Non-IAS officers are now being hired as Joint Secretaries in key ministries

In a strange turn of events, Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officers seem to be unwilling to join the Centre, which is why officers from non-IAS services are getting selected for the crucial Joint Secretary positions.

In a survey by ET, results show that out of the nearly 260 appointments made for the Joint Secretary position, around 100 were bagged by non-IAS officers. These officers have long been considered as the poor cousins of the elite IAS class, but in a twist of fate, they are now coming in the limelight.

They are now being hired for key ministries like Home, Petroleum, Defence, Mines, Road Transport and Power at the post of Joint Secretaries, which is the important policymaking position in the bureaucracy hierarchy.

"It is a matter of suitability for the post, as well as availability," Minister of State for Prime Minister's Office and Ministry of Personnel, Jitendra Singh told ET. He was asked if this shift in hiring preferences was a conscious decision.

"We see two reasons behind this - one a nudge from PMO to accommodate other services at Joint Secretary post; but the real reason seems the sheer shortage of IAS officers on offer list. The government has little choice," a senior government official told ET on the condition of anonymity.

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