The Department of Personnel and Training, in a missive, has asked for the review of Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers, who have completed at least 15 years of service.
"A member of the all-India service who has completed 15 years of qualifying service or has completed 25 years of qualifying service or attained the age of 50 years will, invariably, be found to occupy a senior administrative post.
"It would not be acceptable to find that such a member has become a mere passenger in the senior level in which he or she is placed. One must always guard against the operation of the 'Peter Principle'," Dr S K Sarkar, Additional Secretary in the DoPT, said.
The 'Peter Principle', coined by psychologist Laurence J Peter and Raymond Hull in 1969, is a belief that in an organisation where promotion is based on achievement, success, and merit, the employees there will eventually be promoted beyond their level of ability.
In common parlance, the principle is also phrased as "employees tend to rise to their level of incompetence".
In January, the Centre had amended Rule 16 (3) of all-India services rule which allowed a performance review only after completion of 30 years of qualifying service.
The new rules gives powers to the government to give retirement to these officers in "public interest" after at least 15 years in the job. The government can again carry out such review after the officer completes 25 years of service or attains the age of 50 years.
It is sometimes found that a few members of the all-India services tend to become mere "passengers" in the post or at the level in which a member is placed for the time being, the directive said. MORE
