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CHAPTER- 6 NOTING/DRAFTING PRINCIPLE & OFFICE PROCEDURE

NOTES ON OFFICE PROCEDURE NOTING
The institution is nothing is a legacy we have inherited from the past when the Government of Indias Secretariats was small and officers came from the provinces for a specified period. The place of work was leisurely and the volume small; the condition today is just the opposite. The Central Government has turned into a vast machine working at great pressure. The work has grown enormously in volume, complexity and variety. The Government cannot afford to waste time and manpower by indulging in unnecessary and respective nothing. The dealing hand, while recording a note, should keep the following instructions in view. Notes: -1. Notes are written remarks recorded on a paper under consideration to facilitate its disposal. 2. It should consist of prcis of previous paper, the statement or analysis of the questions requiring decision, suggestion on the course of action or order passed thereon. 3. A note recorded by a Minister, the Prime Minister, Vice-President, or President to be referred to as a Minute. 4. The name, designation and, where necessary the telephone number of officer signing a note should be invariably be typed or stamped with a rubber stamp below the signature, which should be dated. In recording date, the month and year should also be indicated. General Instructions regarding noting: -(i) All notes should be concise and to the point. Excessive noting is an evil, which should be avoided. The officers are required to read the paper under consideration and the previous notes if any. The verbatim reproduction of extracts from or paraphrasing of the PUC or FR or any other part of correspondence or notes on the same file should be avoided. (ii) Any officer who is to note upon a file on which a Running Summary of Facts is available should, in drawing attention to the facts of the case, refer to the summary without repeating any part of the fact in his own note. (iii) Relevant extracts of a rule or instruction will be placed on the file and attention to it will be drawn in the note, rather than reproducing the relevant provision in the note. (iv) If apparent error in the note of another Ministry has to be pointed out or if the opinion express therein has to be criticized care should be taken that the observations are expressed in courteous and temperate language, free from personal remarks. (v) If the branch officer or higher officer has made any remark on a receipt, these should first be copied out and then the note should follow. No note should be written on the receipt itself except in very routine manner. (vi) A note will be divided into serially numbered paragraphs of easy size, say ten lines each. Paragraph may preferably have brief titles. (vii) When arising out of a single case there are several points requiring orders each point should be noted upon and submitted to Branch Officer separately. Such notes will be called Sectional Notes and at the time of recording should be placed after the main notes in the file. (viii) Modification of notesThere should be no occasion to record a note in the first instance and then passing it over. Such pasting tantamount to mutilation of record. It also gives an intelligent look to the files. Even where a note is recorded in the first instance needs modification of account of additional facts/errors having come to notice, a subsequent note may be recorded indicating the circumstances leading to recording of the fresh note, keeping the earlier note intact.
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In any case there should be no occasion to conceal a note recorded in the first instance. It is also undesirable for an officer to make his subordinate change his note. Noting on inter-departmental references: (i) Inter-departmental references broadly fall under two categories namely-a. Cases where references is merely for ascertaining factual information; and b. Cases in which the references seeks concurrence, option or ruling from the ministry referred to. (ii) in the case falling under (a) the Assistant in the receiving Ministry may not the required information on the file itself. In cases falling under (b), it is necessary frequently that points involved should be examined in the receiving Ministry. The general rule should be follow in such cases is that any examination should take place separately through routine notes and only the final result should be recorded on the file by the officer responsible for commenting upon the reference. The officer to whom such notes are submitted will consider these routine notes and will either accept the routine note or record a note of his own. In the former case, he may direct that the note in a question or a portion thereof should be reproduced on the main file for communication for Ministry concerned. In the latter case, if the final note is written by hand, it should be written on the file itself and a copy therefore kept as record of the final disposal. If the last note is typewritten, it should be typed on the file, a carbon copy being made on the routine sheet. The main file should thereafter be returned to the referring Ministry; the routine notes which the reference is made, will serve as a record of the view taken in he Ministry for further reference. (iii) Where a note on file is recorded by an officer after obtaining the order of the higher officer the fact that the view expressed therein have the approval of such officer should be specifically mentioned. Noting on cases referred to under the single file system: The single file system applies to the matter, which are not within the delegated powers of the Attached or Subordinate Offices and have to be referred frequently to the Ministry/Department for seeking a sanction/order. Files will be opened in such cases by the Non-Secretariat Office (Attached or Subordinate). Noting on such files in the Ministry/Department should be on the file of NSO. However, in certain selected types of cases concerning sensitive and delicate matters in the sphere of personnel, policy issues and finance noting should be on duplicate files (which would indeed be only notes recorded at a particular stage of the cases or at a particular level). The final decision only should be suitably recorded on the NSO file. As a convention, Secretariat noting on an NSO file may start on a new page. If at any stage of its processing in the Secretariat it is felt that the internal noting or any portion thereof be kept outside the record of the NSO file, such noting could be suitably edited before the file is returned to the NSO. Functional approach to Noting: Most of the cases dealt with in Government of India can be divided into the following five categories: -(i) Planning and Policy (Strategic or Operational) cases. (ii) Problem solving cases (i.e., those that require examination of issues). (iii) Corresponding handling (matters, relating to simple situations). (iv) Routine/Repetitive.
