What is National Capital Civil Service Authority? Purpose, powers and functions

The Centre issued an ordinance Friday to set up the National Capital Civil Service Authority, which will be responsible for transfer of and disciplinary proceedings against Group-A officers from the DANICS cadre. The ordinance was passed a week after the Supreme Court granted the Delhi government power over the provision of services in the nation's capital.

Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, said earlier in the day that the central government intended to introduce an ordinance to overrule the Supreme Court's decision.

The ordinance asserts that "there shall be an authority to be known as the National Capital Civil Service Authority to exercise the powers conferred on, and discharge the functions assigned to it".

The National Capital Civil Service Authority shall comprise the chief minister of the government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi as its chairperson, along with the chief secretary and the principal home secretary, who shall be the member secretary to the authority. 

The majority of the members present and voting shall decide on any issues that must be decided by the authority. The member secretary must authenticate all suggestions made by the authority, it stated.

The National Capital Civil Service Authority shall convene as and when necessary at such time and location as the member secretary may determine with the authority's chairperson's approval, according to the ordinance.

According to the ordinance, the central government may make rules to provide for the matters like the tenure of office, salaries and allowances, provident fund, powers, duties, functions of officers etc. 

"This would statutorily balance the interest of the nation with the interest of the Union Territory of Delhi in administration of the capital by giving purposeful meaning to the manifestation of democratic will of people reposed both in the Central Government as well as the GNCTD," the ordinance stated. 

It was stated in the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023, that it was necessary to advance national interests without compromising the  democratic aspirations of Delhi residents.