Pay panel wants to end IPS hegemony in paramilitary forces

Allow officers recruited directly in paramilitary forces to man senior positions and even head it, the Seventh Pay Commission has said.

Another issue that caught the commission’s attention was the IPS officers’ lack of first-hand knowledge about the functioning of paramilitary forces and recommended that they should be encouraged to come on deputation at the commandant level as well.

These recommendations have come as music to the ears of ‘Group A’ officers in the paramilitary forces as top positions are currently monopolised by IPS officers.

At present, officers who are directly recruited into paramilitary forces at maximum reach the post of deputy inspector general (DIG) and only in very rare cases they progress beyond this point. At the same time, an IPS officer on deputation starts his career in paramilitary force as an inspector general in normal circumstances. The post of director general, the top post, has always gone to an IPS officer and no single Group A officer has been assigned this post.

The Group A officers in the paramilitary forces have been complaining about their inability to satisfy their career aspirations. After examining the issue, the panel said that Group A officers should get sufficient opportunity to man senior positions in their organisations.

It felt that the percentage of posts currently earmarked for IPS officers and other officers on deputation should be reviewed and these posts “also be thrown open to Group A officers” of paramilitary forces.

“The Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) officers should not be precluded from the opportunity to man the highest post in their respective organisations if they are otherwise eligible. Service rules may be amended and officers from CAPFs may be made eligible to manning highest post,” it said.

The panel also felt that in many cases, IPS officers have been selected to head a force without having any experience of CAPF functioning.