Can IAS Officers be Suspended? Who can Suspend IAS Officers?

IAS, Indian Administrative Services, is the administrative department of the Indian Civil Services. One of three branches of the All India Services, the IAS together with the Indian Police Service and the Indian Forest Service are the most prestigious profile one can aim for.

Speaking of personnel working as IAS officers, they sit at a very high post and serve the government and also sometimes may be deployed at public sector undertakings. In case of misbehaviour or violation of law, IAS officers are suspended and asked to step down from their post. But the question remains, who can suspend IAS officers?

Read the article till the end to find out the answer to this question.

Who is an IAS Officer?

The Indian Administrative Service is a highly prestigious and preferential career option for most youngsters. Among the other All India Services, it has the toughest selection process and only the most suitable candidate gets selected after rigorous exams and interviews conducted by higher-level personnel.

The Indian Administrative Service officers are the permanent bureaucracy of the Government of India’s Executive Branch. The Indian Administrative Service and other affiliated services carry out executive decisions made by elected bodies of government.

A wide range of responsibilities are carried out by the Indian Administrative Service officers, and hence, they have a lot of discretionary powers as privileges. They are sworn in by the President of India. Out of one million applicants each year, only 180 candidates make it as IAS officers. It could be said that the success rate of IAS officers is 0.001%.

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Responsibilities of an IAS Officer

The Indian Administrative Service officers have high responsibilities and strict powers at discretion. Below mentioned are some of the notable responsibilities of an Indian Administrative Service officer.

#When assigned to field positions, the Indian Administrative Service officers have to collect money and serve as court officials in cases of revenue and crime, maintain law and order, and execute union and state government policies at the grassroots level.

#To handle government administration and everyday operations, including policy creation and implementation in conjunction with the minister in charge of a given ministry or department.

#To contribute to policy formulation and make final decisions on specific issues with the consent of the minister concerned or the council of ministers.

Recruitment and Appointment of the IAS Officers

There are three ways to join the Indian Administrative Service.

#One can get admitted to the service after passing the Civil Services Examination, which is administered by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Officers who are recruited in this manner are referred to as direct recruits.

#Some IAS officers are recruited from state civil services and, in rare cases, from non-state civil services. The ratio of direct recruits to promoters is set at 2:1. The President of India appoints all IAS officers, regardless of their mode of entry.

#In contrast to candidates appointed to other civil services, a successful IAS candidate is ineligible to retake the CSE. In August 2017, the central government announced a new cadre allocation policy for the All India Services, touting it as a policy to ensure national integration of the bureaucracy and the services’ All India character.

Can an IAS Officer be Suspended? Who can Suspend IAS Officers?

Yes, an IAS officer can be suspended under unforeseen circumstances, like crime and violation of any law under the Indian Constitution. Although there are several criteria for suspension of the officer, it is reviewed carefully, keeping the dignity of the officer.

Simply speaking, only the President of India can suspend or dismiss IAS officers after reviewing their case. The central government also has rights in this matter. If the suspension is to last for more than a year, the Central Review Committee has to be consulted.

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What does the Recent Amendments Say?

According to the recent amendments in the suspension process, Indian Administrative Service officers working with the Centre can now be suspended only on the recommendation of the Central Review Committee and with the approval of the DoPT minister in charge.

States who initiate the suspension of an IAS officer, have to inform the Centre within 48 hours of suspending the officer working for them. The newer rules have made it strict as no innocent and honest officer should suffer due to negligence of the State or the Centre.

Also, the State cannot suspend the officer beyond 30 days without confirmation from the Centre about the proceedings.

Process of Suspension

The Central Review Committee has the secretary of the DoPT as the chairperson and its members will be the establishment officers of the DoPT.

A recommendation would be needed by this committee in regards to the suspension order of IAS officers which exceed the duration of one week. This is introduced to aim at checking any arbitrary suspension at the Centre’s level too.

Any appeals or memorials against disciplinary action taken by the state government or the central ministry, against All India Service officers should be forwarded to the centre with the State’s and ministry’s comment within 30 days of issue.

The centre, along with the committee will review the case and then give a final decision for, or against the suspension of the particular Indian Administrative Service officer. The decision stands obligatory to all parties including the officer and the State government for which the officer worked for and served.

Conclusion

The Indian Administrative Service officers committing a felony of law or violating any part of the law as stated in the constitution of India are subject to suspension and dismissal. The case is reviewed impartially by the committee as well as the administrative head of the DoPT and their decision stands final. At the same time, new rules and processes are being implemented in order to protect the innocent officers who get framed under the law. This is the process of the suspension of the IAS Officers under the Indian Constitution. We truly hope we were able to explain this in the simplest and easiest way to understand. If you have any queries or doubts, you may let us know in the comment section below.