Govt unveils major changes in voluntary retirement rules for bureaucrats

The new rules also allow bureaucrats to take back their voluntary retirement request.

Bureaucrats seeking voluntary retirement can now hope to see their requests acted upon within a set time frame under new service rules unveiled by the Centre.

Earlier rules allowed an IAS, IPS or IFoS officer to withdraw notice of voluntary retirement only “after it is accepted by the state government”. (Shutterstock)

The move to effect major changes in service rules for babus seeking voluntary retirement comes against the backdrop of complaints of harassment by few bureaucrats who claimed that their requests were kept pending for long time.

The new rules also allow bureaucrats to take back their voluntary retirement request.

The request for voluntary retirement by an IAS and IPS officers will not be kept pending beyond the notice period mentioned by them in such requests, according to the new rules issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).

If the competent authorities don’t issue any order before the expiry of the notice period specified by a service member, the voluntary retirement shall become effective from the date of expiry of the said period, the rules said.

“Provided that, where no order is issued by the competent authority, then after the expiry of the period specified in the notice, the central government may issue orders.”

The new rules are applicable on three all-India services--Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFoS).

The request for withdrawal of notice of voluntary retirement shall be submitted to the competent authority within the period mentioned in the notice, the rules said.

Earlier rules allowed an IAS, IPS or IFoS officer to withdraw notice of voluntary retirement only “after it is accepted by the state government”.