotion from SO grade with 8 years of service |
| DS (354) | A combined strength of 614 | PB-3, GP: Rs. 7600 | 100% by promotion from US grade with 5 years of service |
| Dir
(220-10) |
PB-4, GP: Rs. 8700 | 100% by promotion from DS grade with 5 years of service | |
| JS (insitu)
(40+10*) |
PB-4, GP: Rs. 10000 | CSS Officers empanelled for appointment as JS under C.St.S are appointed as JS on in-situ upgradation basis, subject to a maximum of 40+10* (for a period of two years) | |
| Total | 12057 |
1.2 Central Secretariat Stenographers Service (CSSS)
| CSSS | Existing Strength | Pay Scale | Mode of recruitment |
| Steno D | 1282 | PB-1, GP: Rs. 2400 | 100% direct recruitment |
| PA | 2524 | PB-2, GP: 4600 | 50% through seniority quota promotion from Steno grade D with 10 years of approved service and 50% through Limited Departmental Examination with six years of approved service |
| PS | 2041 | PB-2, GP: Rs. 4800
After 4 years of approved service placed in NFS of PB-3, GP: 5400 |
66.67% through seniority quota with five years of approved service and 33.33% through Limited Departmental Competitive Examination with three years of approved service |
| PPS | 773 | PB-3, GP: 6600 | 100% by promotion from PS grade with 6 years of approved service |
| Sr. PPS | A combined strength of 140 | PB-3, GP: Rs. 7600 | 100% by promotion from PPS grade with 5 years of approved service |
| PSO | PB-4, GP: Rs.8700 | 100% by promotion from Sr. PPS with five years of approved service / with a combined 10 years regular service in the grades of Sr. PPS and PPS with minimum 3 years of regular service in Sr. PPS grade. | |
| Total | 6760 |
1.3 Central Secretariat Clerical Service (CSCS)
| CSCS | Existing Strength | Pay Scale | Mode of recruitment |
| LDC | 200 (appox) | PB-1, GP: Rs. 1900 | By promotion from MTS – 70% by seniority quota and 30% through Limited Departmental Competitive Examination. |
| UDC | 1700 (approxupto SL-2014 and including adhoc Assistant on adhoc basis) | PB-1, GP: Rs. 2400 | 75% through seniority quota promotion from LDC grade with 8 years of approved service and 25% through Limited Departmental Competitive Examination from LDC grade with five years of approved service |
| Total | 1900 |
3.1 Prior to the year 2003, the number of posts of LDC and UDC in the Central Secretariat was 5397 and 5377 respectively. The 1st Cadre Restructuring Committee (CRC) of CSS in 2002 recommended abolition of direct recruitment in the grade of LDC. In the context of e-governance, paperless office and multi-skilling for a responsive administration, maintaining a large cadre of UDCs and LDCs in the Central Secretariat to carry out routine office jobs manually was considered regressive by the Committee. The Committee recommended that to cater to the future needs and address emerging requirements more efficiently, that instead of direct recruitment of LDCs at matriculate level, uni-skilled individuals of better qualified and skilled personnel be made solely at the level of Assistant. The Committee, therefore, recommended abolition of direct recruitment at LDC.
3.2 Accordingly, in October, 2003 with the approval of the Cabinet, it was decided to discontinue direct recruitment to the grade of LDC and to abolish the vacant posts of LDC which were filled up through direct recruitment. Eighty five percent of the posts of LDC were filled up through direct recruitment quota then and accordingly, after implementation of the first cadre review, 85% of the posts becoming vacant every year were being abolished. The remaining posts in the grade of LDCs were filled up by seniority promotion through Limited Departmental Competitive Examination from the erstwhile Group D employees.
3.3 With the stoppage of direct recruitment in the grade of LDC, the mode of recruitment to the grade of Assistant was modified as under:
| Prior to 2009 | Since 2009 |
| 50% direct recruitment
50% by promotion from UDC grade |
75% direct recruitment through CGLE.
The qualification is graduation with computer proficiency. 15% by promotion from UDC grade 10% through LDCE |
3.4 On the implementation of the recommendations of the second Cadre Restructuring of CSS carried in the year 2010, 1467 posts of UDCs were upgraded to the level of Assistant.
