Indian Railway Protection Force Service, (IRPFS), Group ‘A’ Rules, 2020

[Indian Railway Protection Force Service, (IRPFS), Group ‘A’ Rules, 2020][1]

[24th August, 2020]

In exercise of the powers conferred by the proviso to Article 309 of the Constitution read with Section 21 of the Railway Protection Force Act, 1957, (23 of 1957) and in supersession of the Railway Protection Force (Group A and Group B posts) Recruitment Rules, 1981 and the Railway Protection Force [Group A posts of Deputy Inspector General (Railway Protection Force), Deputy Chief Security Commissioner/Senior Security Commissioner, Security Commissioner and Assistant Security Commissioner] Recruitment Rules, 1994, except as respects things done or omitted to be done before such supersession the President hereby makes the following rules regulating the method of recruitment to Group ‘A’ posts of Indian Railway Protection Force Service (IRPFS) namely.

Rule - 1. Short title and commencement.

(i)       These rules may be called the Indian Railway Protection Force Service, (IRPFS), Group ‘A’ Rules, 2020.

(ii)      They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.

Rule - 2. Definitions.

In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires.

(a)      ‘ACC’ means the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet.

(b)      ‘Government’ means the Central Government;

(c)      ‘Controlling Authority’ means the Government of India in the Ministry of Railways;

(d)      ‘Commission’ means the Union Public Service Commission;

(e)      “Departmental Promotion Committee, Departmental Confirmation Committee and Departmental Screening Committee” mean committees constituted in accordance with Schedule III to these rules to consider promotion, confirmation of officers and grant of Non-Functional Upgradation/Non-Functional Selection Grade respectively in any grade;

(f)       ‘Duty Post’ means any post in a grade mentioned in Schedule-I to these rules;

(g)      “Economically Weaker Sections” shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (6) of Article 15 of the Constitution;

(h)     ‘Examination’ means the Civil Services Examination conducted by Union Public Service Commission;

(i)       ‘Grade’ means grades of duty posts specified in Column -2 of Schedule-I;

(j)       “Level in the Pay Matrix” shall mean the Level specified in third row of Part A of the Schedule to the Railway Services (Revised Pay) Rules, 2016;

(k)      “Pay Matrix” means Matrix specified in Part A of the Schedule to the Railway Services (Revised Pay) Rules, 2016, with Levels of pay arranged in vertical cells as assigned to corresponding existing Pay Band and Grade Pay or scale.

(l)       “Persons with disabilities” shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (s) of Section 2 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. (49 of 2016)

(m)    ‘regular service’ in relation to any grade means the period of service in that grade rendered after selection and appointment thereto under the rules and includes any period.

(i)       taken into account for the purpose of seniority in the case of those already in the grade at the time of commencement of these rules;

(ii)      during which an officer would have held a duty post in that grade but for being on leave or otherwise not being available for holding such post;

(n)     ‘Schedule’ means the schedules appended to these rules;

(o)      ‘Scheduled Castes’, ‘Scheduled Tribes’ shall have the same meaning assigned to them respectively in clauses (24) and (25) of Article 366 of the Constitution;

(p)      “Other Backward Classes” shall comprise the castes and communities notified by the Central Government from time to time;

(q)      ‘Service’ means the Indian Railway Protection Force Service, (IRPFS), which shall consist of the posts or grades or time scales mentioned in Schedule- I to these rules.

Rule - 3. Constitution of Services.

(1)     An Organized Service known as the Indian Railway Protection Force Service (IRPFS), consisting of persons appointed to the Service under Rules 6 and 7.

(2)     All the posts included in the Service shall be classified as Group-A posts.

(3)     The regular continuous service by the officers, as referred to in sub-rule (1) in the respective corresponding grades, rendered prior to commencement of these rules shall be counted as qualifying service for the purpose of seniority, confirmation, promotion, non-functional up-gradation and pension, if applicable.

Rule - 4. Grades, Authorised Strength and its review.

The duty posts in the various grades of the Service, their numbers and level in the pay matrix on the date of commencement of these rules, shall be as specified in Schedule-I to these rules.

Rule - 5. Members of the Service.

(1)     The following persons shall be the members of the Service, namely:

(i)       a person appointed to duty post under Rule 6; and

(ii)      a person appointed to duty post under Rule 7.