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(v) Unnecessary. The following guidelines are given for dealing with noting on the above five categories of cases: A. Planning and Policy cases: These would form a very small number in a Section and require a through examination. The question that may have to be asked will be as follow: -Purpose: (i) What is problem? (ii) Who is the originator? Is it worth a detailed examination? Are you the authority who can solve it? If it is another, you should give helpful and positive guidance. (iii) Can it be broken up into parts? Which are the major ones and which are only subsidiary? Identify the critical factor. Sequence: (iv) What are the priorities for solution and which should you choose first? (v) What is the origin of the problemspolitical, Physiological human, sociological or administrative? (vi) What is the background or causes of the problem? How has it arisen? (vii) It is ripe enough for a solution? Can it be modified? (viii) If more information is essential for a solution you can prepare a pro forma for all required date (ix) Dont ask for information piecemeal. Ask for all details, which are both necessary and sufficient. (x) If the any problem is to be solved, what is the rule position Solution? (xi) Are there any precedents to ensure even-handed treatment or to avoid repetition of past mistake? --Find out whether the proposal had earlier been consider and rejected. If so, find out whether any new grounds have been advance for reconsideration. (xii) What are the possible alternative solutions? (xiii) Which is the best solution? Why? (xiv) What will be the consequences on the totality of the situation? In preparing a detailed note for consideration at the top management level, follow the hints given in preparing summary or statement of case for Ministry given in Para.7. Problem solving cases: In these cases, a short para, in respect of each of the following questions would suffice: -(i) What is the problem? (ii) How has it arisen? (iii)What is the Rule, Policy or Precedent position? (iv) What are the possible solutions? (v) Which is the best solution? Why? (vi) What will be the consequences of the proposed solution? Correspondence handling cases: These do not require any detailed noting. It would suffice if a brief note, as indicated below, were recorded This is an reply to our letter at S.No..In brief the point is. A reply as in DFA is put up. Routine/Repetitive cases:
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In respect of these cases, A standard Process Sheet which means a standard skeleton note developed for a repetitive item of work indicating pre-determined points of check or aspect to be noted upon should be used. In non-repetitive cases, a fair draft should be put up without any noting. Unnecessary cases: These should be dak stage itself by the Section Officer or desk functionary recording in brief the reasons why no action is necessary. They should be kept in file O bundle, i.e., cases to kept with the datary and destroyed on 31st December of every year. Such as functional noting, if followed by the dealing Assistance and the desk functionaries would greatly facilitate the decision-making authority to choose the best alternative in any problem. It would be convenient if the answers to be queries were put in the short paras. preferably in type. If this functional noting is practiced regularly, it will be contributed greatly to an analytical view of thing improve the quality of noting. Such noting should, however, be adhered to only if cases required detailed noting and not in cases where draft could be submitted without notes to the Divisional head after discussion with him where necessary. Hints for preparation of Summary or Statement of cases for the Minister: As provided in the Manual of Office Procedure, it might be necessary to prepare a selfcontained summary when cases are to be submitted to the Minister. In such cases, the following points may be carefully observed: -(i) A brief subject heading should be given in all such cases. (ii) The summary should give the chronological facts of the case and should not be omit any important considerations that could affect the decision. (iii) If the case concerns other Ministries or division, the summary should contain the recommendation of that ministry or division and in case of disagreement, the point of difference and the recommendation of the Department concerned. Opinion of individual officers within a department should not find mention. (iv) The concluding paragraph should contain the point on which decision of the Minister is sought together with recommendation of the sponsoring officer. (v) The summary should be self-contained but it should not be unnecessarily long. Where the material to be submitted is lengthy, much of it should be relegated to annexure or appendices, keeping the main summary as brief as possible. This will enable the higher authorities to study the annexure or appendices if they want further details on any particular point. (vi) Paragraph of the summary should be properly numbered. (vii) The summary should be typed preferable in single space in small paras. To enable easy reading. (viii) The annexure should be page numbered consecutively to facilitate location of the particular page or portion thereof to which attention might be drawn during discussion or further noting. (ix) In case of longer summaries, marginal heading for paras. Would be useful.

