Modified ACP

Modified ACP

No.35034/3/2008-Estt. (D)
Government of lndia
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
(Department of Personnel and Training)
North Block, New Delhi, the 19th May, 2009

MODIFIED ASSURED CAREER PROGRESS/ON SCHEME (MACPS) FOR THE
CENTRAL GOVERNMENT CIVIL/AN EMPLOYEES.

The Sixth Central Pay Commission in Para 6.1.15of its report, has recommended
Modified Assured Career Progression Scheme(MACPS). As per the recommendations,
financial upgradation will be available in the next higher grade pay whenever an
employee has completed 12 years continuous service in the same grade. However, not
more than two financial upgradations shall be given in the entire career, as was provided
in the previous Scheme. The Scheme will also be available to all posts belonging to
Group "A" whether isolated or not. However, organised Group "A" services will not be
covered under the Scheme
2. The Government has considered the recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay
Commission for introduction of a MACPS and has accepted the same with further
modification to grant three financial upgradations under the MACPS at intervals of 10,
20 and 30 years of continuous regular service.
3. The Scheme would be known as "MODIFIED ASSURED CAREER PROGRESSION.
SCHEME (MACPS) FOR THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES. This
Scheme is in supersession of previous ACP Scheme and clarifications issued there under
and shall be applicable to all regularly appointed Group "A", "B", and "C" Central
Government Civilian Employees except officers of the Organised Group "A" Service.
The status of Group "0" employees would cease on their completion of prescribed
training, as recommended by the Sixth Central Pay Commission and would be treated as
Group "C" employees. Casual employees, including those granted 'temporary status' and
employees appointed in the Government only on adhoc or contract basis shall not
qualify for benefits under the aforesaid Scheme. The details of the MACP Scheme and
conditions for grant of the financial upgradation under the Scheme are given in
Annexure-l.
4. An Screening Committee shall be constituted in each Department to consider the case
for grant of financial upgradations uhder the MACP Scheme. The Screening Committee
shall consist of a Chairperson and two members. The members of the Committee shall
comprise officers holding posts which are at least one level above the grade in which
the MACP is to be considered and not below the rank of Under Secretary equivalent in
the Government. The Chairperson should generally be a grade above the members of
the Committee.
5. The recommendations of the Screening Committee shall be placed before the
Secretary in cases where the Committee is constituted in the MinistrylDepartment or
before the Head of the organisation/competent authority in other cases for approval.
6. ln order to prevent undue strain on the administrative machinery, the Screening
Committee shall follow a time-schedule and meet twice in a financial year - preferably
in the first week of January and first week of July of a year for advance processing of
the cases maturing in that half. Accordingly, cases maturing during the first-half (April-
September) of a particular financial year shall be taken up for consideration by the
Screening Committee meeting in the first week of January. Similarly, the Screening
Committee meeting in the first week of July of any financial year shall process the cases
that would be maturing during the second-half (October-March) of the same financial
year.
7. However, to make the MACP Scheme operational, the Cadre Controlling
Authorities shall constitute the first Screening Committee within a month from the date
of issue of these instructions to consider the cases maturing upto 30th June, 2009 for
grant of benefits under the MACPS.
8. ln so far as persons serving in The lndian Audit and Accounts Departments are
concerned, these orders issue after consultation with the Comptroller and Auditor
General of lndia.
9. Any interpretation/clarification of doubt as to the scope and meaning of the
provisions of the MACP Scheme shall be given by the Department of Personnel and
Training (Establishment-D). The scheme would be operational w.e.f. 01.09.2008. ln
other words, financial upgradations as per the provisions of the earlier ACP Scheme (of
August, 1999) would be granted till 31.08.2008.
10. No stepping up of pay in the pay band or grade pay would be admissible with.
regard to junior getting more pay than the senior on account of pay fixation under
MACP Scheme.
11. It is clarified that no past cases would be re-opened. Further, while
implementing the MACP Scheme, the differences in pay scales on account of grant of
financial upgradation under the old ACP Scheme (of August 1999) and under the MACP
Scheme within the same cadre shall not be construed as an anomaly.
