Lady luck smiles: Two retired HCS officers elevated to IAS

Two retired Haryana Civil Services (HCS) officers — Amar Deep Singh and Subhita Dhaka — have been elevated to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) following the intervention of the Chandigarh Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT).

The Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions issued the order appointing Singh and Dhaka to the 2022 and 2023 IAS batches, respectively.

In July, the Selection Committee had recommended their promotion to fill eight vacancies in the 2022 batch and 10 in the 2023 batch, a recommendation that was approved by the Haryana Government, Central Government, and the UPSC on August 1.

However, both officers had already retired from state service, preventing their appointments from being notified. HCS officers retire at 58, while IAS officers retire at 60.

Aggrieved by the delay, Singh and Dhaka approached the CAT, which directed the competent authority to issue a “reasoned and speaking order.” Following this, the ministry ordered their elevation.

“Amar Deep Singh and Subhita Dhaka will be deemed to have been notionally appointed to the IAS. The period between their superannuation in state services and their present appointment shall be counted as service, subject to vigilance clearance by the state government,” the order stated.

Under the notification, Amar Deep Singh will continue in service until February 28, 2026, while Subhita Dhaka will retire on March 31, 2027.