RE-GRADING OF ACR BY DPC - AN IMPORTANT ORDER BY DOPT

DOPT ordered that in cases where the reckonable ACRs prior to the reporting period 2008-09 are to be considered in a future DPC on which the adverse remarks of Reporting I Reviewing / Accepting Authorities have been expunged or modified by the Competent Authority, the "overall grading" in the ACR be kept blank for appropriate re-grading by the DPCs.

Full Text of the DOPT Orders are as follows:

 

 

NO. 2101 1/1/2005-Estt.(A)

Government of India

Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions

Department of Personnel and Training

New Delhi, the 6th January, 2010

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject:- Effect on modification/expunction of adverse remarks in the ACRs and upgradationldown-gradation of the overall grading in the ACRs prior to the period 2008-2009.

The undersigned is directed to say that instructions were issued vide O.M. of even number dated 14th May, 2009 by which the complete APAR (previously known as ACR) including the overall grading and assessment of integrity shall be communicated to the concerned officer for representation if any, with effect from the reporting period 2008-09 which was to be initiated from 1.4.2008. Prior to that only adverse remarks in the ACR were required to be communicated for representation, if any. The then existing instructions further provided that the overall grading in the ACR should remain unchanged even after modification or expunction of the entire adverse remarks. It was left to the DPC to re-determine the overall grading if it considered that the expunction of such adverse remarks had so altered the quality of the ACR. The matter has been further considered and it has been decided that in those cases where the reckonable ACRs prior to the reporting period 2008-09 are to be considered in a future DPC on which the adverse remarks of Reporting

I Reviewing / Accepting Authorities have been expunged or modified by the Competent Authority, the "overall grading" in the ACR be kept blank for appropriate re-grading by the DPCs. The existing grading shall be blocked in such cases. It has also been decided that where the authority has upgraded / downgraded the overall grading without giving sufficient reasons, the DPC shall treat such an exercise as non-est/ invalid. General terms, such as "I agree or disagree with the Reporting Officer /Reviewing Officer" used by the Reviewing I Accepting Authority shall not be construed as sufficient reason for upgrading / downgrading the overall grading given by the Reporting Authority / Reviewing Authority. The proposals for the DPC where ACRs upto the reporting period 2007-08 will be taken into account should specifically bring out these guidelines.

2. It is also made clear that past cases already decided will not be re-opened.

K.Ragavendran
Secretary General NFPE