Centre’s order: The Centre has made it mandatory to seek prior approval for IAS, IPS and IFoS officers before accepting awards from private oganisations, however, adding a condition that it should not have any monetary component in cash in terms of facilities.
In an order, the Personnel Ministry said the competent authority may grant approval to the officers in exceptional circumstances, adding that in such cases, the credentials of the private bodies/institutions/organisations should be unimpeachable.
Why this order?
The government’s step came after it noticed that the members of all India services — Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFoS) accepted awards given by private entities, in spite of the existing instructions.
Accordingly, it is clarified that awards given by private bodies, institutions or organisations may be accepted only with prior approval of competent authority, the order issued to the secretaries of the central government, and the chief secretaries of state on Thursday (June 22).
The state government would be the competent authority in case of officers serving in the state.
Who would be competent authority?
“In the case of officers serving in the Centre, the competent authority would be the secretary of the ministry/ department concerned. In case of secretaries to the Government of India, the competent authority would be the Cabinet Secretary,” it said.
The competent authority may grant approval only in exceptional circumstances which is subject to the condition that the ‘the award should not have any monetary component in the form of cash and/or facilities’, the order added and sought its ‘strict adherence’.
The Personnel Ministry cited its nearly three-decade-old instructions, and said that the awards sought to be given to members of all India services (AIS) by private bodies and institutes do not need to be encouraged as there are various ways at the government’s disposal to recognise their merit and service.
It added that it would not be appropriate to accept an award from a private body.
(With PTI inputs)
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