Provincial Civil Service

Provincial Civil Service (IAST: Prāntīya Civil Sevā), often abbreviated to as PCS, is the administrative civil service of the Government of Uttar Pradesh comprising Group A and Group B posts. It is also the feeder service for Indian Administrative Service in the state.[2][3]

Provincial Civil Service
Service Overview
Also known asUttar Pradesh Administrative Service
Founded1858
StateUttar Pradesh
Staff CollegeU.P. Academy of Administration and Management, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Cadre Controlling AuthorityDepartment of Appointment and Personnel, Government of Uttar Pradesh
Minister ResponsibleYogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and Minister of Appointment and Personnel
Legal personalityGovernmental: Civil service
Current Cadre Strength1112 members (742 officers directly recruited by UP-PSC and 370 officers promoted from Tehsildars)[1]
SelectionState Civil Services Examination
AssociationUttar Pradesh PCS Association
Head of the State Civil Services
Chief SecretaryDurga Shanker Misra, IAS
Additional Chief Secretary (DoAP)Devesh Chaturvedi, IAS

PCS officers hold various posts at sub-divisional, district, divisional and state level from conducting revenue administration and maintenance of law and order. The Department of Appointment and Personnel of the Government of Uttar Pradesh is the cadre-controlling authority of the service. Along with the Provincial Police Service (PPS) and the Provincial Forest Service (PFS), the PCS is one of the three feeder services to its respective All India Services.

Recruitment

Half of the recruitment to the service is made on the basis of an annual competitive examination conducted by Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission called as direct PCS officers as they are directly appointed at Deputy Collector rank.[2][3][4] Half of the total strength of PCS officers is filled by promotion from Uttar Pradesh Lower Provincial Civil Service (Tehsildar cadre) who are known as promotee PCS officers.[2][3][4] PCS officers, regardless of their mode of entry, are appointed by the Governor of Uttar Pradesh.[2][3][4]

Responsibilities of PCS officer

The typical functions performed by a PCS officer are:

  • To collect land revenue and function as courts in matters of revenue and crime (revenue courts and criminal courts of executive magistrate), to maintain law and order, to implement Union and State Government policies at the grass-root level when posted at field positions i.e. as sub-divisional magistrate, additional city magistrate, city magistrate, additional district magistrate and additional divisional commissioner. And to act as the agent of the government on the field, i.e. to act as the intermediate between public and the government.[2][3][4]
  • To handle the administration and daily proceedings of the government, including formulation and implementation of policy in consultation with the minister-in-charge, additional chief secretary/principal secretary and secretary of the concerned department.[2][3][4]

Career progression

After completing their training, a PCS officer generally serves as Sub Divisional Magistrates (SDMs). Further, they get promoted to city magistrate, and later, Additional District Magistrate. Most districts have two to three posts of ADMs, most common of them being ADM (City), ADM (Finance/Revenue) and ADM (Executive). After a few years of service as they are also promoted to chief development officer (CDO). A CDO looks after rural development, and enjoys general superintendence over most sectoral development in a district. At the divisional level, PCS officers are posted as additional divisional commissioners. Most divisions have two to three such posts, most common of them being Additional Commissioner (Development), Additional Commissioner (Revenue) and Additional Commissioner (Executive). At the state secretariat, PCS officers serve as special secretaries, joint secretaries and deputy secretaries.[2][3][4]

In municipal corporations administered by the Department of Urban Development, PCS officers serve as municipal commissioners and additional municipal commissioners. In development authorities administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Planning, PCS officers generally serve as secretaries and as vice chairmen. PCS officers also serve as deputy CEOs and additional CEOs in Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway Authorities, which come under the Department of Infrastructure and Industrial Development. On a deputation, a PCS officer can be sent to one of the various directorates as additional directors, directors and chief general manager, additional/joint managing directors, managing directors in state PSUs.[2][3][4]

After completion of two decades of service (generally till that period they reach up-to the level 14), those PCS officers who were directly recruited by Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) get promoted to the Indian Administrative Service, after confirmation by the Department of Personnel and Training of Government of India and the Union Public Service Commission.[2][3][4] One-third of the total IAS strength in Uttar Pradesh is reserved for PCS officers (SCS quota).[5]

Salary structure

Generally most of the PCS officers (only those who were directly recruited by UPPSC) get promoted into the IAS after reaching up-to the level of Special Secretary Grade. Those who don't get promotion to IAS then get pay level 15, and get classified as 'superseded'.

