NEED PRACTICAL REFORMS TO TIDE OVER STAGNATION IN CAPFs
Central Armed Police Forces(CAPFs) are million plus strong national security asset. They are mainstay of nations' internal and external security. CAPFs have always lived up to government expectations and performed well beyond their capabilities for protecting sovereignty and territorial integrity of country.
CAPFs have main and support cadres for efficient and effective functioning like General duty ,Medical ,Engineering ,Law ,communication and so on. The main cadre is General Duty Cadre which consist of Group "A" officers recruited through UPSC. All others are support cadres to help general duty cadre in duties.
The mainstay of national security, the general duty cadre is the one which is in urgent need of care and compassion from government to tide over acute stagnation when compared with support cadres of CAPFs especially medical cadre. If a comparison is carried out of promotional prospects, the main cadre lags behind. There is no denying the fact that all cadres within CAPFs need to prosper in terms of promotions, however, a balance has to be maintained amongst all for organisational effectiveness. A News 18 story by Ankur Sharma dated 28 March 2022 titled " No Promotions,Huge Stagnation :Home Ministry seeks practical suggestions from Paramilitary Forces" highlights MHA concern on stagnation in CAPFs. It further says "Home ministry has decided to ascertain the actual reasons to plug the gaps.Further directed to review the present status and give practical suggestions to improve the situation".
Lets carry out an analysis based upon open source information
An Assistant Commandant recruited through UPSC has a residency period of 06 years for promotion to the rank of Deputy Commandant and in ideal situation fulfilling all other QRs should be DC after 06 years of service but physically is picking up the rank of Deputy Commandant after 12-13 years of service.
-The residency period for promotion from Deputy Commandant is five years of service in regular grade ,which means total 11 years of group "A" service. A Deputy Commandant should be second-in-command after 11 years of total service but unfortunately officers with total service of 20 years are still Deputy Commandants.
-Second-in Command with 05 years service as 2IC and total 16 years of group "A" service is eligible for promotion to the rank of Commandant however officers with 25 years of total service are still second in Commands in BSF.
Commandant with 02 years residency as Commandant and 18 years of total service are eligible to pick up the rank of DIG, however officers after putting in total service of 31 years of service and about 12-14 years residency in Commandant rank are still commandants.
-DIG with four years residency in rank and 24 years of service are eligible to pick up rank of IG, however large number of officers despite having fulfilled eligibility conditions are still either commandants or DIsG.
Medical cadre in CAPFs is combatant cadre under Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA). However , their promotions are governed as per Dynamic Assured Career Progression Scheme (DACP) of Ministry of Health and Family welfare. As per Press information Bureau, Government of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare "career promotion scheme for doctors" was announced in Lok Sabha on 27 August 2013 by the then Union Minister of Health and Family welfare Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad . This scheme has also been extended to veterinary officers of CAPFs as per Ministry of Home Affairs Government of India letter no 14/SSB/A-4/89(79)-I dated 19 Dec 2018 wef 05 April 2002. DACP was implemented by GOI based upon recommendations of Vth central pay commission providing promotion to CHS officers without linkage to vacancies up to the level of Chief Medical Officer-Non functional selection grade(CMO-NFSG)/specialist grade 1/Professor wef 05/04/2002
Under ,the DACP scheme medical officers are promoted after 04 years to Senior time scale after 09 years to CMO Non- functional selection grade and after 13 years to CMO selection grade after 16 years as DIG(Medical) and after 20 years as IG ( Medical). This promotion is without linkage to vacancies whether belonging to organised service or holding isolated posts wef 29 Oct 2008.
The following comparative conclusions can be drawn from promotion matrix of GD officers and medical officers in CAPFs especially in BSF & CRPF.
(a) An officer of GD cadre gets first promotion from Assistant Commandant to Dy Commandant after about 13 years of service where as a medical officer gets gets first promotion from Medical officer to Senior medical officer (Deputy Commandant) after 04 years of service. The gap is about 09 years.
(b) A Deputy Commandant is promoted to the rank of 2IC after about 20 years of service where as a medical officer is CMO(NFSG) after 09 years of service and the gap in promotion increases to about 11 years of service between both cadres at 2IC rank.
(c) A second in command is promoted to the rank of Commandant after about 25 years of service where as Medical cadre officer is promoted to the rank of CMO(SG) after 13 years of service. The gap in promotion increases to about 12 years.
(d) Commandant of GD cadre is promoted to DIG after about 31 years of service where as CMO (SG) is promoted to the rank of DIG (Medical ) after 16 years of service. The gap in promotion increases to about 15 years.
(e) Officers despite having put in service of about 30-32 years are still commandants where as DIG(Medical ) with 20 years of service gets the promotion /scale of IG after 20 years of service and many of these commandants may retire as commandants /DIsG after putting in 33-35 years of service.
SUGGESTIONS TO TIDE OVER STAGNATION
Government need to implement practical solutions to reduce the huge disbalance in promotions between various cadres to maintain organisational effectiveness.The large gap and disbalance leads to heartburn and effects organisational harmony and efficiency. There is an urgent need to maintain balance in promotions amongst all cadres within CAPFs. The following practical suggestions may be considered for the purpose and if need be change in promotional criteria and rules may be considered.
(a) The issue of correct implementation of NFU for CAPF officers is hanging fire since long and may not see light of day for quite long, so DACP scheme may be considered for executive officers of CAPFs along similar lines as implemented for medical officers.