3.5 As on date the number of UDCs is 1700 and the number of LDCs is only about 200.
Role of CSS, CSSS and CSCS in the Central Secretariat
4. The role of Assistant, SO, US, DS/Dir of CSS is generally as given in the Manual on Office Procedure, CSS is structured mainly to play a supportive role to the senior administrative levels in the policy-making and program-designing in the Central Government. In this sense it is very different from other central services as latter are organized on functional basis and they function mostly within their allotted area of competence. CSS therefore has a much wider role to play as they work in all Ministries/Departments of the Government and assigned varied nature of work though their core functions broadly remain areas of administration and establishment.
4.1 Upto the level of US, almost all the posts in the Central Secretariat is manned by CSS Officers. In the grades of DS/Dir, CSS officers and officers coming under the Central staffing Scheme occupy posts roughly in the ratio of 50% each.
4.2 The role of CSSS Officers is to provide secretarial assistance to Officers. UDCs of CSCS are assigned duties similar to that of an Assistant but mostly of routine nature. LDCs carry out basic functions such diary, dispatch, maintenance of various registers, typing etc.
4.3 The duties and responsibilities of officers in the various grades of the three services are provided in the Central Secretariat Manual Office Procedure.
4.4 The Central Secretariat Service and the Central Secretariat Stenographers Service have, therefore, separate identities based on their structure, functions, duties and responsibilities and methods of recruitment at different levels. The Central Secretariat Service was constituted for ensuring continuity in policy administration in the Central Secretariat. CSSS is meant for providing stenographic and secretarial assistance to the officers in the Central Secretariat in discharge of their duties. Nature of Work, duties and responsibilities of the members of CSS and CSSS are different. (para 3.21 of the report 1st Cadre Restructuring of CSSS).
Recommendation of the 6th Central Pay Commission and its rationale:
5.0 The Sixth 6th Pay Commission in its Reportin para 3.1.10 to 3.1.12 recommended the following:
(a) In future, no recruitment is to be made as Assistants or Stenographers Instead multi-skilled Executive Assistants with educational qualifications of a degree from a recognized university and a one year diploma in computer education should be recruited. They will perform work of both the present day Assistants and Stenographers and in their case CSS and CSSS cadres would become merged.
(b) The existing incumbents in CSS and CSSS will continue as distinct cadres till the administrative Ministry works out an arrangement for their cadre after retraining, redeployment and job enlargement/enrichment, etc.
5.1 The rationale behind this recommendation was not explained in the 6th CPC Report. The only rationale that is apparent is that the 6th CPC felt that with increased use of IT, need for stenography skills should decline and, therefore, there is no need for maintaining a distinct stenographer cadre.
5.2 The Central Secretariat Service officials man various sections and divisions in the Secretariat, constitutional bodies, and attached and subordinate offices and participate in police formulation. The Central Secretariat Stenographers Service officials are attached with officers to provide stenographical as well as secretarial assistance. The Central Secretariat Clerical Service comprises officials who provide clerical assistance to sections.
5.3 Over a period of time, several changes have taken place in the services as well as the working of the secretariat itself which have a bearing on the introduction of a new cadre. The key issues are listed below:
(a) Size and composition of Services: At present the sanctioned strength of these three services is approximately 21000, out of which approximately 12000 are in the junior grades of LDC, UDC, Stenographer Grade ‘D’, PAs and Assistants. Till 2003 the educational qualification for LDCs (and therefore for UDCs). Stenographer Gr. D and PAs was Matriculation. However, it was graduation for Assistants. These qualifications have since been upgraded as under:
Ø For LDCs and Steno ‘D’, 12th pass. Direct recruitment in the grade of LDC was stopped since 2003 and it has been dying cadre since then.
Ø Assistants : Graduation with computer proficiency test.
Though the DR quota in Assistant grade has been increased from 50% to 75%, still a large number of secretarial staff who was recruited in the earlier years is still in service. They have low educational qualifications and skills even as the work of the secretariat has become more complex. Such a composition and skill profile in not in keeping with the changing needs of the Secretariat.
