Supreme Court Cracks Down on IAS's Unauthorized Role in IFS Appraisals
The Supreme Court has quashed a Madhya Pradesh order allowing IAS officers to appraise IFS officers' performances. The court deemed this practice contemptuous, noting it violated past orders. The court ordered the state to adhere to established protocols, ensuring reviews by superior IFS officers only.
- Country:
- India
The Supreme Court has intervened decisively, quashing a Madhya Pradesh government order that allowed Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers to appraise the performance of Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers. The apex court found this practice to be in contempt of its previous directives, particularly one from September 22, 2000.
Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih ruled that the IAS officers, including district collectors, cannot review or accept performance appraisals of IFS officers. The court insisted that the reporting authority should be an immediate superior within the forest department, reaffirming a decades-old directive.
The Madhya Pradesh order violated this protocol, prompting the top court to order the state to abolish the rule within a month. While the court refrained from initiating contempt proceedings, it emphasized the need for compliance to uphold justice and fairness within state governance frameworks.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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