(b) Consider time scale promotion from Assistant Commandant to second-in-Command where in a Deputy Commandant picks up the rank of second -in -Command after 09 years of service for officers who meet another laid down criteria/ QRs for the purpose including promotion exams . Introduce promotion through selection beyond the rank of Second-in-Command where in person becomes ineligible for promotion after missing three boards and his chances of promotion decline with each board.
(b) There are lot of functional issues which arise between medical cadre officers and CAPF cadre officers concerning seniority due to disbalanced promotions . MHA may consider introduction of different uniform for medical officers to tide over functional issues.
(c) In CAPF units only officers up to the rank of CMO(NFSG) be posted and no CMO(SG) be posted in units as it leads to difficulties in command functioning due to attitudinal problems on the part of medical officers and sometimes of executive cadre officers.
(d) Unit hospital be authorised specialists to avoid reference of majority of patients to civil hospitals. In addition, all CAPF unit hospitals and composite hospitals be declared as CGHS dispensaries/hospitals for treatment of CAPF retires and officers.
Government need to recognise that stagnation leads to frustration and frustration effects discipline and efficiency. So ,there is an urgent need for implementing practical measures to tide over stagnation and for ensuring balance in promotions between CAPF cadre officers and other cadres within organisations for better administrative harmony, functioning and organisational effectiveness. Government need to step in to address this important issue for organisational efficiency and effectiveness.
First get the correct facts about promotion of Medical officers in CAPF and then talk about comparison.
ReplyDeleteWhat's the in facts about promotion of medical officers in capf except promotion in DIG and IG rank . They are getting time bound promotion upto cmo(sg).Same year recruited executive officer is still AC while medical officer is cmo(og). Is it fair
DeleteIs article medical cadre ke promotion ke bare m kya galat hai kya aap log 13 years m pay band 4 nahi lete aur ek executive cadre 13 years m kismat Hui to sirf 01 promotion aur aap log 03 promotions.
DeleteGeneral duty or executive cadre is the main cadre of organisations but irony CAPF m inko bilkul ignore demotivate frustrate bna rakha h
DeleteIPs is main cader not the General duty Get ur fact clear
DeleteGet u r fact clear
ReplyDeleteCMOSG is designation not a rank
Rank is COMdtt
It’s about studies that CAPF doctors get promotion
If u need go study and get it
But for u r knowledge up to the rank of Comdt/CMOSG
They get time bound promotion
But after that it’s a vacancy based promotion
And there is no hidden fact that GD cader make life worst of doctor in CAPF , They don’t respect them
They will not even give respect to rank also
So don’t cry Rona of promotion
I totally agree
DeleteYes sir ji . One should study to get rank .
DeleteKaam toh gareeb gulam kar hi lenge . Going by your argument CAPF should have one post reserved for AIIMS passed out doctor and should not promote or even recruit China passes ones
God bless
झोला छाप ji, jitne me aap yaha केंद्रीय sarkar me afsar ban jate h utne interview me HR round clear nhi hota h engineering college placement me. And executives will have the last laugh
DeleteWho decides who is main or support cadre in CAPFs?
ReplyDeleteIPS is the main cadre in CAPF, rest all others dance around IPS and going by their calibre, all have been rightfully placed by government as they deserve.
While joining a service, one should join cadre with fast promotions and better working conditions rather than cribbing later after joining the service. Now also, avenues are all open. Quit and join the better cadre. Government will find ur replacement at lower cost. For India to progress cutting down employee count of government services is a must. Government employees with Babu mentality are bleeding the economy of nation through their salary and pension bills.
Aren’t all IPS babus?
DeleteThe fighting cadre is the main cadre i.e the executive cadre.
DeleteWe can write anything here and satiate our respective egos but that not going to change the fact that the one who goes out in the field without caring about what will happen next is the mai cadre.
All must get their dues n respect but executive staff is Paramount
Government knows very well, who are fighting ... and fighting for what? CAPFs officers of all cadres are experts in ration-ghotala, taking commission, connivance with anti-national elements (cattle smugglers and human / drug-trafficers , recruitment scandlers etc.).
DeleteOfficers should not be recruited in CAPF, rather army should provide entire officer pool for CAPF on deputation or absorption basis.
Wonderful truth.
ReplyDeleteNice article
False...brother be the lover of justice.
ReplyDeleteAfter joining there are so much pains also
Most of CAPF are having functioning like infantry then it should be like army and we should be given privilege at par with IA. Forces have been created with specific purpose, so main cadre is exicutive GD cadre. Deputationist can't be main cadre. When medical and veterinary cadre officers can be accommodated in dept with DACP without vacancy then why not GD officers. Only we should not relate rank with duties. Further 5 years residency period is not justified. OGAS attributes should be implemented in CAPF.
ReplyDeleteYes... Army are the real fighters
ReplyDeleteThanks sir for raising a very pertinent issue ailing the most competent and battle hardened Force.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing called inter se seniority. A person in his own cader may exercise seniority under given rules but in no way his seniority be compared with those in other cader. A person may be a comdt or ig or dig in his cader but may not be senior to even a junior ranking officer in other cader. So instead of comparing caders it is practical to count seniority on the basis of length of service put in. No service is superior or inferior . Yes black sheeps and grey horses exist in every service parasiting on other services by crude comparisons and mis use of authority conferred by law.
ReplyDelete