7th Pay Commission: Salary hike! Advance increments granted to these government employees

7th Pay Commission: Amid the economic crisis, salary cuts and layoffs due to Covid-19 pandemic, here is a good news from Modi government for some government employees. The Department of Personnel & Training under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions of Government of India has issued an OFFICE MEMORANDUM on the Subject: "Advance increments granted to Stenographers of Subordinate Offices on qualifying speed test in shorthand at 100/120 w.p.m., in the 7th CPC Scenario-reg." And, the good news is that these Central government employees have got a salary hike!

As per the OFFICE MEMORANDUM, "In accordance with the provisions contained in Department of Expenditure's OM No. 7(31)E-lll(A)/75 dated 04.10.1975 and this Department's OM No. 18/44/88-Estt.(Pay-l) dated 14.08.1989 and OM No. 1/9/98-Estt.(Pay-I) dated 30.01.2001, Stenographers of Subordinate Offices were granted one or two advance increments for qualifying speed test in shorthand at 100/120 wpm. This Department vide OM No. 18/44/88-Estt.(Pay-l) dated 07.12.2009 provided that these advance increments should be treated as pay for all purposes. Further, due to the introduction of Grade Pay and Pay Band system, consequent to the implementation of CCS (RP) Rules, 2008, this Department vide OM No. 1/1/2010-Estt.(Pay-l) dated 06.12.2012 had clarified the
manner in which these advance increment(s) are to be computed.

Moreover, OFFICE MEMORANDUM says, "The Consequent upon the implementation of CCS (RP) Rules, 2016, the system of Pay Band and Grade Pay has been replaced by the Pay Matrix.The manner in which the advance increment(s) are to be computed and the guidelines for granting these advance increments to Stenographers of Subordinate Offices on qualifying speed test in shorthand at 100/120 w.p.m., in the 7th CPC Scenario, have been considered in this Department, in consultation with Department of Expenditure.

Further, the OFFICE MEMORANDUM informs, "The President is pleased to decide that in supersession of all the existing orders/OMs/instructions/guidelines on the subject of granting the advance increment(s) to Stenographers of Subordinate Offices on qualifying speed test in shorthand at 100/120 w.p.m., w.e.f. 01.01.2016 the advance increments shall be regulated as under:

(i) The stenographer who is recruited on the basis of speed test in the shorthand at 80 w.p.m. may be granted one advance increment on qualifying speed test in shorthand at 100 w.p.m. and one more advance increment on qualifying speed test in shorthand at 120 w.p.m. while in service. However, if a stenographer who is recruited on the basis of speed test in the short hand at 80 w.p.m. directly qualifies the speed test in shorthand at 120 w.p.m. while in service, he/she may be granted two advance increments.

(ii)  The stenographer, who is recruited on the basis of speed test in the shorthand at 100 w.p.m., may be granted one advance increment on qualifying speed test in shorthand at 120 w.p.m. while in service.

(iii) These speed tests shall be conducted by properly constituted Authorities including Departmental Authorities.

(iv) These advance increments shall be granted from the date of passing the test.

(v) These advance increments shall not be absorbed in future increments and the date of next increment after the grant of these advance increments shall remain the same. No option for fixation of pay from the Date of Next Increment shall be available/allowed for fixation of pay on account of these advance increments.

(vi) The amount of these advance increments shall be treated as a separate element in addition to the basic pay and it should be counted as pay for all purposes. Further, once these advance increments are taken into account for the purpose of fixation of pay on promotion or being placed in a higher scale on grant of MACP or due to revision of Pay Scale or Pay Structure etc., these advance increments no longer continue as a separate element.

(vii) In respect of the stenographers, who become eligible for grant of these advance increments consequent upon the implementation of CCS (RP) Rules, 2016, they may be granted one/two advance increments (as the case may be) in the vertical Level, in which the Government Servant is placed on the date of passing the test, as illustrated below:

(a) For granting two advance increments:

(b) For granting one advance increment:

(viii) Benefit of these advance increments will not be treated as an anomaly for the purpose of stepping of pay of seniors.

In their application to the employees of Indian Audit and Accounts Department, these orders are issued after consultation with the Comptroller & Auditor General of India, as mandated under Article 148(5) of the Constitution.