PROCEDURE FOR DRAFTING

1) No draft will normally be prepared in simple and straightforward cases or those of a repetitive nature for which standard form of communications exist. Such cases may be submitted to the
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appropriate officers with the fair copies of the communication or signature. 2) The initiating level officer will put up a draft, wherever the considered necessary by him after the examination of the matter, for approval by the appropriate officer. It is not always necessary to await the approval of the proposed line of action and/or what the content of the communication should be before put up the draft. The higher officer may revise the draft if it does not meet with his approval. 3) Once he formulated his view on a case, an officer who is authorized to take decision thereon, may have the fair communication made for his signature and authorize its issue; otherwise, he will prepare the draft and submit to the appropriate higher officer for approval. 4) The officer approving the issue of a draft his initials thereto with the date in the margin of each page of the draft. It is also expected of him that he passes orders on the file simultaneously whether the draft so approved should be kept on the file (along with the office copy of the communication issued in fair) or not. General instructions for drafting 1) A draft should carry the message sought to be conveyed in a language that is clear, concise and incapable of misconstruction. 2) Lengthily sentence, abruptness, redundancy, circumlocution, superlative and repetition whether of words, observations or ideas, should be avoided. 3) Official communications emanating from a department and purporting to convey the views or orders of the Government of India must be specifically be expressed to have been written under the direction of the Government. The requirement does not, however, imply that each communication should start with the phrase I am directed to say or the under sign is directed to convey, which have the effect of distancing the communicator from the reader at the very outset. A more direct and to the point format is to be preferred if some degree of rapport is to be established with the receiver of the communication. The obligatory requirement can be met in a variety of imaginative ways. For instance, variation of the phrase can be added to the operative part of the letter towards the end as under: .I have the pleasure to inform you that the Government, on reconsideration of the matter, has decided to sanction an additional grant of. Or .. In the light of above development, Government convey its inability accede to Communication of some length of complexity should generally conclude with a Summary. 1) Where appropriate, the subject should be mentioned in communications (including reminders). 2) The number and date of last communication in the series, and if this is not from the addressee his last communication on the subject, should always be referred to. Where it is necessary to refer to more than one communication or a series of communications this should be done in the margin of the draft. 3) All draft put up on a file should bear the file number. When two or more communications are to issue from the same file to the same addressee on the same date, a separate serial number may be inserted before the numeral identifying the year to avoid confusion in reference, e.g., 8/5 (1)/87-Estt.8/5(II)/87-Estt. 4) A drat should clearly specify the enclosures which are to accompany the fair copy. In addition, short oblique line should be drawn at appropriate place in the margin for ready reference by the Typist, the Compares and Dispatcher. The number of enclosures should also
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be indicated at the end of the draft on the bottom left of the page thusEncl 3 5) If copies of an enclosure referred to in the draft are available and are, therefore, not be typed, an indication to effect will be given in the margin of the draft below the relevant oblique line. 6) If the communication to be dispatched by post is important (e.g., a notice canceling a license or withdrawing an existing facility) or encloses a valuable document (such as an agreement, service book or cheque) instructions as to whether it should be sent through registered post in or in an insured cover, or under a certificate of posting, will be given on the draft by the section officer concerned with its issue. 7) Urgent communications with bulky enclosures to far-flung areas like Andaman & Nicobar Island will be arrange to be dispatched by Air Parcel through Indian Airlines. The addressee will also be advice through wireless to take delivery of the consignment. Instructions to this given by the divisional head/branch officer/section officer at the time of approval of draft. 8) The name designation and telephone number of the officer, over whose signature the communication is to be issue, should invariably be indicated on the draft. 9) In writing or typing a draft, sufficient space should be left for the margin and between the successive lines to admit of additions or interpolation of words, if necessary. 10) A slip bearing the words Draft approval should be attached to the draft. If two or more draft is put up on a file, the draft as well as the slip attached thereto will be marked D.F.A.I D.F.A.II D.F.A.III and so on. 11) Drafts, which are to issue, as Immediate or Priority will be so marked under the orders of an officer not lower in rank than a section officer. 