With the Union Government asking the State Governments to allow 2013-batch IAS officers to serve as Assistant Secretaries in various Ministries, the Odisha Government has cancelled such officers’ posting as Sub-Collectors in various sub-divisions and directed them to move to the Central Government.
For the first time, a Union Government took such a decision to allow young IAS officers to have an exposure to the Central affairs at an early stage of their tenures.
Now all the five 2013-batch IAS officers of Odisha cadre, Subham Saxena, Monisha Banerjee, Madhusmita Sahoo, Kulange Vijaya Amruta and Gavali Parag Harshad, would move to the Centre to serve as Assistant Secretary in various Ministries for a period of three months, an official said.
These officers had been posted as Sub-Collectors in various sub-divisions on July 31 and their postings now stands cancelled, officials confirmed.
Their training in the Union Government begins from August 22 during which they would be provided a holistic overview of the functioning of the Central Government, officials added.
Earlier after completion of their second phase training, they are normally posted as Sub-Divisional Magistrates so that they acquire the requisite experience and skills to function as District Magistrates later.
However, the Union Government took this decision after consulting the State Governments as it felt that young IAS Officers are not adequately exposed to the functioning of the Central Government.
It was decided to give this sort of exposure at an early stage in order to equip them (young IAS Officers) with greater knowledge to policy formulation, an appreciation of the country’s diversity and resultant challenges, and exposure to best practices from different parts of the country, said Sanjay Kothari, Union Secretary of the Department of Personnel and Training in his letter to Chief Secretary GC Pati.