The salary structure of the Provincial Civil Service
Grade/level on pay matrixBase Salary (per month)Sanctioned StrengthSome Positions in the Government of Uttar PradeshYears of Service
Higher administrative grade (Above Super time scale) (pay level 15)₹182200–22410010Special secretary to GoUP, additional divisional commissioner, chief development officer, additional district magistrate, municipal commissioner, director of directorates, managing director of state PSUs, vice chairman of a development authority27th year
Senior administrative grade (Above Super time scale) (pay level 14)₹144200–21820065Special secretary to GoUP, additional divisional commissioner, chief development officer, additional district magistrate, municipal commissioner, director of directorates, managing director of state PSUs, vice chairman of a development authority20th year
Super time scale (pay level 13A)₹131100–216600110Special secretary to GoUP, additional divisional commissioner, chief development officer, additional district magistrate, municipal commissioner, director of directorates, managing director of state PSUs, vice chairman of a development authority16th year
Selection grade (pay level 13)₹118500–214100200Joint secretary to GoUP, additional district magistrate, additional municipal commissioner, additional director in directorates, additional/joint managing director in state PSUs, secretary of a development authority12th year
Junior administrative grade (pay level 12)₹78800–191500250Joint secretary to GoUP, additional district magistrate,additional municipal commissioner, additional director in directorates, secretary of a development authority9th year
Senior time scale (pay level 11)₹67700–160000250Joint secretary to GoUP, City magistrate, additional municipal commissioner, secretary of a development authority5th year
Junior time scale (pay level 10)₹56100–132000277Deputy secretary to GoUP, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, additional city magistrate, additional sub-divisional magistrate, deputy municipal commissioner, officer on special duty in a development authorityInitial year

Major concerns and reforms

Promotion to IAS

According to the Indian Administrative Service (Appointment by Promotion) Regulations, 1955, PCS officers are eligible for promotion to IAS after completion of eight years of service.[6] But in reality, they are generally promoted to IAS after two decades in service.

Some PCS officers moved to the Allahabad High Court,[7] due to the anomalies in their seniority which slowed down their promotion for almost one decade. The matter was resolved in 2012 as mentioned in their latest gradation list.[8]

Political influence

Directly recruited IAS officers often complain about promotee IAS officers are given preference in field postings due to their close proximity to politicians which they form in two decades of their service. Since the state government were often ruled by regional parties, many politicians allegedly fix 'their men' as divisional commissioners and district magistrates.

Also, an inquiry of recruitment of PCS officers by the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) from 2012, by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), has been started.[9][10][11]

Corruption

Two PCS officers were suspended by the state government for an alleged land scam of ₹26 crore (equivalent to ₹37 crore or US$4.7 million in 2023).[12][13] The house of a promotee IAS officer and a former district magistrate and collector of Ghaziabad, Vimal Kumar's house was raided by the Income Tax Department.[14] Another promotee IAS officer, P. C. Gupta who was posted as CEO of Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority was arrested for his alleged role in ₹126 crore land scam.[15]

Notable PCS officers

Members of the service include:

See also

References
  1. "2015 Total Cadre strength of PCS as in January 2015" (PDF). Department of Appointment and Personnel, Government of Uttar Pradesh. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  2. "Rules Applicable to the Provincial Civil Service (PCS)". Department of Appointment and Personnel, Government of Uttar Pradesh. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  3. "U.P. Civil Service". Department of Appointment and Personnel, Government of Uttar Pradesh. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  4. "What is the difference between IAS and PCS officer?". Jagran Josh. Dainik Jagran. 7 September 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  5. "Service Profile for the Indian Administrative Service" (PDF). Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  6. "IAS (APPOINTMENT BY PROMOTION) REGULATIONS, 1955". Union Public Service Commission. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  7. "24 promoted to IAS cadre in UP". The Hindu. Lucknow. 11 December 2010. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  8. Mathur, Swati (29 June 2012). "UP seeks temporary IAS posts for PCS officers". The Times of India. Lucknow. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  9. Shalabh (8 December 2017). "UPPSC recruitment drive: CBI to take over enquiry". The Times of India. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  10. "UP PCS appointments since 2012 to be probed by CBI: Yogi Adityanath". Mint. 19 July 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  11. "UPPSC recruitment: HC asks CBI, UP Govt to file counter". Business Standard. 9 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  12. Keelor, Vandana (24 October 2017). "ADM suspended in Rs 26 crore land scam in Ghaziabad". The Times of India. Noida. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  13. "Yogi Adityanath cracks down against corruption, dismisses top bureaucrats in Meerut, Gautam Buddh Nagar". The Financial Express. 24 October 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  14. Rajput, Vinod (24 May 2017). "Greater Noida IAS officer, wife among 4 UP bureaucrats raided by Income Tax dept". Hindustan Times. Noida. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  15. Rajput, Vinod (21 February 2019). "Ex-CEO YEIDA arrested for Rs. 126cr land scam". Hindustan Times. Noida. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
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