12) The officer concerned will initials on the draft in token of his approval. 13) Instructions contained in Para 27(12) will be observed while drafting. Authentication of Government orders (1) all orders and other instruments made an executed in the name of the President should be expressed to be made his name and signed by an officer having or regular or ex officio Secretariats status of and above the rank of under Secretary, or other specifically authorized to authenticate such orders under the Authentication (Orders and other instruments) Rules, 1958. (2) Where the power to make the orders, notification, etc, is conferred by a status on the Central Government, such orders and notifications will be expressed to be making in the name of the Central Government. Addressing communication to officers by name:-Normally no communication, other than that of classified nature or a demi-offical letter, should be addressed or marked to an officer to an name, unless it is intended that the matter raised therein should receive his personal attention either because of its special nature, urgency or importance, or because some ground has already been covered by personal discussion with him and he would be in a better position to deal with it. Drafting of demi-offical letters (1) As the objective of writing a demi-official (d.o) letter is to call the personal attention of the addressee, the style of writing should be direct, personal and friendly. More usage of active voice is to be preferred. (e.g., I notice rather than it is noticed). It is expedient to come to the issue at the beginning itself, e.g., I seek your corporation in the matter of (2) A DO letter should be preferably not exceeds one page. If the message to be convey lengthy, It
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is better condense it into one page in a few small and healthy divided paragraphs in a manner hold the interest of the addressee, the detail argument can be set out in appendices. FORMS AND PROCEDURE OF COMMUNICATION Forms of written communicationsThe different forms of written communications used by a department are described below. Each form has a use and, in some cases, a phraseology of its own. Specimens of these forms are given in Appendix 6. (1) Letter- (a) This form is used for corresponding with foreign Governments, State Governments, Heads of attached and subordinate offices, statutory bodies like the Union Public Service Commission, public bodies and members of the public generally. A letter begins with the salutation Sir(s) or Dear Sir(s), as may be appropriate. (b) Official letters emanating from a department and purporting to convey the views or orders of the Government of India must specifically the expressed to have been written under the directions of Government. (2) Demi-official letter(a) This forms is generally used in correspondence between Government officers for an interchange or communication of opinion of information without the formality of the prescribed procedure. It may also be used when it is desired that a matter should receive personal attention of the individual addressed. Communications to non-officials also can take the form of a demi-official letter. (b) It is written in the first person in a personal and friendly tone. (3) Office MemorandumThis form is generally used for corresponding with other departments or in calling for information from or conveying information (not amounting to an order of Government) to its employees. It may also the used in corresponding with attached and subordinate offices. It is written in the third person and bears no salutation or subscription except the name and designation of the officer signing it. (4) Inter-departmental note(a) This form is generally employed for obtaining the advice, views, concurrence or comments of other departments on a proposal or in seeking clarification of the existing rules, instructions, etc. It may also be used by a department when consulting its attached and subordinate offices and vice versa. (b) The inter-departmental note may either be recorded on a file referred to another department or may take the form of an independent self-contained note. (5) Telegram- (a) This form is used for communicating with out station parties in matters demanding prompt attention. The text of the telegram should be as brief as possible. As a rule, no telegram should be issued if an express letter or a letter marked Immediate or priority can serve the purpose. (b) Telegrams are of to kinds, viz., nclair telegrams and cipher code telegrams. The former are worded in plain language. The letters are expressed in secret language (code or cypher or both) but a combination in the same telegram of figures and letters having a secret meaning is not permitted. In editing, numbering and issuing of cipher/code telegrams, the instructions issued by the Ministry of External Affairs in respect of external telegrams and by the Ministry of Home Affairs in the case of internal telegram, should be carefully observed. (c) There are four grading of urgencies authorized for used state telegram, viz., SVH, Most immediate, Operation immediate and Immediate. The use of this grading is regulated by the rules issued by the Directed General of Telecommunications. Relevant extracts from these rules are contained in Appendix 7. (d) Telegrams, other than cipher and code telegrams, should normally be followed by the post copies.
