Appointments under Central Staffing Scheme The Central Staffing Scheme (CSS), which is in operation for decades, provides a systematic arrangement for selection and appointment of eligible officers from the participating services at the level of Deputy Secretary, Director, Joint Secretary, Additional Secretary and Secretary in the Central Government. The appointment of officers from the participating services at the Centre is an ongoing process, which includes shift/elevation of officers from one Ministry/Department to another, due to empanelment, on administrative grounds, etc. During the last three years, 798 IAS officers and 578 Non-IAS officers were appointed under the CSS. 21 officers of the All India Services from Jharkhand cadre have been appointed during this period under the CSS. To encourage officers from participating services, including the IAS, to come on CSS, circulars are issued twice a year requesting all cadre authorities to nominate eligible officers for deputation. Therein it is indicated that the movement of officers from State level to the Centre and back helps in building up capabilities at the State level and contributing towards developing national perspectives at the decision-making levels in the Government of India. Furthermore, for Foreign/Captive post circulated by DoPT, experience of 2 years under CSS is mandatory. For consideration for Additional Secretary level empanelment, officers should have worked for at least 3 years under the CSS. This was stated by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh in a written reply to a question by Shri Sanjiv Kumar in the Rajya Sabha today.