(2)     A person appointed under clause (i) of sub-rule (1) shall be deemed to be a member of the service in the appropriate grade applicable to him from the date of initial constitution of the service.

(3)     A person appointed under clause (ii) of sub-rule (1) shall be the member of the Service in the appropriate grade applicable to him in Schedule-I from the date of such appointment.

Rule - 6. Initial Constitution of the Service.

All existing Group ‘A’ officers in the Indian Railway Protection Force Service (IRPFS) holding duty posts in various grades of the Service on regular basis or holding lien on such posts on the date of commencement of these rules shall be deemed to have been appointed to the appropriate duty posts and grades in the Service in a substantive or officiating capacity, as the case may be.

Rule - 7. Future maintenance of the Service.

(1)     Any vacancy in any of the grades specified in Schedule I after the commencement of these rules shall be filled in the following manner, namely:

(2)     (a) 50% of the vacancies in the Grade of Junior Time Scale shall be filled by direct recruitment through Civil Services Examination conducted by the Commission on the basis of the educational qualifications and age limit specified by the Government from time to time in consultation with the Commission

(b) 50% of the vacancies in the Junior Time Scale shall be filled by promotion in the manner specified in Schedule II.

(c) The appointment in the grade of Junior Time Scale shall be made in Consultation with the Commission.

(3)     Appointment in the Grades of Senior Time Scale and above of the Service shall be made by promotion from amongst the officers in the next lower grade possessing minimum qualifying service and in the manner as specified in Schedule II.

(4)     The selection of officers for promotion shall be made by selection except in the case of promotion to post of Non Functional Selection Grade (NFSG) which shall be on the basis of seniority subject to suitability on the recommendation of the Screening committee constituted for this purpose in accordance with Schedule-III.

(5)     The selection in each case under sub-rule 3 shall be on the recommendation of the Departmental Promotion Committee except in case of post in Higher Administrative Grade. Selection in case of Higher Administrative Grade shall be governed by Railway Board Resolution regarding principles and procedures for making appointment to the posts in the grade in various Group ‘A’ Railway Services under the Ministry of Railways issued from to time with the approval of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).

Rule - 8. Seniority.

(1)     The relative seniority of members of the Service, appointed to any grade, on commencement of these rules, shall be the relative seniority in their respective grades as determined before the date of commencement of these rules:

Provided that if the seniority of any member of the Service has not been determined before the date of commencement of these rules, the same shall be determined by the controlling authority in accordance with the general orders or instructions on seniority issued by the Government from time to time.

(2)     The seniority of persons appointed to various grades of the Service and inter-se seniority between the direct recruits in the grade of Junior Time Scale and the officers promoted to Junior Time Scale on and from the date of commencement of these rules shall be determined in accordance with the general orders or instructions on seniority issued by the Government/Controlling Authority from time to time.

Rule - 9. Deputation to other departments or organizations.

Notwithstanding anything contained in these rules, officers appointed to the Service shall be liable to be sent on deputation to any other Central or any of the States or Union Territories or the autonomous bodies or public sector enterprises of Government or State Governments or any foreign country having an agreement in this regard with the Government or State Government in public interest, subject to the Government instructions or orders in force from time to time for such deputation.

Rule - 10. Liability for service in any part of India and other conditions of service.

(1)     The officers appointed to the Service shall be liable to serve anywhere in India or outside.

(2)     The conditions of service of the members of the Service, in respect of the matters, for which no specific provision has been made in these rules, shall be the same as are applicable to the officers of the Organized Group ‘A’ Railway Services from time to time.

Rule - 11. Probation.

(1)     Every officer on appointment to the service, either by direct recruitment or by promotion in Junior Time Scale, shall be on probation for a period of two years:

Provided that the Controlling Authority may extend the period of probation in accordance with the orders and instructions issued by the Government from time to time.

Provided further that any decision for any extension of period of probation shall be taken ordinarily within eight weeks after expiry of the previous period of probation and communicated in writing to the concerned officer together with the reasons for so doing within the said period.

(2)     On completion of the period of probation or an extension thereof, officers shall, if considered fit for the permanent appointment, be retained in their appointment on regular basis and be confirmed in due course against the available substantive vacancy, as the case may be.