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(6) Telex messageIn urgent an important matter, departments having telex facilities may sent telex message instead of a telegram in communicating with out-station parties. (7) Express letterThis form is used in communicating with out-station parties in matters warranting urgent attention at the receiving end but not justifying the expense of a telegram. It is worded exactly like a telegram but transmitted through a post office instead of a telegraph office. (8) Saving ramThis form is coded version of an express letter and is used in overseas communication of secret nature. It is sent by diplomatic bag or through registered insured mail. In all other respect, it is treated like a cipher/code telegram. (9) Office orderThis form is normally use for issuing instruction meant for internal administration, e.g., grant of regular leave, distribution of work between officer and sections. (10) OrderThis form is use for issuing certain types of financial sanctions and the communicating Government orders in disciplinary cases, etc., to the official concerned. (11) NotificationThis form is mostly used in notifying the promulgation of statutory rules and orders, appointments and promotions of gazetted officers, etc., through publication in the Gazette of India. The composition of the Gazette, the types of matters which are to be published in each part and section thereof, and the instructions for sending the matter for publication therein are indicated in Appendix 8. (12) ResolutionThis form of communication is used for making public announcements of decisions of Government in important matters of policy, e.g. the policy of industrial licensing, appointment of committees or commission of enquiry. Resolutions are also usually published in the Gazette of India. (13) Press communiqu/noteThis form is used when it is proposed to give wide publicity to decision of Government. A press communiqu is more formal in character than a press note and is expected to be reproduced intact by the press. A press note, on the other hand, is intended to serve as a handout to the press, which may edit, compress or enlarge it, as deemed fit. (14) EndorsementThis form is used when a paper has to be returned in original to the sender, or the paper in original or its copy sent to another department or office for, information or action it is also used when copy of communication is proposed to be forwarded to parties others than the one to which it is addressed. Normally this form will not be used in communicating copies to States Governments. The appropriate form for such communication should be letter. Telephonic communication(I) In purely routine matters not warranting a written communications, department may communicate with local parties over the telephone. (ii) In matter of extreme urgency, Departments may communicate with other parties, both local and out-station, over the telephone. Where necessary, such communication may be followed by written communications in the appropriate form. (iii) The Provision of para.33 (5) (c) also applies to official telephone trunk calls. (iv) Resort to telephone trunk call (including STD calls) will be regulated by departmental instructions. Correspondence with attached and subordinate offices. Departments may correspond with attached and subordinate offices under the control of other departments subject to general instructions that the latter may issue. Interdepartmental consultation. (1) Inter-departmental consultation may take the form of inter-departmental notes, inter-departmental meeting or oral discussions. (2) In making written inter-departmental references, the following points should be observed: (a) Inter-departmental references will normally be made under the directions of an officer not below the rank of under secretary or as may be provided by the departmental instructions. (b) The point on which the opinion of other department is sought or which it is desired to bring to
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their notice should be clearly stated. (c) Where possible, the drafts of the orders proposed to be issued may also be show to the departments sought to be consulted. (d) When it is necessary to consult more than one department on a case, such consultation may be effected simultaneously by self-contained inter-departmental note unless (i) It involves copying of a large number of documents available on the file; or (ii) The need for consulting the second department would arise only after the views of the first have become available. (2-A) (a) When such a reference requires concurrence of one or more Ministry under the Government of India (Transaction of Business) Rules, the following further points should be observed: (i) The originating Ministry should invariably prescribe a time limit when calling for comments or concurrence from other Ministries. (ii) In case any of the Ministries so is not in a position to send its comments/concurrence within the prescribed time limit, it should write back promptly, and in any case, before the prescribed time limit and indicate the additional time they would require for furnishing their final reply. (b) When such a reference dose not require such concurrence under the Rule, the originating Ministry need not wait for the comments of other Ministry beyond the prescribed time-limit, and it should feel free to go ahead with its scheme /proposal without waiting any longer. (c) The initiating Ministry should always feel free to recall its file from the another Ministry, to which such a