JCC demands cancellation of panel list, restoration of March 10 vacancy circular

Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) on IAS induction comprising CANSSEA, FONSESA, NIDA, NSSA and NF&ASA alleged that the ongoing selection process was procedurally flawed and demanded immediate cancellation of the panel list as well as restoration of the March 10, 2025 Vacancy Circular in its entirety.
It further said that certain disconcerting facts were placed before the Cabinet Sub-Committee at the joint meeting on October 20 so as to facilitate the decision of the Cabinet at the earliest.
According JCC media cell, the issue of procedural lapses raised by the government spokesperson and the Cabinet Sub-Committee was discussed in detail. While acknowledging minor lapses, the JCC pointed out that the Cabinet Sub Committee had cited procedural errors in the Vacancy Circulars of July 6, 2020, and March 10, 2025.
Consequently, JCC said the Cabinet ratified them on March 27, 2025- two days after the Vacancy Circular’s withdrawal on March 25 and one day after the deadline had expired- thus raising questions over the timing and validity of the ratification process.
JCC expressed astonishment that the Vacancy Circular of July 6, 2020, had served as the basis for recommending a Non-SCS officer by the UPSC, who was subsequently appointed to the IAS by the DoPT without any objection and has since retired. The JCC asserted that the 2020 Circular fully aligned with the Supreme Court’s judgment in Civil Appeal Nos. 4426-4466 of 2023, which allows executive instructions to supplement rules in cases of ambiguity. It maintained that Clause 4 of the 2020 and 2025 Circulars was legally valid, consistent with, and reinforced IAS Regulations.
The JCC stated that if procedural lapses truly existed, the Cabinet could have fully ratified the Vacancy Circulars of July 6, 2020, and March 10, 2025, as they were sound guidelines. Instead, it alleged, the Cabinet hastily replaced them under the pretext of correction, enabling a Non-NPSC candidate’s inclusion in the IAS Panel List.
The JCC revealed that the non-NPSC candidate applied under the March 10, 2025 Vacancy Circular, which permitted only NPSC-recruited officers, questioning why the application was accepted despite the candidate’s ineligibility under the stated criteria?
JCC disclosed that after the March 10, 2025 Vacancy Circular was withdrawn and reissued on April 24, 2025, no new applications were received, nor did earlier applicants reapply. The revised circular lacked instructions regarding prior submissions, effectively rendering all applications under the March 10 circular null and void, raising concerns over the basis of the subsequent panel list. Therefore, JCC questioned how the Screening Committee finalized the Panel List when no new applications were received under the April 24, 2025 circular.
JCC stated that the Screening Committee finalized the Panel List using applications from the March 10, 2025 circular, which automatically disqualifies the Non-NPSC candidate. This, JCC said was itself a procedural lapse and hence the whole exercise of finalizing the Panel List was based upon invalid applications that should be revoked and cancelled.
The JCC cited Para. 3(ii) of DoPT Office Memorandum No. 49014/7/2020-Estt. (C), dated October 7, 2020, stating that employees appointed without open competitive selection, even if qualified, are considered irregular. Such appointments cannot be deemed legal and, therefore, the individual concerned should not be inducted into the IAS, the JCC maintained, underscoring concerns over procedural violations in the current selection process.
The JCC concluded that the entire process appeared tailored to favor a specific Non-NPSC candidate, potentially setting a precedent for similar future appointments within the corridors of power.
The JCC demanded the cancellation of the IAS Panel List citing flawed applications and procedural lapses, and called for the complete restoration of the March 10, 2025 Vacancy Circular, in line with the Supreme Court judgment.