ALL
INDIA SERVICES (DEATH-CUM-RETIREMENT BENEFITS) AMENDMENT RULES, 2023 - POLITY
News:
Centre amends rules, can
act against IAS, IPS, IFoS pensioners on its own
What's
in the news?
● The
central government has amended rules relating to retirement benefits of IAS,
IPS (Indian Police Service) and IFoS (Indian Forest Service) pensioners
empowering itself to act against them and withhold or withdraw their pension even without a reference from the state
government if they are found guilty of grave misconduct or are convicted of a
serious crime.
Changes
Made in the 2023 Rule:
● The
amended rules reiterate that the decision
of the Central Government on withholding or withdrawing the pension “shall be
final”.
● Rules
added ‘grave misconduct’ includes communication or disclosure of any document
or information mentioned in the Official Secrets Act and a ‘serious crime’
includes any crime involving an offence
under the Official Secrets Act.
○ Earlier
rule 3(3) in the All-India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules,
1958, which stated that the Central government may withhold or withdraw pension
or any part of it “on a reference from the State Government concerned.
● Members of intelligence or security-related
organizations who have served in such capacities shall
not write or publish any writings without obtaining prior clearance from the
head of their respective organization.
All
India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958:
● Section
3 of the All-India Services Act. 1951(61 of 1951) empowers the Central
Government, after consultation with the Governments of the States concerned, to
make such rules.
● They
shall apply to all people who retired
from the Service on or after the 29th of October 1951.
● They
do not apply to those members of the
Service who were promoted to the Service from the State Services or were
appointed to the Service under the Indian Administrative Service (Extension to
States) Scheme or the Indian Police Service.
● Nothing
contained in these rules shall apply to the people appointed to the service on
or after the 1st day of January 2004.