New Delhi (03.08.2023): Sharing an anecdote a retired IAS officer recently said that in his cadre state a minister often said jokingly  that ‘rules are for fools’.

Recently, DoP&T carried out mass rotational transfer of Under Secretaries in terms of its extant rotational transfer policy with a request to concerned ministries and departments to relieve the officers so as to join them the allotted cadre. However, many of the ministries and departments didn’t relieve many of the transferred officers. Thereafter, DoP&T issued directions that the officers would be termed as deemed relieved w.e.f. 24.07.2023 from their existing place, and failure to do so may attract punitive action.

Interestingly, an officer working in PESB since 2015 also figured in the transfer list. However, the officer proceeded on long leave just a day before the deemed relieved deadline of 24.07.2023. DoP&T posted a substitute in his place. However, the substitute officer was surprisingly transferred on 02.08.2023 to another branch of DoP&T. Speculations are rife that the officer who has been in PESB for the last eight years may get an extended term.

Not just a coincidence that some three months back, the same officer was transferred from PESB to some other branch of DoP&T. However, he proceeded on leave and subsequently he escaped the transfer.

One should not forget that every set of rules has exceptions as well thus in few cases it is not apt quote that ‘rules are for fools’.