The Modi government has taken a firm stance on empanelling IAS officers as Joint Secretaries only if they meet the central deputation norms. As a result, only 16 officers from the 2009 batch, out of a total of 119, have been empanelled in the initial list. This marks the lowest number for any batch in the initial list. The government has strictly enforced the norm of a minimum of two years of service as a Deputy Secretary or Director in the central government for IAS officers to qualify for JS empanelment.
Though this rule was introduced for the 2007 batch onwards, sources indicate that officers from the 2007 and 2008 batches were given some relaxations. A comparison with previous batches shows that 49 out of 89 officers from the 2005 batch, 55 out of 87 from the 2006 batch, 31 out of 89 from the 2007 batch, and 64 out of 111 from the 2008 batch were empanelled in the initial list.
The sharp drop in numbers for the 2009 batch highlights the government’s strict enforcement of the central deputation requirement. This has significantly reduced the pool of eligible officers, signaling a clear shift in policy to ensure that IAS officers seeking empanelment at the Joint Secretary level have prior experience in central government roles.