(b) Over a period of time the composition of these services has changed by and large in favour of promoted officers. For example, in the case of CSS, since the year 2000, direct recruitment at the level of SOs has been stopped. At the level of Assistants, in many years, no direct recruitment was made to enable UDCs to get faster promotions. This has altered the composition of CSS cadre where large number of Assistants / SOs is from the ranks of LDC/UDCs. As on date the composition of Assistant and SO grade is as under:
| Grade | In position as on 1.8.2015 | Composition (as on October 2015) | |
| Assistant | 6100 | 3600 (promoted from LDC →UDC→Assistant) | 2500 (DR) |
| SOs | 2600 | 1700 (from promote Assistant grade) | 900 (from DR Assistants) |
Similarly, in the case of CSSS, direct recruitment in the grade of Steno Gr.’C’ has been stopped since 2003, primarily to facilitate promotions of Steno Gr. ‘D’ who have been stagnating in the cadre for long. As the functioning of the Secretariat is becoming more complex, the secretariat services need to have more qualified staff (may be in lesser numbers) with opportunities of fast tracking available to high achievers.
(c) Inadequate work content at senior levels of CSSS: Several grades in higher scales have now been prescribed in the CSSS without much change in work content in different grades. There is no specific job description prescribed for the grades of PPS/Sr. PPS/PSO. They all perform similar functions and this leads to frustration amongst the officials and at the same time. Government does not gain much from the experience of senior officials in this service.
(d) Demand and supply of stenographic skills: With increased working on computers, demand for stenographic skills in workplaces has reduced to a large extent. There has been significant decline in supply of trained/skilled persons due to many Stenographic training institutions closing down for lack of demand.
(e) Enhanced IT skills: There has been a significant increase in use of IT in the secretariat. Officers are less dependent on stenographic assistance in disposal of their work. It is also increasingly becoming difficult to recruit good officials as stenographers as less and less persons train in this field.
(f) Unhealthy competition between CSS and CSSS: Functioning of the Secretariat is marred by unhealthy competition between CSS and CSSS cadres on issues such as promotion opportunities and other service conditions. By virtue of the fact that CSS officers man the sections and other decision making levels in Secretariat, they have a more meaningful career progression which has led to a widening of the rift between these two services affecting the functioning of the Secretariat.
(g) E-office: The increased use of e-office has reduced the dependence on staff for filing and also for stenography work.
5.4 In view of the above, prima-facie there is a need to have a relook at the existing structure of the secretariat. However, in view of the long term and wide ranging ramifications of any decision to be taken in this regard, the proposal for introduction of EA Scheme was discussed in the year 2010 with group of officers from various ministries / departments in two meetings chaired by joint Secretary (AT&A) and Secretary (Personnel) respectively. Mixed views were expressed in these meetings. While a large number of Ministries felt that the system of Executive Assistants would not work as it would be difficult for an Executive Assistant/Executive Officer (which is equivalent to the current Section Officer) to make adjustments that would be required if s/he were rotated between sections and personal staff of officers, many ministries felt that with the changing work environment, we need to restructure the present arrangements. The key advantages and disadvantages of EA system, as emerged during these discussions, are being highlighted below:
6.1 Key Disadvantages
6.1.1 The aptitude and the traits needs for analytical work and file processing are quite distinct from the work of a PA/Stenographer. As such interchangeability of the EAs between Sections and in the personal staff of Senior Officers will not be easy.
6.1.2 Need for stenographic assistance will continue even in future. In its absence, working at the level of senior officers would be affected.
6.1.3 Interchange of EAs/EOs between sections and personal staff of officers would adversely affect the working of Sections as the EAs may get out of touch with noting/drafting skills while they work in the personal staff of officers. The same problem will be faced by EAs who have been working in sections for long as they may not get used to working in the personal staff.
6.1.4 With the element of working in the personal staff of officers becoming a part of duties of EA, the service is likely to lose some of its lustre and may not attract appropriate talent/quality of personnel to work in the Central Secretariat.
6.1.5 There will be problems of integration of EAs with the existing CSS and CSSS cadres.
6.1.6 Ushering in specialization/professionalism, which exists today, may suffer.
6.2 Key advantages
6.2.1 Availability of better qualified multi-skilled manpower in the secretariat.
6.2.2 EAs who rotate between sections and personal staff will be more effective as they would have a wider horizon.
6.2.3 Better utilization of manpower, especially as in the current scenario, senior officials at the level of PPS, Sr. PPS and PSO are not being effectively utilized.
6.2.4 The new organization will be in sync with demands of a more IT based organization.
6.2.5 As the cadre of EAs will be unified, the problems arising out of contentious issues of parity between CSS and CSSS would cease to exist.
