The Supreme Court has directed the Union government to address the issue raised by Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers regarding their performance appraisal being conducted by Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers. The issue was raised from a Madhya Pradesh government order (June 29, 2024) that allows District Collectors and Divisional Commissioners to evaluate the performance of IFS officers.

The IFS Association is of the opinion that IAS officers don’t have the expertise in forest conservation and their evaluations contradict a 2000 Supreme Court that authorizes appraisal by senior officers within the Forest Department. Justice B.R. Gavai also pointed out that IAS officers often assert their dominance over IFS and IPS officers. A bench comprising Justices Gavai and A.G. Masih was hearing a challenge to the Madhya Pradesh government’s order dated June 29, 2024, which introduced a new mechanism for the Performance Appraisal Report (PAR) of forest officers. The order stated that the performance of DFOs, Conservators, and Chief Conservators posted at the district level and engaged in field activities would be assessed separately by District Collectors and Divisional Commissioners.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta assured the court that the government would work towards bringing a resolution through discussions with stakeholders. However, the Madhya Pradesh government says that its order complies with existing laws, affirming that IAS officers will only provide additional reports on welfare schemes and not core forest management. With the Supreme Court’s intervention in this regard, the Centre now has to find a balanced resolution to the dispute.