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Joint Secretary (abbreviated as JS-GOI) is a post and a rank under the Central Staffing Scheme of the Government of India. This post is equal to Assistant Under Secretary, a post under Senior Civil Service Group in the United Kingdom or an officer in the Senior Executive Service in the United States.
Contents
- History
- Powers responsibilities and postings
- Position
- Emolument accommodation and perks
- Notable members
- Reforms and challenges
- References
The position holder is a career civil servant and a government official of high seniority. The members who hold this rank are either from All India Services (Deputation on tenure) or Central Civil Services (Group A; on empanelment). All promotions and appointments to this rank and post are directly made by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet of India.
In the functioning of Government of India, Joint Secretary is the CEO for a department. In the international level, Joint Secretaries hold positions in the United Nations - such as Permanent Representative of India to UNESCO. In the state governments and Union Territories, they also hold senior positions such as Chief Secretary of Pondicherry, and, in all north eastern states and few other states like Karnataka, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh they also hold the post of Principal Secretary.
Joint Secretaries in federal government of India is analogous to Major-General and equivalent ranks in Indian Armed Forces and are listed as such in the Order of Precedence. In the Cabinet Secretariat, the Military wing is headed by an officer from one of the three services with the rank of Major General and equivalent is given the status of this rank and is designated as Joint Secretary (Military).
History
The post of Joint Secretary in Government of India was created in 1920s. In 1937, the Central Secretariat contained only 7 Joint Secretaries. However, until 1946, there were only 25 Joint Secretaries in Government of India.
According to A. D. Gorwala, ICS "The Joint Secretaries ought to in reality be what the name implies, namely secretaries for the subject entrusted to them and joined to a more senior secretary for the convenience of administrative work."
Sir Richard Tottenham, ICS had once expressed "In my opinion there is, or should be, no distinction of function, but only of pay between a Joint and a Additional Secretary. Additional and Joint Secretaries should not be either cheap Secretaries or expensive Deputy Secretaries."
During the tenure of Jawaharlal Nehru as Prime Minister, the then Prime Minister's Secretariat was headed by a Joint Secretary until his death.
Powers, responsibilities and postings
Joint Secretary is the overall in-charge with the necessary measure of independent functioning and responsibility of the Wing of the Department allocated and entrusted to him. Joint Secretary in charge of Administration also exercises all Administrative powers as Head of the Department of the Ministry/Department.
Joint Secretary is responsible to file all affidavits and responses before the Supreme Court of India.
The Prime Minister of India is the final authority on posting and transfer of officers of Joint Secretary level. Joint Secretaries report either to the Cabinet Minister of India or to the Prime Minister of India.
Position
In the federal government, the members head department wings in the departments and ministries in federal government and hold positions such as Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO), Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), emissaries in the foreign missions/embassies (Ambassadors and Ministers), Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, Director General of Civil Aviation of India, Director General of National Literacy Mission Authority, Economic Advisers, Advisors of TRAI, Joint Directors of CBI, Additional Director Generals (AIR and Doordarshan), Board members of Staff Selection Commission of India Commissioner of Taxes and Police, Chief Engineers in Federal Government departments (Railways, CPWD etc.), Chairman, managing director, full-time functional Director/Member of the Board of Management of various Public Sector Undertakings/ Enterprises, Corporations, Banks and financial institutions.
They also hold the post of Social Secretary and Press Secretary to President of India.
Emolument, accommodation and perks
All Joint Secretaries to Government of India are eligible for Diplomatic passport. They are allotted Type V (D-II and D-I) and Type VI (C-II) apartments across Delhi by Ministry of Urban Development (Directorate of Estates).
The officers appointed as Joint Secretary in the Government of India are allowed to use a blue beacon (with flasher).
Notable members
Notes
Reforms and challenges
Former Governor of Reserve Bank of India Bimal Jalan has voiced for posts at the level of Joint Secretary to be opened up to outside competition.
In 2015, Government of India modified Joint Secretary-level empanelment process to ensure greater uniformity, consistency and transparency.
Under the administration of Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, top choices for civil servants being appointed to this rank and post were from non IAS cadre. Top choices for this position have been given to Central Civil Services and All India Services (excluding IAS).