New Delhi, Dec. 16: The Centre today enlarged the ambit of the 2005 administrative reforms beyond the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) to include allied services.

For starters, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asked the home and environment ministries to examine the initiatives and see whether they could be adapted and used in the Indian Police Service and the Indian Forest Service, which are under their jurisdiction.

A press release issued by Singh’s media adviser Sanjaya Baru said the administrative reforms commission set up to recommend reforms has given the following suggestions for IAS officers:

Introduction of a performance appraisal report for career planning, training and promotion and setting up of an independent group of “eminent” persons to evaluate professional competence and reputation of officers at various stages of his career

Intensive review of performance of officers at the end of 15 and 25 years of service that would determine promotion. At both stages, officers who do not “qualify” can take voluntary retirement

Appointment guidelines like publicising vacant positions with details, maintaining “transparent” database of all qualified IAS officers to ensure fair selection and having a separate civil services board, headed by the cabinet secretary, to size up “eligibility” of officers

Supplementary courses at the Shastri National Academy of Administration to strengthen mid-career training of officers. Participation in the courses would be mandatory to qualify for promotions. The training institutions in turn were being refurbished to cope with this task with the help of international institutions.