6.3 A perusal of the above would suggest that introduction of EA system would not be easy and that there would be severe problems of integration with the existing cadres of CSS and CSSS. However, considering the overall advantages, an outline of a scheme for introduction of Executive Assistants in the Central Secretariat has been prepared, and is discussed in the succeeding paragraphs.
6.4 The issue of introduction of EA Scheme was further discussed in the meeting of the CoS on 1st March 2013. In the meeting, following observations were made:
(i) There will be continued need for stenographic assistance to senior officers,
(ii) While the overall tendency and requirement is to move away from generalization towards specialization, EA Scheme tends to move towards generalization and may lead to decrease the level of required competencies,
(iii) The basic assumptions made for implementing the scheme should be put in place first, before implementing the Scheme.
(iv) While the EA Scheme assumes reduction in the overall number of staff, actually more number of staff might be eventually required implementing the new scheme.
(v) A view has also to be taken whether EA/EO cadre should serve the need of attached offices and autonomous bodies since under the Scheme. EA cadre is envisaged only for core Secretariat posts.
(vi) There is also a point of view that the Scheme could be referred to the next CPC.
(vii) A holistic approach is required instead of introducing EA Scheme in an isolated manner;
(viii) Physical files cannot be undone wholly as they are required for audit, court cases etc. EA Scheme will not work well if many physical files continue to be maintained.
(ix) Grade Pay of EA should be decided first in consultation with Staff Associations
(x) There is a need to define computer literacy, need to take a call on the level of final disposal of cases/files so that there is a meaningful contribution at every level etc. Before the proposal is considered for “in-principle” approval.
(xi) Proficiency in computer may be tested by hiring an appropriate agency.
(xii) Some Ministries had expressed the view that LDCs and UDCs will continue to be required for record keeping etc.
(xiii) The EA scheme will lead to multiplicity of cadres. It will be difficult for four different structures like CSS, CSSS, CSCS and EA to co-exist.
(xiv) Rotation of EAs between Sections and Personal Staff may be difficult to implement as the skill sets required for the both are vastly different. There is a need to prescribe continuous tenure in personal section of an officer and the cooling off period thereafter.
(xv) The existing CSS and CSSS can be merged in EA Scheme. DoPT was of the view that merging of the cadres was not possible.
(xvi) The scheme is based on the assumption that the functioning of Secretariat will become more IT based. It is possible to achieve the desired results by parting training to the existing staff rather than by creating a new structure which will take many years to stabilize.
(xvii) The Scheme can be implemented gradually.
(xviii) Implementation of the scheme should be done along with full implementation of e-office and e-Governance initiatives.
6.5.0 This Department has also sought the views of Service Associations viz. CSS and CSSS on the proposed Executive Assistant Scheme.
6.5.1 CSS Association has strongly opposed to the introduction of Executive Assistant Scheme. It observed as under :
i. Skills required for CSS and CSSS are different
ii. The duties assigned to CSS and CSSS are entirely different as given in the Manual on Office Procedure.
iii. EA Scheme is against specialization.
iv. It will compromise professionalism and there would a ‘chaos’ in the Central Ministries and Departments.
v. This will badly affect the output of both CSS as well as CSSS.
vi. EA Scheme will adversely affect institutional memory.
vii. It will lead to lack of accountability and will reduce the commitment of officers of CSS and officers coming under Central Staffing Scheme, thus affecting the meticulous examination of the proposals related to policy, schemes, monitoring etc.
viii. Cadre restructuring committees on CSS neither recommend EA Scheme nor recommended merger of CSS and CSSS.
ix. The scheme of EA will badly damage the output/delivery of both the services and is not in public interest.
x. The existing separate system of CSS and CSSS should continue with training in the domain of their specialization to improve the capacity of delivery by both the services.
6.5.2 CSSS Association favoured merger of CSS and CSSS and their support for introduction of EA Scheme is presumed from this. However, as per the recommendations of the VI Pay Commission, the existing incumbents of CSS and CSSS would continue as separate cadres and only the future recruitment would be in EA in place of existing CSS and CSSS. CSS Forum strongly opposes introduction of EA Scheme.
6.5.3. The issue of introduction of EA Scheme was also referred to 7th CPC for their views. The 7th CPC did not make any recommendation on introduction of EA Scheme.
