1. Short title and commencement.—(1) This Act may be called the Former Secretary of State
Service Officers (Conditions of Service) Act, 1972.
(2) It shall come into force on such date1
as the Central Government may, by notification in the
Official Gazette, appoint.
2. Definitions.—In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—
(a) “appointed day” means the date on which this Act comes into force;
(b) “former Secretary of State Service officer” means a person referred to in sub-clause (a) or
sub-clause (b) of clause (1) of article 312A of the Constitution;
(c) “I.C.S. member of the Indian Administrative Service” means a person who was appointed to
the Civil Service of the Crown in India known as the Indian Civil Service and who on the appointed
day is a member of the Indian Administrative Service;
(d) “I.P. member of the Indian Police Service” means a person who was appointed to the Police
Service of the Crown in India known as the Indian Police and who on the appointed day is a member
of the Indian Police Service;
(e) “pension” has the meaning assigned to it in clause (17) of article 366 of the Constitution.
3. Conditions of service of I.C.S. members of the Indian Administrative Service.—Subject to the
other provisions of this Act, on and from the appointed day,—
(a) the conditions of service as respects,—
(i) remuneration,
(ii) leave, and
(iii) pension;
(b) the rights as respects disciplinary matters; and
(c) the conditions of service and the rights as respects all other matters,
of the I.C.S. members of the Indian Administrative Service shall be the same as those of the other
members of that Service and accordingly and subject as aforesaid, the provisions of the All-India Services
Act, 1951 (61 of 1951) and the rules and regulations made or deemed to have been made thereunder, as in
force from time to time, shall apply to and in relation to the I.C.S. members of the Indian Administrative
Service as they apply to and in relation to the other members of that Service.
4. Conditions of service of I.P. members of the Indian Police Service.—Subject to the other
provisions of this Act, on and from the appointed day,—
(a) the conditions of service as respects,—
(i) remuneration,
1. 1st October, 1972, vide notification No. G.S.R. 420(E), dated 28th September, 1972, see Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part
II, sec. 3(i).
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(ii) leave, and
(iii) pension;
(b) the rights as respects disciplinary matters; and
(c) the conditions of service and the rights as respects all other matters,
of the I.P. members of the Indian Police Service shall be the same as those of the other members of
that Service and accordingly and subject as aforesaid, the provisions of the All-India Services
Act, 1951 (61 of 1951) and the rules and regulations made or deemed to have been made thereunder, as in
force from time to time, shall apply to and in relation to the I.P. members of the Indian Police Service as
they apply to and in relation to the other members of that Service.
5. Pay of I.C.S. members of Indian Administrative Service and I.P. members of Indian Police
Service.—Notwithstanding anything contained in section 3 or section 4, an I.C.S. member of the Indian
Administrative Service or an I.P. member of the Indian Police Service, as the case may be, holding a post
specified in the Schedule or a post declared by the Central Government to be equivalent to such post
shall, for so long as he holds that post, be entitled to draw pay as indicated against the post in the
Schedule.
6. Retirement of I.C.S. members of Indian Administrative Service and I.P. members of Indian
Police Service.—Notwithstanding anything contained in section 3 or section 4,—
(a) an I.C.S. member of the Indian Administrative Service, unless his service has been extended
before the appointed day in accordance with the rules and regulations then applicable or is extended
on or after that day in accordance with the rules and regulations applicable to the other members of
the Indian Administrative Service, shall retire compulsorily,—
(i) where he attains the age of fifty-eight years before the expiry of six months from the
appointed day, on the date of expiry of the said period of six months or on the date on which he
shall retire compulsorily in accordance with the rules applicable to him immediately before the
appointed day, whichever date is earlier;
(ii) in any other case, on his attaining the age of fifty-eight years;
(b) the Central Government shall have and shall be deemed always to have had the power to
require an I.C.S. member of the Indian Administrative Service or an I.P. member of the Indian Police
Service, in consultation with the Government of the State on whose cadre he is borne and after giving
to such member at least three months’ previous notice in writing, to retire in public interest from
service on the date on which such member completes thirty years of qualifying service or attains fifty
years of age or on any date thereafter to be specified in the notice;
(c) an I.C.S. member of the Indian Administrative Service or an I.P. member of the Indian Police
Service may, after giving at least three months’ previous notice in writing to the Government of the
State on whose cadre he is borne, retire from service on the date on which such member completes
thirty years of qualifying service or attains fifty years of age or on any date thereafter to be specified
in the notice:
Provided that no member under suspension shall retire from service except with the specific
approval of the Government of the State on whose cadre he is borne.
