The Government of India had set up a Committee on 22.08.2001 to assess the utility of the existing training programmes for the CSS officers and to suggest an effective and comprehensive career training plan having regard to the role expected of CSS officers at various stages in their career and the corresponding skill needs. The Committee on cadre training plan of the CSS submitted its report in February 2005. The Government decided to accept the training courses alongwith its nomenclature recommended by the Committee as indicated below:-

(A) Foundation Course for Assistants (Probationers): This is a training specifically to be undergone by the Assistants who qualify the Graduate Level Examination and this training course will be residential in nature. The duration of the training course would be 28 weeks which includes 5 weeks of on the job training. The candidates who qualify Graduate level Examination would be directly nominated to ISTM for undergoing foundational training courses and after their successful completion the candidates would be nominated to various Ministries/Departments by the DOPT. All the pre appointment formalities shall be carried out centrally by the CS Division of DOPT and the training schedule fixed/arranged in consultation with the ISTM. The pay and allowances of such direct recruit Assistants shall be drawn and disbursed by the ISTM. Assistants not completing the Foundation Course for Assistants (Probationers) shall not be confirmed in the post till such time they pass the examination conducted by the ISTM. For this purpose two opportunities shall be provided to the candidates. However, in exceptional cases one more opportunity may be given.  After completion of all the formalities, the candidates will be allocated to the Ministries/Departments based on their qualification and potential attitude shown during the training at ISTM. The final allocation would be decided by the Department of Personnel & Training taking into account the other administrative factors, namely, number of posts in a particular Ministry/Department, reservation aspects etc.

(B) In-Service Training Programmes for Other Levels:

(i) Level-‘A’ training programme :- The Upper Division Clerks who have completed five years’ approved service in the grade shall be nominated for this training programme and the duration of the course shall be 6 weeks. The participation in this training programme is mandatory except the UDCs who get promoted on the basis of Limited Departmental Competitive Examination. The ISTM shall organise as many courses as necessary to cover all the UDCs with five years of service. However, preference would be given to seniors in zone of consideration for promotion.

(ii) Level-‘B’ Training Programme:-  Both direct recruit and promotee Assistants who have completed eight years’ approved service in the grade shall undergo this training programme. The duration of the training shall be of five weeks. Successful completion of training shall be essential before the direct recruit/promotee Assistants are considered for promotion to the grade of Section Officer, (except those direct recruit/promotee Assistants who get promoted to the grade of Section Officer on the basis of Limited Departmental Competitive Examination conducted by the UPSC). The nominations of the direct recruit/promotee Assistants shall be made by the CS Division in Department of Personnel & Training giving due preference to the senior Assistants who may be included in the zone of consideration for promotion.

(iii) Level ‘C’ Training Programme:- Section Officers with 5 years’ approved service shall be nominated for this programme. The duration of the training shall be 3 weeks. The nominations shall be made by the CS Division of the DOPT according to their seniority in the grade of Section Officer.

(iv) Level-‘D’ Training Programme:-The Section Officer with 8 years’ approved service in the grade shall be nominated for this training programme. The training would be of 20 weeks duration which includes 13 weeks of field training in states. This training shall be mandatory in nature and the Section Officers who successfully complete this training shall be considered for promotion to the next higher grade i.e. Grade-I of CSS (Under Secretary). The ISTM would coordinate with the State Governments regarding field training and will evolve mechanism to obtain continuous feed back regarding the work done by the participants. During the period of training the Annual Confidential Reports of the Section Officers shall be written by the Director, ISTM and not by the State Government’s officers where these officers will be deputed for field training.

(iv) Level-‘E’ Training Programme:- The Under Secretaries with 5 years’ approved service in the grade shall be nominated for this training programme and these officers shall be considered for promotion to the Selection Grade of CSS (Deputy Secretary) on successful completion of this training programme. The CS Division in DOPT would nominate those Under Secretaries who are likely to be in the zone of consideration for promotion to the Selection Grade of CSS (Deputy Secretary). The duration of the training shall be of 8 weeks and if necessary more than one such programme would be organized by the ISTM so as to cover all the eligible officers every year.  A component of about 3 weeks duration for overseas exposure has been included which would depend on the country and the projects to be selected.

(vi) Level-‘F’ Training Programme:- The Selection Grade (Deputy Secretary) of CSS having 5 years’ of approved service in the grade shall be nominated to this programme. The duration of the training would be 3 weeks. The participation and successful completion of this training programme is mandatory for the purpose of consideration for promotion to the Senior Selection Grade (Director) of CSS.

Above training programmes are mandatory in nature and the officers who participate and on successful completion of their training programmes, they shall be considered for promotion to the next higher grades. The overall responsibility for implementation of the Cadre Training Plan for CSS officers is assigned to ISTM which would work in association with the CS and Training Divisions of the Department of Personnel & Training and Training Managers in various Ministries/Departments. In addition to the above in-service training programmes, where participation and successful completion shall be mandatory for the purpose of confirmation/promotion, ISTM would also organize subject specific to training programmes for various levels so as to up-date the knowledge and skills of the CSS officers. The ISTM would prepare annual calendar of such training programmes and circulate to all the Ministries/Departments so that the officers of the CSS are made aware of such training programmes.   All the Ministries/Departments shall bring the various training programmes included in the Cadre Training Plan for CSS officers to the notice of all the officers of the Central Secretariat Service in their respective Ministries/Departments.