Govt aims to replace clerks with executive assistants
1 min read 13 Jan 2016, 08:09 PM ISTIf accepted, executive assistants will replace lower-division and upper-division clerks, and stenographers
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New Delhi: The ubiquitous clerks in central government ministries and departments, commonly referred to as babus, may be replaced by multi-tasking, tech-savvy executive assistants over a period of time. The ministry of personnel put out a proposal on Wednesday for comment from stakeholders as part of proposed administrative reforms.
If accepted, executive assistants will replace lower-division and upper-division clerks, and stenographers. They will be recruited on basis of a national-level examination.
The plan is to have executive assistants replace the personnel from Central Secretariat Service, Central Services and Clerical Services and Central Secretariat Stenographers Service.
In all, there are some 20,717 personnel working in all three services. If the proposal is implemented, this number may fall by nearly 60% over a period of time.
“A proposal is under consideration of this department for introduction of executive assistants scheme in central secretariat," according to a department of personnel memorandum.
The government believes with more technology adoption, there is a need to review the “existing structure of the secretariat".
“Most new recruits in central secretarial services since 2013 are professionally qualified in disciplines like engineering and law. If their career prospects suffer on account of the changes, they will certainly agitate," a section officer in a central ministry said, requesting anonymity.
Mint’s Gireesh Chandra Prasad contributed to the story.