Explanation.—For the purposes of clause (b) and clause (c), “qualifying service” means service
qualifying for purposes of pension.
7. Pension of I.C.S. members of Indian Administrative Service.—Notwithstanding anything
contained in section 3,—
(a) an I.C.S. member of the Indian Administrative Service shall, subject to the provisions of
section 8 and subject to the same provisions in regard to the right of the Central Government to
withdraw the whole or any part of pension or to order recovery of pension and the same conditions
for grant of retirement benefits, as are applicable for the time being in the case of other members of
the Indian Administrative Service, be entitled on his retirement from service in accordance with the
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provisions of section 6, to receive by way of annuity rupees thirteen thousand three hundred and
thirty-three and one-third;
(b) no death-cum-retirement gratuity benefits shall be available to or in respect of an I.C.S.
member of the Indian Administrative Service unless such member has exercised his option for such
benefits before the appointed day in accordance with the orders of the Central Government in that
behalf and the benefits admissible to or in relation to an I.C.S. member of the Service who so
exercised his option shall be subject to the conditions specified in the said orders and to the same
conditions for grant of retirement benefits as are applicable for the time being in the case of other
members of the Indian Administrative Service;
(c) no family pension benefits shall be admissible in relation to an I.C.S. member of the Indian
Administrative Service unless such member exercised his option in respect of such benefits before the
appointed day in accordance with the orders of the Central Government in that behalf and the benefits
admissible in relation to an I.C.S. member of the service who so exercised his option shall be subject
to the conditions specified in the said orders;
(d) the Provident Fund account of an I.C.S. member of the Indian Administrative Service shall be
credited, on his retirement or previous death, with the same amount, if any, as would have been
credited by way of contribution in accordance with the rules in force immediately before the
appointed day.
8. Pension payable to former Secretary of State Service officers in Indian currency
only.—(1) No former Secretary of State Service officer shall be entitled, or be deemed ever to have been
entitled, to claim,—
(a) pension in sterling; or
(b) that his pension shall be paid outside India; or
(c) where his pension was expressed in sterling or a fixed sterling minimum was applicable in
respect of the pension payable to him, that his pension shall be computed in the rupee equivalent of
the amount fixed in sterling at a rate of exchange exceeding the rate of rupees thirteen and one-third
to the pound sterling:
1
[Provided that in relation to every former Secretary of State Service officer who, having been in
service on the 1st day of February, 1921, and domiciled in India on that date, is entitled immediately
before the appointed day to claim his pension computed in the rupee equivalent of the amount fixed in
sterling at a rate of exchange of rupees fifteen to a pound sterling, clause (c) shall have effect as if for
the words “thirteen and one-third”, the word “fifteen” were substituted:
Provided further that every former Secretary of State Service officer whose pension was
expressed in sterling or in respect of whose pension a fixed sterling minimum was applicable, and
who, immediately before the appointed day, is a foreigner having taken up permanent residence
outside India, shall, so long as he continues to be a foreigner permanently residing outside India, be
allowed to convert the annuity of rupees thirteen thousand three hundred and thirty-three and
one-third or the annuity actually payable to him in rupees, whichever is less, into pound sterling at the
rate of rupees thirteen and one-third to a pound sterling, and the annuity so converted into pound
sterling shall be paid outside India.
Explanation 1.—Nothing contained in the foregoing proviso shall be deemed to entitle any former
Secretary of State Service officer to claim conversion of amounts representing the annuity or the
commuted value thereof, already drawn in rupees before the commencement of the Former Secretary
of State Service Officers (Conditions of Service) Amendment Act, 1975 (24 of 1975), into pound
sterling.
Explanation 2.—In this sub-section, the expression “foreigner” means a person who is not a
citizen of India.]
