Patna HC revises rules for fresh recruitments

PATNA: The Patna high court has revised its rules to pave way for making fresh recruitments and promotion of officers and staff in its administration.
With the newly formed The Patna High Court Officers and Staff (recruitment, appointment, promotion and other conditions of service and conduct) Rules, 2021, coming into effect on January 12, the high court administration could now start the process filling up 1469 posts sanctioned by the state government last year.It replaced the Patna High Court Officers and Staff (conditions of service and conduct) Rules, 1997.
According to sources, the new rules have removed the issue of intermixing of people from different cadres reaching higher ranks after promotion. Now, all cadres have been bifurcated properly so that one remains in his own even after promotion. Besides the existing cadres of assistant, personal assistant and translator, three more cadres have been formed, which include library and miscellaneous cadre.
The sources further said Chief Justice Sanjay Karol worked extensively on getting rid of the anomalies caused by the old rules to fulfil the long-pending demand of serving officers and staff and introduce staffing pattern. It was only on the Chief Justice’s persuasion that the state government sanctioned such a large number of posts in one go for the first time. However, recruitment and promotion could not be made as new rules were yet to be formed.
Out of the newly sanctioned posts, around 400 would be filled from fresh recruitments while rest by internal promotions.
The sanctioned strength of high court has gone up to 3700 officers and staff.
The previous sanctioned strength of the high court was only around 2300 officers and staff of which more than 500 posts are lying vacant.
Besides the sanctioned posts, there are 14 posts in high court administration which are filled up by posting judicial officers on deputation from Bihar Judicial Service.
Majority of the remaining posts would be filled up through promotion or direct recruitment process where candidates will have to qualify the required tests.