Designations - Functions at various levels
. Functions at various levels
(a) Secretary – A Secretary to the Government of India is the administrative head of the Ministry or Department, who is the principal adviser to the Minister on all matters of policy and the administration within the Ministry/Department.
(b) Special Secretary/Additional Secretary/Joint Secretary - One or more wings may be established with Special Secretary/Additional Secretary/Joint Secretary, in-charge of each wing under the charge of Secretary.
(c) Director/Deputy Secretary – Director/Deputy secretary holds the charge of a Secretariat Division and is responsible for the disposal of Government business dealt within the Division under the charge.
(d) Under Secretary – An Under Secretary is in-charge of the Branch in the Ministry/Department consisting of one or more Sections.
(e) Section Officer - A Section Officer is the in-charge of a Section who has to ensure efficient and expeditious disposal of work, recording and weeding out, indexing and digitization. For this, they shall take all necessary steps including (i) distribution of work among the staff as evenly as possible; (ii) training, helping and advising the staff; (iii) management and co-ordination of work; (iv) ensuring maintenance of order and discipline in the section; (v) maintenance of a list of residential addresses of the Staff (vi) submit receipts which should be seen by Branch Officer/Higher officer at dak stage; (vii) dispose of routine cases*, issue reminders, obtain or supply factual non-classified information; (viii) take intermediate routine action; (ix) keep a track of all judicial/quasi-judicial matters where the issues being dealt with by the section are involved; (x) record, where necessary, a note setting out his own comments or suggestions before submitting the case to higher appropriate officer. *„Routine cases‟ will be decided by Departmental instructions.
(f) Desk Officer – A Section Officer may be designated as Desk Officer, who is to function as per powers delegated by the Ministries/Departments like signing financial sanctions, affirming affidavits in court etc. 6
(g) Dealing Hands – Assistants and Upper Division Clerks are two different types of Dealing Hands(DH), who are responsible for:- (i) Opening, maintenance and custody of files; (ii) put up the file to Section Officer mentioning precedents/facts, rule position, pointing out any mistake, incorrect statements of facts ; (iii) go through the receipts and ensure that the receipts, with urgency grading, are dealt with first; (iv) move the receipt to a file; (v) if a file exists for this receipt, add the receipt to the existing file; (vi) in case a file does not exist, a file will be opened; (vi) DH will add the data/metadata required for creating a new file. A number will be given by the dealing hand to the new file and in the case of e-file number will be assigned automatically by the system on the creation of e-file; (vii) reproduce remarks on the notes portion of the file, if any, made by an officer on the receipt. (viii) DH will have to give a serial number and page number to all the letters received and issued. In an electronic environment, the system will automatically assign a new serial number to the receipt, which will be visible on the top centre of all the pages of the receipt. The system will also automatically assign a new page number to each page of the receipt, which will be visible on top right hand corner of the page; (ix) link related file, if any. In an electronic environment, with the help of knowledge management, and collaboration/interaction tools in the system, search and link other e-files or documents, if any, referred to in the receipt, or having a bearing on the issues raised therein; (x) identify and examine the issues involved in the case and record a note; (xi) submit the case to the appropriate higher officer; and (xii) in an electronic environment metadata may be used for such purposes.
(h) Personal Staff Members of Officers (PSMs) – Staff Officer/Senior Principal Private Secretary/Private Secretary/ Personal Assistant/Stenographer. (i) Taking dictation in shorthand and its transcription and assisting in drafting and issue of all correspondences as may be directed by the officer; (ii) managing of appointments/engagements; (iii) attending to the telephone calls and receiving visitors; (iv) maintaining the papers required to be retained by 7 the officer; (v) destroying by shredding/burning the stenographic record of the confidential and secret letters; and (vi) assisting the officer in such a manner as she/he may direct.
(i) Lower Division Clerk (wherever it exists)/Multitasking Staff (MTS). (i) Registration of dak; (ii) maintenance of Section Diary and File Movement Register; (iii) typing, comparing, photocopying, faxing, e-mailing etc.; (iv) performing the task of a dealing hand; and (v) any other official task assigned.
Note : Duties of untrained Multi Tasking Staff (MTS) have been provided at Annexure-II of the Department of Personnel & Training‟s O.M. No.AB-14017/6/2009- Estt (RR) Dated 30th April, 2010 at website (www.persmin.nic.in)
Source : Manual of Office Procedure
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