1. The provisos and Explanations ins. by Act 24 of 1975, s. 2 (w.e.f. 9-5-1975).
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(2) Notwithstanding any judgment, decree or order of any court, every former Secretary of State
Service officer 1
[[not being an officer to whom the first proviso or the second proviso to
sub-section (1) applies]] who has been paid the rupee equivalent or, as the case may be, the pound
sterling equivalent of his pension by calculating such pension with reference to a rate of exchange
exceeding the rate of exchange of rupees thirteen and one-third to the pound sterling, shall refund to
the Central Government or, as the case may be, the State Government, the sum by which the amount
paid to him exceeds the amount which would have been payable to him if the calculation had been
made at the rate of exchange of rupees thirteen and one-third to the pound sterling and the Central
Government or the State Government may set off, in such manner as it may deem fit, the amount
required to be so refunded to it by any such officer against any sum (including pension) which is or
which may become due from that Government to such officer.
(3) For the removal of doubts, it is hereby declared that the provisions of sub-sections (1) and (2)
shall apply to a former Secretary of State Service officer who is holding or has held the office of the
Chief Justice or other Judge of the Supreme Court or a High Court, the Comptroller and
Auditor-General of India, the Chairman or other member of the Union or a State Public Service
Commission or the Chief Election Commissioner as they apply to other former Secretary of State
Service officers.
9. Power of Central Government to adapt certain rules, regulations and orders.—(1) For the
purpose of bringing the provisions of any rules and regulations made or deemed to have been made under
the All-India Services Act, 1951 (61 of 1951) or any rules, regulations or orders (including any other
instrument having the force of law) applicable immediately before the appointed day to or in relation to
former Secretary of State Service officers into accord with the provisions of this Act, the Central
Government may, before the expiry of two years from the appointed day, by order published in the
Official Gazette, make such adaptations and modifications of such rules, regulations or orders, whether by
way of repeal or amendment, as may be necessary.
(2) The provisions of sub-section (1) shall be in addition to and not in derogation of any power under
any other law to amend or repeal the rules, regulations and orders referred to in that sub-section.
10. Power to construe rules, regulations and orders.—Notwithstanding that no provision or
insufficient provision has been made under section 9 for the adaptation of any rule, regulation or order
referred to in that section, any court, tribunal or authority, required or empowered to enforce such rule,
regulation or order may construe it with such modifications as may be necessary to bring it into accord
with the provisions of this Act.
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[10A. Power of Central Government to make orders in certain cases to ensure parity.—(1) If
the Central Government is satisfied that the conditions of service as respects any matter applicable to, or
in relation to, any class or category of former Secretary of State Service officers under section 6, 7 or 8 or
as respects any benefits by way of compensation for the increase in cost of living or any other reason,
have become less favourable than those applicable to or in relation to any corresponding class or category
of other officers of the Indian Administrative Service or the Indian Police Service or, as the case may be,
any comparable service, it may, notwithstanding anything contained in those sections, by general or
special order and subject to such conditions and restrictions (including conditions as to refund adjustment
or recovery), as may be specified therein, make such provisions as it may deem fit for securing, so far as
may be, parity in such cases.
(2) Any order under sub-section (1) may be made so as to have retrospective effect.
(3) Every order made under sub-section (1) shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before
each House of Parliament while it is in session, for a total period of thirty days which may be comprised
in one session or in two or more successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session immediately
following the session or the successive sessions aforesaid, both Houses agree in making any modification
in the order or both Houses agree that the order should not be made, the order shall thereafter have effect
1. Ins. by Act 24 of 1975, s. 2 (w.e.f. 9-5-1975).
2. Ins. by s. 3, ibid. (w.e.f. 9-5-1975).
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only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so, however, that any such modification
or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that order.]
11. Power to remove difficulties.—(1) If any difficulty arises in giving effect to the provisions of
this Act, the Central Government may, by general or special order published in the Official Gazette, for
the purpose of removing the difficulty, make such provisions not inconsistent with the provisions of this
Act as appear to it to be necessary or expedient:
Provided that no such order shall be made under this sub-section after the expiry of three years from
the appointed day.
(2) Every order made under sub-section (1) shall, as soon as may be after it is made, be laid before
each House of Parliament.
12. Act to have overriding effect.—The provisions of this Act or of any order made thereunder shall
have effect notwithstanding anything inconsistent therewith contained in any law other than this Act or in
any rule, regulation or order or other instrument having effect by virtue of any law other than this Act.
13. Saving of orders in respect of disciplinary matters.—Any order in respect of disciplinary
matters in relation to any I.C.S. member of the Indian Administrative Service or any I.P. member of the
Indian Police Service in force immediately before the appointed day shall continue in force as from the
appointed day:
Provided that nothing in this section shall derogate from the powers of the competent authority to
vary or rescind such order.