Third party assessment of IAS begins, pilot project in 1990 batch JS selection

THIRD party assessment of Indian bureaucrats has finally begun, though it's symbolic in nature and looks more like a pilot project. Four retired bureaucrats, P Sankar, SN Menon, Kumud Bansal and SC Mehta, carried out third party assessment of 1990 batch which resulted in selecting 80 out of 130 empanelled officers for the posts of joint secretary, a report in a national daily said. Cabinet secretary KM Chandrasekhar is understod to be pioneering the initiative that took place for the first time in the country. A question on third party assessment of officers was raised in Lok Sabha on December 9, 2009, by MP Sushil Kumar Singh which Babus of India (BoI) reported on December 7.

In fact, out of the four former bureaucrats only SC Mehta who was DG of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) was an IPS officer. P Sankar, former Chief Vigilance Commissioner, was roped in mainly to ensure selection of upright officers. Kumud Bansal, a former IAS of Maharastra cadre and SC Mehta, former commerce secretary were also a part of the assessment team comprising outsiders.

The third party assessment could turn out to be a regular feature in selecting bureaucrats for various posts in the years to come.
Also Read
Parliament Question on third party assessment of officers (December 7, 2009)
KM Chandrasekhar in the list of powerful Indian bureaucrats (August 19, 2009)

Action and Appointments
a) Rajinder Pal Singh, a 1976 batch Andhra Pradesh cadre IAS will be treated as on compulsory wait under the department of financial services, ministry of finance from 26th August, 2009 till his appointment to a secretary level assignment.
b) Central deputation tenure of Vipin Kumar, a 1975 batch Haryana cadre IPS and Advisor (Security) in the Indian Oil Corporation has been extended for a period of 3 months upto February 28, 2010 or untill further orders.
c) Pankaj Jain, a 1978 batch JK cadre IAS, presently in the cadre, has been appointed as additional secretary in the ministry of statistics and programme implementation in the vancancy of Ms Lalitha Kumar, a 1974 batch Tamin Nadu cadre IAS who got retired recently.
d) V S Singh, a 1978 batch Rajasthan cadre IAS, presently in the cadre, has been appointed as adviser, inter state council secretariat in the rank and pay of additional secretary in the vancancy of B A Coutinho, a 1977 batch Karnataka cadre IAS.