7.0 A Proposal for Executive Assistant (EA) Scheme
7.1 The proposal is based on the following assumptions and if any of these assumptions were not to be valid the feasibility and viability of the scheme would be affected:
(a) Existing CSS and CSSS cadres will continue: It is not proposed to disband the existing cadres of CSS and CSSS. Although no fresh recruitment will be made in these cadres, the existing officers will continue along with the EA cadre and it would be only after 20-25 years that the EA system will become fully effective. Apart from the fact that disbanding the CSS or CSSS cadres will be fraught with implementation problems, proposed approach will enable a slow and gradual transition which will also match with the anticipated pace of change in secretariat functioning.
(b) Secretariat functioning will gradually become more IT based, reducing reliance on paper: This is a key assumption. The recommendation of the 6th CPC was made on the basis that with more IT based working, need for secretarial support would decline. It is assumed that gradually (i) more and more offices would move towards e-office which would reduce reliance on files and long file nothings (ii) to the extent long file notings are required, officers would type them on computer themselves, and (iii) if officers need assistance, EAs would be able to take dictation and transcribe straight on the computer, obviating the need for short hand.
(c) Reduced numbers in the Personal staff in Secretariat: At present 2-3 staff members are attached as personal staff with senior officers while secretarial assistance is provided up to the level of Desk officers. As the EAs would be better qualified as compared to the current personal assistants and more reliance would be on the IT based systems, it is assumed that the number of staff members in the personal staff of senior officers would also be reduced.
(d) Reduced Numbers in Sections: Direct recruitment was discontinued at the LDC level since the year 2003 and over a period of time large number of posts of UDCs have been upgraded to the Assistants’ level. As a result, the combined strength of LDCs and UDCs has declined from 10,774 in 2003 to a mere 1900 in 2015. This will further reduce to 1350 over the years. With the increased use of information Technology based systems, the reduced strength of CSCS will not affect the functioning of Secretariat. Some functions of secretariat such as Central Registry, Work Station and Record Room etc. Which can be better managed by this cadre may continue to be assigned to them asthey will not be posted in the sections due to reduced strength. The posts of LDCs (and therefore, UDCs) will continue to be required even in the long run to provide promotion opportunities for the Multi Tasking Staff and hence CSCS cadre will continue.
(e) EAs for only core Secretariat posts: While the existing CSS and CSSS cadres and the new EA cadre may still service the needs of statutory bodies, a view has to be taken separately whether EA cadre should service the needs of some large attached offices (such as CWC, CEA etc) and autonomous bodies, or these organizations should develop their own cadres. However, as the existing CSS and CSSS cadres will continue for another 20-25 years, for the purpose of the current proposal it is assumed that requirement of these attached offices will continue to be met from the existing cadres of CSS/CSSS till a decision regarding staffing of these offices is taken. Thus, EA system would be introduced primarily for core secretariat functions.
7.2 Key Features of the proposed EA Cadre
Cadre of EAs:
(a) The EAs will be recruited in GP Rs.4600/- as applicable to present day Assistants, since redesignated as Assistant SO. They will be recruited through an all India open competition conducted through SSC i.e through Combined Graduate Level Examination.
(b) On their initial joining, they will be posted mandatorily in the personal section of officers and Sections for a two year term each. After the initial four years, posting in the next four years i.e. in the personal section or Section would be optional and on the basis of preference exercised by the EAs/Officers.
(c) After six years of service, EAs will be eligible for promotion as EO in GP Rs. 4800/-
(d) 50% of vacancies in EO will be filled up through Limited Departmental Competitive Examination conducted through UPSC, for which the eligibility condition will be three years’ service in EA.
(e) On promotion as EO, one will have option of working in the personal staff of Officer or to work in the Section. Accordingly, in the grades of EA and EO one can be transferred from Section to personal staff on the basis of preference of the officer or on the requirements of the Ministry/Department.
(f) Eos after four years of service EO will be placed in the non-functional scale of GP Rs. 5400/-
(g) After, six years of service as EO, one will be eligible for promotion as US, 2/3rd of vacancies in the grade of US will be filled up through Limited Departmental Competitive Examination through UPSC. Remaining 1/3rd vacancies in US grade will be filled up through seniority quota on completion of 10 years of approved service in EO grade.
