Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Services


Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Services is a Group B Central Civil Services, responsible for providing civilian staff, secretarial, housekeeping, clerical, and support services to the headquarters of Indian Armed Forces and Inter-Services Organizations under the Ministry of defense. The cadre was established in 1968. The number of employees in the service in 1968 was 1778; in 2011, 2644; and in 2016, 3235.

Background

In 1942, during World War II, civilian employees under different departments and branches of the Armed Forces Headquarters responsible for providing static ancillary services were reorganized and consolidated under one head who was called the Chief Administrative Officer. The first CAO took over on 1 August 1942. In 1987, the post of Chief Administrative Officer, was upgraded to the level of a Joint Secretary.

Command and Control

The head of AFHQCS is Joint Secretary cum Chief Administrative Officer in the Ministry of Defence. The Defence Secretary is the Cadre Controlling Authority of AFHQCS.

Upgrading of Posts

The AFHQCS pay grades have been revised upwards following the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th Central Pay Commissions: in 1968, it had four grades, 204 were in Group A, and 1472 in Group B. The highest grade was senior civil staff officer, a level analogous to deputy secretary. After the 4th Central Pay Commission, and Sixth Central Pay Commissiona large number of existing posts were upgraded. By 2011 Group A level posts had doubled to 409 including 4 at Joint secretary level, and 2235 at Group B level. Following the 7 CPC, in July 2013, a committee was constituted to carry out further cadre restructuring/review of AFHQ Civil Service to enhance the career prospects of the AFHQ-Civil Service. It currently has six grades/levels, from Assistant Section Officer to Principal Director.

Grades and levels

Inductions into the service is from upper division clerk by promotion from the Assistant Section Officer, and direct recruitment at the level of Assistant Section Officer. The evolution of the service, its hierarchical structure, pay grades, and levels, are tabulated below:
Designation and GroupPay grade-scales
1968		Pay
Band and Scale
2008		Grade Pay
2008		level
in Pay matrix 2016
1Senior Administrative Grade designation changed to Principal Director in October 2002.
AFHQ Civil Service has 4 posts of Principal Director.		-PB-4
37400-67000		1000014
2Director
Directors of the AFHQ Civil Service eligible for appointment to Principal Director on completion three years service.		-PB-4
37400-67000		870013
3Senior Civilian Staff Officer/Joint Director designation changed to Joint Director in October 2002.
Joint Directors of the AFHQ Civil Service eligible for appointment to the Director grade on completion of 05 years of approved service in the grade		1100-50-1400PB-3
15600-39100		760012
4Civilian Staff Officer designation changed to Deputy Director in October 2002.
Deputy Directors of the AFHQ Civil Service will be eligible for appointment to the Joint Director grade and to other administrative posts
on completion of 05 years of approved service in the grade.		740-30-100-50-1150PB-3
15600-39100		660011
5Assistant Civilian Staff Officer Designation changed to Section Officer in October 2002 Group 'B'
50% of the posts of Section Officers are filled by Direct Recruitment.
Section Officers eligible for promotion to the grade of Deputy Directors
on completion of 06 years service.
In addition, up-gradation to the Grade Pay of Rs. 5400/- in PB-3 on completion of 4 years approved service as Section Officer		350-25-500-30-520-EB-20-800PB-2
9300-34800
15600-39100
 4800
5400
8-9
6Assistant Section Officer
Ministerial.
Assistant Section officer grade done by Direct Recruitment and 50% by Promotion from UDC grade.		210-10-270-15-200-EB-15-450- 20-520Group 'B', Non-
Gazetted)
PB-2
9300-34800		46007

Strength

The authorized strength of the service is 2644, an increase of 866, from a total of 1778 in 1968. This is in addition to Armed Forces Headquarters Stenographers Service, which has an overall strength of 856. The increase in strength of the service is tabulated below:
Designation and Groupauthorized strength
1968		authorized strength
2001 		authorized strength
2011		authorized strength
2016
1Senior Administrative Grade] Designation Changed to Principal Director in October 2002.
AFHQ Civil Service has 4 posts of Principal Director.		nil234
2Director
nil92021
3Senior Civilian Staff Officer/Joint Director. Joint Director, since October 2002.127283157
4Civilian Staff Officer. Deputy Director since in October 2002.194253303419
5Superintendent- Central civil services class II ministerial / Assistant Civilian Staff Officer. Designation changed to Section Officer in October 2002 Group 'B'506683778514
6Assistant Section Officer
Ministerial.		10661709
including leave reserve		14572120
1778257126443235

