In a landmark policy decision to change the contour of the state bureaucracy, the Bihar government has expanded opportunities for its non-administrative gazetted officers for induction into the most coveted career of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). The govt is said to have already recommended two such officers for induction into the IAS, breaking the traditional barrier of promoting only administrative cadre officers of the state service.
The decision marks a complete departure from the conventional practice of selecting officers exclusively from traditional administrative cadres, as it opens the doors for professionals such as doctors, engineers, and other gazetted officers to join the highest echelons of the country’s bureaucracy.
The uniqueness of this move lies in the fact that officers from the Bihar Administrative Service (BAS), Bihar Police Service (BPS), and Bihar Forest Service (BFS) will be completely excluded from it. Instead, officers from all other gazetted cadres, including doctors, engineers, and officers from technical and specialized services, will be eligible for promotion to the IAS cadre.
The General Administration Department (GAD) has formally issued instructions to heads of all state govt’s departments, directing them to identify and nominate officers who demonstrate exceptional service records, integrity, and contributions to governance. The recommended names will be forwarded to the Union Government, which has to take a final call on their induction into the IAS cadre.
The eligibility criterion includes a wide range of services like Medical and Health Services (Doctors), Engineering Services, Information Service, Finance Service, Labour Service, Cooperative Service, and other gazetted cadres.
The aim behind this move is to reward merit, experience, and domain expertise beyond conventional administrative streams.
According to the eligibility criterion laid down by the govt, only those officers will be considered for inductions who have at least 8 years of service as a gazetted officer and are below 56 years of age as of January 1, 2025. Besides, they must possess an outstanding service record along with impeccable character and integrity.
The Bihar govt is said to have already recommended two officers for induction, and once it is approved by the Centre, they will join the elite IAS cadre, marking a major milestone in their careers.
The move is highly commendable but unusual, but there is a need for caution as the recommendation will be based on a highly selective process involving the heads of the govt departments. Otherwise, the move is pathbreaking, which will strengthen decision-making processes by involving domain experts in bureaucratic roles.
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