Govt to retire non-performing bureaucrats

In order to maintain a high standard of efficiency in governance, the Centre is reviewing the performance of all-India service officers and has asked the state governments to carry out similar exercises so that non-performing officials could be retired from services.

Assessment of the performance of Indian Administrative Servic, Indian Police Service and Indian Forest Service officers, who have completed at least 15 years of service, has already been started, a Department of Personnel and Training official said.

"The DoPT has begun review performance of IAS officers and also asked the state governments to do so. The aim behind this exercise is to check on non-performing officers and guard departments against the operation of the 'Peter Principle'... The states are given a maximum of six-month time to carry out this exercise," he said.

The 'Peter Principle', coined by psychologist Laurence J Peter and Raymond Hull in 1969, is a belief that in an organisation where promotion is based on achievement, success, and merit, the employees there will eventually be promoted beyond their level of ability.

In common parlance, the principle is also phrased as 'employees tend to rise to their level of incompetence'. In January, the Centre had amended Rule 16 (3) of all-India services rule which allowed a performance review only after completion of 30 years of qualifying service.

The new rules gives powers to the government to give retirement to these officers in 'public interest' after at least 15 years in the job. The government can again carry out such review after the officer completes 25 years of service or attains the age of 50 years.

"The Centre may also hold a meeting of state governments after the review to decide on the fate of the non-performing bureaucrats," the official said, adding that the detailed modalities on the exercise will be worked out in coordination with ministry of home affairs, ministry of environment and forests and union public service commission.