Controversies

The Ministry of Defence on 18 October 2016 with the approval of Manohar Parrikar the Defence Ministers issued a letter that equated Armed Forces Headquarter Civil Service ranks and designations with officer ranks in the Indian Armed forces. The new rank equivalences, apparently issued without Armed forces headquarters concurrence, was cause of resentment in the Armed Forces. Armed forces main objections to MOD's 18 October letter was that AFHQCS time scale ranks/designation were shown equal to senior Armed Forces selection grade ranks. For example, according to the 'equivalences' in 18 October 2016 letter, AFHQCS officers with 9 years of services, called joint directors, are shown equal to colonels and their equivalents in Air Force and Navy, all senior selection grade ranks with 16–20 years service. 18 October 2016 letter was withdrawn in 2018 after considerable controversy that played out in the national media.

Time Line

1 August 1942

In response to the demands of the World War II civilian employees in the War Department in Delhi are consolidated under the Office of Chief Administrative Officer. The first four CAO were brigadiers of the Indian Army.

16 August 1947

Colonel Pritam Singh becomes the first Indian CAO.

1 March 1968

Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service constituted as group B Service from the existing staff under the Armed Forces headquarters and inter service organisations. The highest grade in the AFHQ Civil Service is Senior Staff Officer, analogous to a deputy secretary, with pay grade of Lt colonel.

1987

The post of CAO is upgraded to Joint Secretary.

2001

The Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service Rules, 2001, superseded by Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service Rules, 1968. Two Existing posts upgraded to JS, and 9 to Director.

31 October 2002

AFHQCS adopts new designations of principal director ; Joint Director, analogous to civil service time scale post with 9 years; Deputy director, analogous to civil service time scale post with 4 years service; and section officer .

15 April 2011

Principal Director posts increased from 1 to 3: one each in the Military Secretary's branch, Adjutant General's branch, and Directorate general of Quality assurance. 20 existing post upgraded to Director post, a post analogous to civil service time scale post with 13 years

2016

Principal Director posts increased from 3 to 4. Directors posts to 21/22. All promotion on time scale basis. All Directors in the service are empaneled to be Principal directors. Strength of AFHQ CS is 3235.

16 October 20

issues a letter on the new rank equivalences between the Armed Forces Headquarter Civil Service and officers of the Indian Armed forces. The letter in its last para notes that it has the approval of Mohan Parrikar, the. The memo titled Equivalence between Armed forces Officers and officers of AFHQ Civil Service addressed to three services is signed by V Anandarajan, Joint Secretary and Chief administrative Officer, an office under the G.Mohan Kumar, IAS, Defence Secretary. In the letter AFHQCS officers with 9 years of services, called joint directors, are shown equal to full colonels and their equivalents in Air Force and Navy, all selection grade senior ranks with 16–20 years service. This equivalence made Joint directors a time scale designation senior to Lt Colonels, Wing Commanders, Commanders of the Navy. Brigadiers, Commodores, and Air Commodores, all highly selective senior armed forces ranks, are shown equal to AFHQCS officer with 13 years service, called directors, a time scale designation. The controversial letter it seems was circulated to the services headquarters but did not have their approval or concurrence.

25 October 2016

The new rank equivalences in 16 October memo was cause of much disappointment and resentment in the Armed forces which found voice through the media, and veteran groups. Parrikar responding to outrage assured the armed forces that he would told reporter on the sidelines of a naval commanders' conference that "Military officers will be on same platform as their civilian counterparts" Any discrepancy in the ranks would be corrected in a week, ” adding that government has assured the military that any disparity in rank structure of its officers with those in civil administration will be removed ". and that he "will scrutinise the orders to detect anomalies that threaten to widen the civil-military divide “. Despite his assurances to the armed forces there was no follow up, and issue remained unresolved till he was replaced by Nirmala Sitharaman as the defense Minister.

5 January 2018

, on 5 January 2018, issued order to withdraw "Ministry of Defence letter dated 18 October 2016 on the issue of equivalence between Armed Forces Officers and Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Services Officers"