The Rajasthan High Court on Friday reserved its judgment on a petition filed against fixing quota of non-RAS officers for promotion to the posts of IAS.
The division bench of Chief Justice AG Masih and Justice Sameer Jain reserved the judgement. The High Court had on July 7 stayed the pro motion process on petition of Rajasthan Administrative Service Council and others.
As per the petition, there is a provision of filling 66.67 percent posts of the total IAS cadre strength through direct recruitment while 33.33 percent are filled by promotion of state administrative officers under the All India Service Act and its rules.
For non-RAS officers, the number of persons recruited by way of selection shall not at any time exceed 15% of the number of persons recruited against promotion quota which is 33.33% of the cadre strength.
The petitions says that the quota of state officers can be filled by non-RAS only in exceptional circumstances if eligible RAS officers are not available. But exception has become rule and the government is promoting officers of other services to the post of IAS every year.
On February 17, the government sent letters to all departments seeking applications from other services for promotion to IAS and the screening committee has also sent its recommendation to UPSC for promotion by selecting officers from other services.
Who are Non-RAS officers
The Indian Administrative Service (Recruitment) Rules, 1954 provide for limited promotion officers to the IAS from amongst those who are holding gazetted posts in the substantive capacity. Such officers should be members of State Services other than Rajasthan Administrative Service, Rajasthan Police Service, Rajasthan Forest Service or Rajasthan Judicial Services and serving in connection with affairs of the State
Cadre and quota in Rajasthan
The IAS cadre strength of Rajasthan is 313 as against only 265 officers have been appointed as on date. As per the rule, the total number of quota to be filled through promotion in any state is 33.33% of the cadre strength.
So for Rajasthan, it is 104. Now, for NSCS, the number of selections should not exceed 15% of 104, that is 15 posts. At present the number of promotee RAS is 79 while 10 are promoted from Non-RAS.
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