The recent reports highlighted that 45 high ranking officers including lower officials in service with extended tenures in the period from January 2022 till date. This makes them subservient and denies an opportunity to deserving senior officers to reach the top. There are other options for government to consider including increase the retirement age from 60 to 65 years. By giving such extensions deprives other competent officers who are eligible to serve in the position from doing so and does not send the right message. You can well imagine how senior most officers eligible to serve in those positions, but now forced to just wait for superannuation must feel. Unbridled powers of the executive demoralises officers. If you are the government's favourite, you would be considered and in case you are an independent officer, you won't be considered. The extensions are also being seen as service rule violation and demoralising. But to give these annual contract like extensions sends out a very problematic message by the administration. It seems from the government side that there is no other competent person and the entire department is full of incompetent people.