reference has been made on a file, if such a course is required to be adopted for expediting the process of decision making in the case, such a decision to recall a file should be taken at a level not lower than that of a branch officer in the originating Ministry. (3) Inter-departmental meetings may be held where it is necessary to elicit the option of the other departments on important cases and arrive at a decision within a limited time. No such meeting will normally be convened except under the order of the officer not below the level of Joint Secretary. In respect of such meetings, it will be ensured that-(a) The representative attending the meeting are officers who can take decisions on behalf of their departments; (b) An agenda setting up clearly the points for the discussion is prepared and sent along with the proposal for holding the meeting, allowing adequate time for the representatives of other departments to prepare themselves for the meeting; and (c) A record of discussion is prepared immediately after the meeting and circulated to the other departments concerned, setting out the conclusion reached and indicating the department or departments responsible foe taking further action on each conclusion. (4) On occasion it may be necessary o have oral discussion with officer of other departments, e.g., when-(a) A preliminary discussion between the officers of the departments concerned is likely to help in the disposal of the case: (b) It is desirable to reach a preliminary agreement proceeding further in the matter; (c) Inter-departmental noting reveals a difference of opinion between two or more departments; or (d) It is proposed to seek only information or advice of the department to be consulted. The result of such oral consolation should be recorded in a single note on the file by the officer of department to which the case belongs. The note will state clearly the conclusion reached and the reason there for. A copy of the note will also be sent to the departments consulted in order that they have a record of the conclusion reached. References to the Attorney General of IndiaReferences to the Attorney General will be
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made only by the Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs. References to the Comptroller and Auditor General of IndiaReferences to the Comptroller and Auditor-General for his view or advice can be made only by or through the Ministry of Finance, in matter of day to day administration, departments may, however, correspond direct with the Comptroller and Auditor-General at their discretion. References to the Union Public Service CommissionReference to the Union Public Service Commission will normally be made in the form of letter addressed to the Secretary. In certain matter, e.g., requisition for recruitment, formal references should ordinary is proceeding by informal discussion at the appropriate levels. Correspondence with Union Territory administrationAll communication of routine nature, which is clearly relatable to the business of particular department, will ordinarily be addressed to the Secretary to the Chief Secretary or the Administrator depending upon the importance of the matter. Correspondence with the state government(1) communications on subjects clearly relatable to the business of a particular department will normally be addressed to the secretary of that department. Other communication, including those of special nature or importance warranting attention at higher levels, may be addressed to the chief secretary. (2) Communication other than those of a purely routine nature, e.g., acknowledgements will not ordinarily be addressed to state Government except with the prior approval and over the signature of the Branch office purely routine communications can, however, be signed by a section officer. Correspondent with Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Secretariats Communication meant for the Lok Sabha Secretariats or the Rajya Sabha Secretariats and requiring urgent or high level attention may be addressed to the Secretaries concerned and not to the Speaker or the Chairman direct. Correspondence with Member of Parliament(1) communications received from member of Parliament should be attended to promptly. (2) Where a communication is address to a Minster, it should, as far as practicable, be replied by the Minister himself. In other cases, a reply should normally issue over the signature of an officer not below the rank of Joint Secretary. (3) Normally information sort by member should be supply unless it is of such a nature that it would have been denied to him even if asked for on the floor of the house of parliament. (4) As far as possible, in corresponding with Member of Parliament pre-printed or cyclostyled replies should be avoided. Correspondence with foreign Government and International organizations Correspondence with foreign Government and their mission in India, heads of Indian Diplomatic mission in posts abroad and United nation and its specialized agencies with normally be canalized through the Ministry of external Affairs. The cases in which and the conditions subject to which direct correspondence may resorted to are indicated in the instructions entitled Channel of communication between the Government of India and State Government on the one hand; and foreign and common wealth Government or their mission in India, heads of Indian Diplomatic mission and post abroad in united nation and it specialized agencies on the other issued by the Ministry of External Affair.