(h) Promotion from US to DS to Director grades will be as per the existing residency periods.
(i) It is also proposed to post US as Staff Officer to Secretary/AS with a job description that is more akin to that of a Private Secretary to the Minister. Posting as Staff Officer will be on the basis of preference of the officer and on the requirement of the Ministry/Department.
(j) The proposed structure will be as under:
| Designation & Grade Pay | Promotion grade Designation and Grade Pay | Residency prescribed in CSS Rules for analogous grade | Residency proposed for SQ promotion |
| Executive Assistant (EA), Rs. 4600 | Entry grade | ||
| EA, Rs. 4600 | Executive Officer (EO), Rs. 4800 | 8 years | 6 years |
| EO, Rs. 4800 | EO (NFU), Rs. 5400 | 4 years | 4 years |
| EO, Rs.4800 (including NFU) | US/Rs. 6600 | 8 years | 6 years |
| US, Rs. 6600 | DS/Rs. 7600 | 5 years | 5 years |
| DS, Rs. 7600 | Dir/Rs. 8700 | 5 years | 5 years |
(k) Personal Staff: The entitlement for personal staff is proposed as under:
| Designation | Entitlement proposed |
| Secretary and equivalent level | Staff Officer in the grade of US-1 EA-1 |
| Addl. Secy. And equivalent | Staff officer in the grade of US-1 EA-1 |
| JS and equivalent | EO-1 and EA-1 |
| Dir/DS level and equivalent | EA-1 |
(l) Based on the above entitlement, the number of officers required for personal staff would be as under:
| Designation | Approximate strength in the Central Secretariat | Entitlement of personal staff proposed | Requirement of personal staff | ||
| Staff Officer (US) | EO | EA | |||
| Secretary and equivalent level | 100 | Staff Offr in the grade of US-1 EA-1 | 100 | – | 100 |
| Addl. Secy. And equivalent | 109 | Staff Offr in the grade of US-1 EA-1 | 109 | – | 109 |
| JS level and equivalent | 505 | EO-1 and EA-1 | – | 505 | 505 |
| Dir + DS level and equivalent | 1350 | EA-1 | – | 1350 | |
| Total | 2064 | 209 | 505 | 2064 | |
| Grand Total | 2778 | ||||
(m) Sections: There are approximately 3200 sections in the core secretariat offices. These will be manned by Executive Officers as well as Executive Assistants (EA). It is proposed to split the sections to be manned by EO and EA in the ratio of 2:1 i.e. 2120 Sections will be manned by Eos and 1080 Sections will be manned by EAs. Both EO and EA will function on desk pattern without assistance. Similarly, USs will also function on desk pattern.
(n) Executive Assistants Cadre (total for personal section and Sections)
| Sl.No | Designation and GP | For Office | For personal staff of officers | Total |
| 1. | EA/Rs. 4600 | 1080 | 2064 | 3144 |
| 2. | EO/Rs. 4800 | 2120 | 505 | 2625 |
| 3. | US/Rs. 6600 | 1600 | 209 | 1809 |
| 4. | DS/Rs. 7600 | 340 | – | 340 |
| 5. | Dir/Rs. 8700 | 260 | – | 260 |
| Total cadre strength | 8178 | |||
The proposed EA Scheme envisages much reduced strength in Central Secretariat which is at present approximately 21000 will stand reduced to about 8200.
7.4 Direct Recruitment at Executive Officer Level :
In the case of CSS, direct recruitment was being made at the level of SOs through the combined Civil Services Examination. However, since 2000, no direct recruit SO joined the service. During the first cadre restructuring of CSS in 2003, it was decided to stop direct recruitment of SOs. The reasons for doing away with direct recruitment in SO grade continue to hold good eve now. Further, the issue of direct recruitment in SO grade was considered by 3rd Cadre Restructuring of CSS which did not recommend reintroduction of direct recruitment in SO grade. On the same analogy, it is not proposed to have direct recruitment in EO grade in the proposed EA cadre.
7.5 Other issues in implementation
Once an in principle decision is taken to introduce the EA Scheme, details would need to be worked out regarding recruitment rules and examination pattern and also how the four services, namely EA, CSS, CSSS, CSCS will coexist in the secretariat over the next 30 years.
*******
[download id=”100248″ template=”dlm-buttons-button”]
Leave a Reply