(3)     If, during the period of probation or any extension thereof, as the case may be, the Government is of the opinion that an officer is not fit for permanent appointment, the Government may discharge or revert the officer to the post held by him prior to his appointment in the Service, as the case may be.

(4)     During the period of probation or any extension thereof, the officers may be required to undergo such training and instructions and to pass such examination and tests (including examination in Hindi) as Government may deem fit, as a Condition to satisfactory completion of probation.

(5)     In all matters not specifically provided for herein, the probationers will be governed by the provisions of the Indian Railway Establishment Codes/Manuals as amended from time to time and other orders in force issued by the Controlling Authority from time to time.

Rule - 12. Non-Functional Up-gradation.

(1)     Whenever an Indian Administrative Service officer of the State or Joint Cadre is posted at the Centre to a particular grade carrying pay in pay level-10 to pay level-15 in the pay matrix, the officers belonging to batches of the Service that are senior by two years or more and have not so far been promoted to that particular grade, shall be granted the same level in the pay matrix on non-functional basis from the date of posting of the Indian Administrative Service officers in that particular grade at the Centre.

(2)     All the prescribed eligibility criteria and promotional norms including ‘benchmark’ for up-gradation to a particular level in the pay matrix shall have to be fulfilled at the time of screening for grant of higher level in the pay matrix.

(3)     Grant of Non-Functional Up-gradation shall be made on the recommendations of the Departmental Screening Committee as specified in Schedule-III.

(4)     The terms and conditions for grant of Non-Functional Up-gradation shall be as per the instructions/orders issued by the Government on the subject from time to time.

Rule - 13. Appointment to the Service.

All appointments to the Service shall be made by the Controlling Authority for all duty Posts in various Grades of the Service.

Rule - 14. Disqualification.

No person,

(a)      who has entered into or contracted a marriage with a person having a spouse living; or

(b)      who having a spouse living has entered into or contracted marriage with any person, shall be eligible for appointment to the Service:

Provided that the Controlling Authority may, if satisfied that such marriage is permissible under the personal law applicable to such person and the other party to the marriage and that there are other grounds for so doing, exempt any person from the operation of this rule.

Rule - 15. Power to relax.

Where the Government is of the opinion that it is necessary or expedient so to do, it may, by order, for reasons to be recorded in writing, and in consultation with the Commission, relax any of the provisions of these rules in respect of any class or category of persons or posts.

Rule - 16. Saving.

Nothing in these rules shall affect reservations, relaxation of age limit and other concessions required to be provided to the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, Economically Weaker Sections (EWSs), Persons with disabilities, Ex-Servicemen and other special categories of persons in accordance with the orders/instructions issued by the Government from time to time in this regard.

Rule - 17. Interpretation.

If any question relating to interpretation of these rules arises, it shall be decided by the Government.

SCHEDULE-I

(See Rules 2(f), 2(i), 2(j), 2(k), 2(q), 3(3), 4 and 7(1))

The Grades, designations, level in the pay matrix and number of posts included in the Indian Railway Protection Force Service (IRPFS)

Subject to variation dependent on workload.

Note: The Non-Functional Selection Grade (NFSG) in Level-13 in the Pay Matrix is non-functional and the maximum number of posts in the Grade shall not exceed 30% of the senior duty posts (Senior Time Scale and above) and the number of posts in Non-Functional Selection Grade will be limited to the number of posts sanctioned in the Junior Administrative Grade.

SCHEDULE II

(See Rules 2(d), 2(h), 2(m), 7(1),7(2),7(3))

Method of appointment, field of selection and the minimum qualifying service for promotion to the higher duty posts(s) or Grade(s) of the Indian Railway Protection Force Service. (IRPFS).

Note: Where Juniors who have completed their qualifying or eligibility service are being considered for promotion, their seniors would also be considered provided they are not short of the requisite qualifying or eligibility service by more than half of such qualifying or eligibility Service or two years, whichever is less, and have successfully completed their probation period for promotion to the next higher grade along with their juniors who have already completed such qualifying or eligibility service.

SCHEDULE-III

(See Rule 2(a), 2(e), 2(i), 7(4) and Schedule I)

Composition of Departmental Promotion Committee for considering cases of promotion or confirmation and Screening Committee for considering cases of Non-Functional Upgradation to the duty posts or grades of Indian Railway Protection Force Service (IRPFS)