OFFICE MANAGEMENT
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Main functions of office Collection of cognitive material (data, facts, correspondence, reports, etc.) Compilation of grouping data Maintain information Update information you may receive a lot of letters (from customers)- complaints, requests, queries etc. stores of data from the Area Manager's office/Exchanges on modified procedures, tariffs, waiting list etc. your office must be equipped to collect, compile and segregate data in a format which is suitable for ready references. The information not only be 'stored' for future use but also be periodically updated whenever necessary. The office arrangement should have the following features Effective work flow Efficient use of available space Employee comfort Ease of supervision Flexibility of any reorganization Favorable impression on visitors / customers Balance between office equipment and personnel at work. A good office always leaves a good impression on the visitors and helps improve the organizations image. How often we have heard people say "I went to Government office. My God! It is so badly organization that it is not surprising if everything gets delayed! You, as an officer coming into direct contact with public, should do all you can, to avoid such comments. As part of office management, one must ensure that the work in the office flows in a straight line as far as possible.

RECORDS MANAGEMENT
INTRODUCTION: Perhaps the prehistoric man did not have any necessity of record keeping as their main work was fighting for the survival. As the civilization grew and demands increased, it became necessary to maintain record for business, administration and even for personal matters. The keeping and preservation of records in modern age, due to advent of science and technology has facilitated to retain it for many decades without any deterioration. Organizations of all types and sizes are required to maintain record and create record in increasing volumes due to its increased activities, governmental regulation, financial implications and competitiveness of the business. Efficient and effective record management is essential for the success of any organization. Technological advancement has provided considerable assistance in this respect. All data required for the efficient and effective functioning of an organization depend on its office 'Memory' system of filling and record storage. Filling and record systems, like other data handling methods is very important to management as well as employees of the organization as both depend on files and record storage for sake of organizational survival as well as survival of their employees. Earlier when pension rules were not liberalized and records were maintained by audit, many Government employees had to face great hardships and obstacles in settlement of their pension, gratuity and other benefits and had to wait for years and some time there was no settlement in their life time. You can imagine a situation on which records of your Annual Confidential Report is not
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available. You may be aware that without this horoscope, you are doomed, your prospect is doomed and you can not expect any uplift unless this vital record is retrieved and made available. This handbook describes the basic objectives of the record storage, system design, retrieval, retention program of the record management needed/being followed in subordinate offices. Basic purpose of record control Currently used information is kept in a file. The word file is derived from the Latin word 'Filium' which means thread. In the filing system papers are arranged in an orderly manner and tied through a thread. Files which are kept for long term use for frequent references are called records. The basic purpose for record management is to store, to preserve, and to provide document to management and employees promptly. Current transactions of all nature are adequately and safely recorded. Record is kept mainly for the present and future uses but legal consideration and legal protection are also important factors in its protection. Another of the record management is need out the obsolete and old record so that space is made available for the new records created and cost is reduced for keeping the record control programme. Organizing records and filing In any organization before organizing the records and filing system, the following key questions may be answered. Who should design filling system? Who should control and administer the protection and retention records? How co-ordination between the different sections in your office can be achieved. Record Committee In an organization there may be a position of record administrator who usually) reports to a top ranking executive. His responsibilities are to provide help to departmental executives in designing record system and equipment, coordinating departmental records programs, minimizing duplication of records and maintaining master index. In many office group B officers it may not be possible to provide a record administrator but they can constitute a record committee usually consisting of senior supervisors and JTOs in their organization and plan their strategy for effective and efficient way of keeping records in their organization. RECORDS MANAGEMENT It is defined as a process of arranging and storing records so that they can locate when required. Proper arrangements of records Careful storing of records Easy availability of records Requirements of good filing system There is no unique system of filing however following basic requirements must be kept in view while choosing a filing system Compactness: It should occupy the minimum space Accessibility - This is very important and basic factor of filing system. The files should be easily located and available if they are not secret and confidential in nature. Economy- The maintenance of the file system should not be expensive. Simplicity - It should be understood well by the lowest rank of persons handling Elasticity - Flexible in all respect Guidance - There should be a cross reference if the file number is changed or if the file is closed. Retention- This item is very important for the management of space and maintenance Complete- The file should have all relevant data pertaining to its subject and be complete itself, as far as possible.
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