The Indian Government has proposed an amendment to Public Service rules ensuring convicted officers in three Departments remain under suspension even if they are appealing to a higher court.
The amendment deals exclusively with members of the Indian Administrative Service, the Indian Police Service and the Indian Forest Service.
In a statement, the Government said if there was no objection from Ministries and States the amendment to the 1969 regulations would go ahead immediately.
An official at the Department of Personnel and Training said that Video Player is loading.
while a convicted officer was deemed suspended under the current rules also, there was a loophole.
“If the officer appeals to a higher court, and the court suspends the earlier verdict, the officer can be reinstated while their appeal is pending in the higher court,” the official said.
“To plug this loophole, the Government has proposed that until the time the officer is finally acquitted, they will continue to be placed under suspension,” they said.
The official said the move was meant to ensure that an officer convicted of a serious offence like corruption was not reinstated into the Government even temporarily.
Since it was returned to power in 2019, the Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi (pictured) has sought to double down on its efforts to weed out corrupt officials.
Meanwhile the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has officially postponed the to 2020 examination for the country’s Public Service due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The UPSC said new dates would be announced shortly.
New Delhi, 8 May 2020
