DEFENCE OFFICERS GROUP B STATUS

Sir

    We have been harping on the “DOWNGRADATION” of the Armed forces and have gone to town lamenting that we are being placed in the Gp B cadre level. Sorry to say this but I feel we have been looking at this A-wise as usual. No one can downgrade the status of any individual after he/she has been appointed. But Yes they can on the sly upgrade their status. That is a relative shift. I have attached the word document where the wiki details of AFHQCS cadre is explained. In 1947 one Col Pritam Singh was the CAO but in 1987 the CAO was upgraded to a Jt Secy. This did not bring officers into Gp B.

But Yes, with all this brouhaha we have mooted an idea that the wily Babus will work upon.

Now we must use this (which we should have done in the First instance) upgrade to our advantage. If a CAO appointee was a Col in 1947 and in 1987 the same appointment was upgraded to a Jt Secy Level then the Armed forces Colonel should also be given a relative upward shift and a Colonel be upgraded to a Jt Secy level with pay and perks.

And if the sly Babu does back stab then remember “No one can make you inferior without your consent” and any Army that cannot Defend its Own Honour is useless and might as well be disbanded since it has lost Self esteem and will never be able to defend the Country.

Regards

Menon

For addl study -  attaching a DoPT handbook for Personnel Officers so that one can understand procedure if the babus overlook the procedure for creation of Post. 
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1. CLICK TO VIEW THE HANDBOOK FOR PERSONNEL OFFICERS 2013
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2.Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Services : Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Services (AFHQCS) is second tier civil service, designated as group B service, responsible for providing staff, secretarial, housekeeping, clerical, and ancillary support services to the Indian Armed Forces headquarters and Inter-Services Organizations (ISOs) under the Ministry of defense (MOD).^{[1]: First Schedule} This cadre was constituted in 1968.^[1][2][3] The authorized strength of the service in 1968 was 1778;^[1] in 2011, 2644,^[4] and in 2016, 3235.^[5]

Other two components of the cadre are Armed Forces Stenographers Service (AFHQ SS), and Armed Forces Clerical service ( AFHQ Clerical service). The three services, which are all under the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) in the Ministry of defence (MOD), are referred to as Armed Forces Headquarter (AFHQ) cadre/ service.^[6]

Contents

·         1Background

·         2Up-gradation of Posts

·         3Grades and levels

·         4Strength

·         5Time line

Background[edit]

During World war II, in 1942, civilian employees under different departments and branches of the Armed Forces Headquarters responsible for providing static ancillary services were reorganized and consolidated under one head who was called Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). The first CAO took over on 1 August 1942.^[7] In 1987, the post of Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), was upgraded to level of a Joint Secretary(JS), under the defence secretary, who is the Cadre Controlling Authority and Head of the AFHQ employees.^[3][8][9]

Up-gradation of Posts[edit]

AFHQCS in 1968 had four grades: 204 were in Group A, and 1472 in Group B. The highest grade was senior civil staff officer, a level analogous to deputy secretary.^[1] After the 4Central Pay Commission (1986), large number of existing post were upgraded, which were again upgraded after the Sixth Central Pay Commission( 2006). In 2011 AFHQCS had 409 personnel at group A level, including 4 at Joint secretary level, and 2235 at group B level.^[2]In July 2013 a committee was constituted to carry out further cadre re-structuring/review of AFHQ Civil Service' for further enhancing the career prospects of AFHQ-Civil Service'.^[3]It currently has six grades/levels, from Assistant Section Officer to joint secretary.^[4]

Grades and levels[edit]

Inductions into the service is from upper division clerk by promotion, by promotion from the Assistant Section Officer, and direct recruitment at the level of Assistant Section Officer and section officer.^[2] The evolution of the service, its hierarchical structure, pay grades, and Levels, are tabulated below:

AFHQ Civil Service: Grades and Levels Table 1
	Designation and Group	Pay grade-scales 1968	Pay Band & Scale [after 6CPC] 2008[2]	Grade Pay (Rs) 2008	Level in Pay Matrix 2016[10]:p75[11]
1	Senior Administrative Grade (2001) [2]  designation changed to Principal Director in October2002.[12](Grp`A’) AFHQ Civil Service has 4 posts of Principal Director.[3]	nil	PB-4 37400-67000	10000	14
2	Director(Group `A’) Directors of the AFHQ Civil Service eligible for appointment PD  on completion three years service.[2]: Schedule IV p 20[3]	Nil	PB-4 37400-67000	8700	13
3	Sr Civilian StaffOfficer/ Jt Director (2001)[2] designation changed to Jt Director in October 2002.[12](Class I/ Group `A’) Jt Directors of the AFHQ Civil Service eligible for appointment to the Director grade on completion of 05 years of approved service in the grade[2]: Schedule IV p 20[3]	1100-50-1400	PB-3 15600-39100	7600	12
4	Civilian Staff Officer (2001) designation changed to Deputy Director in October 2002.[12](Group `A’) Dy Directors of the AFHQ Civil Service will be eligible for appointment to the Joint Director grade and to other administrative posts on completion of 05 years of approved service in the grade.[2]: Schedule IV p 20[3]	740-30-100-50-1150	PB-3 15600-39100	6600	11
5	Asst Civilian Staff Officer (2001) Designation changed to Section Officer in October 2002[12]  Group `B’ 50% of the posts of Section Officers are filled by Direct Recruitment.[3] Section Officers eligible for promotion to the grade of Deputy Directorson completion of 06 years service. In addition, upgradation (Non Functional Scale) to the Grade Pay of Rs. 5400/- in PB-3 on completion of 4 years approved service as Section Officer[2][3]	350-25-500-30-520-EB-20-800	PB-2 (i) 9300-34800 (on initial appo-intment) (ii) 15600-39100 (Non-funct-ional scale/Grade Pay on completion of 4 years approved service)	(i) 4800 (ii) 5400 (Non- functional Grade Pay)	8-9
6	Asst Section Officer(Group `B’, Non-Gazetted) Ministerial. Asst Section officer grade done by Direct Recruitment (50%) and 50% by Promotion from UDC grade.[3]	210-10-270-15-200-EB-15-450- 20-520	Group `B’, Non- Gazetted) PB-2 9300-34800	4600	7

Strength[edit]

The authorized strength of the service is 2644(2011), an increase of 866, from a total of 1778 in 1968.^[1][2] This is in addition to Armed Forces Headquarters Stenographers Service, which has an overall strength of 856 ( 08 Senior Principal Private Secretary; 44 Principal Private Secretaries; 300 Private Secretary; and 504 a Personal Assistants).^[13] The increase in strength of the service is tabulated below:

Strength of AFHQCS 1968-2016 Table 2
	Designation and Group	authd strength 1968[1]:second Schedule	authd strength 2001 [2]:Schedule I p 13	authd strength 2011[4]	authd strength 2016[5]
1	Sr Administrative Grade][2]  Designation Changed to Principal Director in October 2002.[12] (Group`A’)AFHQ Civil Service has 4 posts of Principal Director.[3]	nil	2	3	4
2	Director (Group `A’)	nil	9	20	21
3	Sr Civilian Staff Officer/Jt Dir[2]  Joint Director, since October 2002.[12](Group `A’)	12	72	83	157
4	Civilian Staff Officer. Dy Dir since in October 2002.[12](Group `A’)	194	253	303	419
5	Supdt- Central civil services class II ministerial (1968)/ Assistant Civilian Staff Officer (2001). Designation changed to Section Officer in October 2002[12] Group `B’	506	683	778	514
6	Assistant Section Officer (Group `B’, Non-Gazetted) Ministerial.	1066	1709 including leave reserve	1457	2120
		1778	2571	2644	3235

Time line[edit]

1 August 1942

In response to the demands of the World War II, all the civil man power in the then war department was consolidated under the office of Chief Administrative officer(CAO). The first four CAO were brigadier of the Indian army.^[7]

16 August 1947

Colonel Pritam Singh, becomes the first Indian CAO.^[7]

1 March 1968

Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service constituted as group B Service from the existing staff under the Armed Forces headquarters and inter service organisations. The highest grade in the AFHQ Civil Service is Senior Staff Officer, analogous to a deputy secretary, with pay grade of Lt colonel.^[1]

1987

The post of CAO is upgraded to Joint Secretary.^[7]

2001

The Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service Rules, 2001, supersede by Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service Rules, 1968. Two Existing posts upgraded to JS, and 9 to Director.^[2]

31 October 2002

New designation of principal director( Senior Administrative grade); Joint Director ( Senior Civilian Staff officer) , analogous to civil service time scale post with 9 years; Deputy director(Deputy director), analogous to civil service time scale post with 4 years service; and section officer ( Assistant civilian Officer) created.^[12]

15 April 2011

Joint Secretary post increased to 3: one each in the Military Secretary’s branch, Adjutant General’s branch, and Directorate general of Quality assurance. 20 existing post upgraded to Director post, a post analogous to civil service time scale post with 13 years^[4]

2016

Joint Secretary post increases to 4. Directors posts to 21/22. All promotion on time scale basis. All Directors in the service are empaneled to be Principal directors.^[5] Strength of AFHQ CS is 3235.<sup>[5]

(SOURCE : VIA GP E-MAIL FROM COL NK BALAKRISHNAN (RETD)</sup>