New Delhi, A delegation of the Central Secretariat Service officers' association has met Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan and discussed promotion anomalies among other service matters, an office bearer of the employees' body said on Wednesday.
The delegation, led by CSS Forum President Dev Gupta and General Secretary Yatendra Chandela, discussed key cadre-related issues, including the fourth cadre review, stagnation and promotion anomalies, entry-level recruitment policy, encadrement of eligible posts, deputation opportunities in attached and subordinate offices and opportunities under the Central Staffing Scheme among others.
The meeting provided a platform to discuss long-pending cadre issues and explore ways to strengthen the professional capabilities of CSS officers and improve the effectiveness of the Central Secretariat, said Gomesh Paramuval, media advisor, CSS Forum.
There are over 13,000 CSS officers serving across ministries/departments.
As per existing guidelines, every cadre has to be reviewed once every five years.
The first and second cadre reviews of CSS officers were done in 2003 and 2008, respectively. The third cadre review committee submitted its report in 2013, and its recommendations were implemented in 2017. The fourth cadre review was due in 2018, and a committee for it was constituted in 2022.
However, its report is said to have been submitted, and the CSS officers are awaiting its implementation following approval from the Prime Minister's Office , he said.
{{/usCountry}}However, its report is said to have been submitted, and the CSS officers are awaiting its implementation following approval from the Prime Minister's Office , he said.
{{/usCountry}}CSS Forum General Secretary Chandela said the cabinet secretary emphasised solution-oriented governance and called upon officers to facilitate decision-making and uphold public interest during a courtesy meeting with a 21-member delegation of the CSS Forum Executive Body at Seva Teerth on Monday.
The cabinet secretary appreciated the capabilities of CSS officers and stressed the importance of a constructive, solution-oriented approach to administrative challenges, with a focus on effective governance and timely decision-making, he said.
The delegation highlighted structural challenges affecting career progression and the effective utilisation of CSS officers across ministries and departments, Chandela said.
Responding to the cabinet secretary's emphasis on solution-oriented governance, the CSS Forum will undertake initiatives to sensitise CSS officers and strengthen their problem-solving and decision-making capabilities, he said.
Chandela said that the forum would take up the matter with the Department of Personnel and Training and the Institute of Secretariat Training and Management to request the development of a structured training course on 'From Problem Identification to Solution-Oriented Governance', with a proposed component on the iGOT Karmayogi platform.
CSS Forum President Gupta emphasised that these initiatives would seek to translate the cabinet secretary's message into practical administrative interventions, enabling CSS officers to move beyond identifying procedural bottlenecks towards developing actionable solutions and facilitating timely decisions in the public interest.
The initiative also aligns with the broader vision of "Viksit Bharat @2047", which calls for responsive, efficient and citizen-centric governance, he added.
Paramuval said that the Executive Body was also developing a dedicated awareness and capacity-building initiative for CSS officers.
The proposed programme would include presentations, practical case studies and a model note-drafting framework based on sector-wise categorisation of ministries and departments. Feedback and suggestions from CSS officers would be incorporated to make the initiative practical and relevant to their day-to-day responsibilities, he said.
The forum will work towards developing ministry-wise learning modules to sensitise officers to the functional requirements of their respective ministries and promote a solution-oriented approach to official work, file processing and decision-making, Paramuval said.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.