(S.Jai•nend1K"um~ar)--
Deputy Secretary to the Govt. Of lndia
1. President's SecretariatNice President's Secretariat/prime Minister's Office/Supreme
CourtlRajya Sabha Secretariat/Lok Sabha Secretariat/ Cabinet
Secretariat/UPSC/CYC/C&AG/Central Administrative Tribunal (Principal Bench), New
Delhi.
2. All attached/subordinate offices of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and
Pensions.
3. Secretary, National Commission for Minorities.
4. Secretary, National Commission for Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes
5. Secretary, Staff Side, National Council OCM), 13-C, Ferozeshah Road, New Delhi
6. All Staff Side Members of the National Council OCM)
7. Establishment (D) Section - 1000 copies
8. N1C, DoPT, North Block for up-loading of the OM in DoPT website.
1. There shall be three financial upgradation s under the MACPS, counted from the
direct entry grade on completion of 10, 20 and 30 years service respectively. Financial
upgradation under the Scheme will be admissible whenever a person has spent 10 years
continuously in the same grade-pay.
2. The MACPS envisages merely placement in the immediate next higher grade
pay in the hierarchy of the recommended revised pay bands and grade pay as given in
Section 1 , Part-A of the first schedule of the CCS (Revised Pay) Rules, 2008. Thus, the
grade pay at the time of financial upgradation under the MACPS can, in certain cases
where regular promotion is not between two successive grades, be different than what is
available at the time of regular promotion. ln such cases, the higher grade pay attached
to the next promotion post in the hierarchy of the concerned cadre/organisation will be
given only at the time of regular promotion.
3. The financial upgradation s under the MACPS would be admissible up-to the
highest grade pay of Rs. 12000/ in the PB-4.
4. Benefit of pay fixation available at the time of regular promotion shall also be
allowed at the time of financial upgradation under the Scheme. Therefore, the pay shall
be raised by 3% of the total pay in the pay band and the grade pay drawn before such
upgradation. There shall, however, be no further fixation of pay at the time of regular
promotion if it is in the same grade pay as granted under MACPS. However, at the time
of actual promotion if it happens to be in a post carrying higher grade pay than what is
available under MACPS, no pay fixation would be available and only difference of grade
pay would be made available. To illustrate, in case a Government Servant joins as a
direct recruit in the grade pay of Rs. 1900 in PB-l and he gets no promotion till
completion of 10 years of service, he will be granted financial upgradation under MACPS
in the next higher grade pay of Rs. 2000 and his pay will be fixed by granting him one
increment plus the difference of grade pay (i.e. Rs. 100). After availing financial
upgradation under MACPS, if the Government servant gets his regular promotion in the
hierarchy of his cadre, which is to the grade of Rs. 2400, on regular promotion, he will
only be granted the difference of grade pay between Rs. 2000 and Rs. 2400. No
additional increment win be granted at this stage.
5. Promotions earned/upgradation~ granted under the ACP Scheme in the past to
those grades which now carry the same grade pay due to merger of pay
scales/upgradations of posts recommended by the Sixth Pay Commission shall be
ignored for the purpose of granting upgradations under Modified ACPS.
The pre-revised hierarchy (in ascending order) in a particular organization was as
under:-
(a) A Government servant who was recruited in the hierarchy in the pre-revised pay
scale Rs. 5000-8000 and who did not get a promotion even after 25 years of
service prior to 1.1.2006,in his case as on 1.1.2006he would have got two financial
upgradations under ACP to the next grades in the hierarchy of his organization,
Le., to the pre-revised scales of Rs. 5500-9000 and Rs. 6500-10500.
(b) Another Government servant recruited in the same hierarchy in the pre-revised
scale of Rs. 5000-8000 has also completed about 25 years of service, but he got
two promotions to the next higher grades of Rs. 5500-9000 & Rs. 6500-10500
during this period.
ln the case of both (a) and (b) above, the promotions/financial upgradations
granted under ACP to the pre-revised scales of Rs. 5500-9000 and Rs. 6500-10500 prior
to 1.1.2006will be ignored on account of merger of the pre-revised scales of Rs. 5000-
8000, Rs. 5500-9000 and Rs. 6500-10500 recommended by the Sixth cpe. As per CCS
(RP) Rules, both of them will be granted grade pay of Rs. 4200 in the pay band PB-2.
After the implementation of MACPS, two financial upgradations will be granted both in
the case of (a) and (b) above to the next higher grade pays of Rs. 4600 and Rs. 4800 in
the pay band PB-2.
6. ln the case of all the employees granted financial upgradations under ACPS till
01.01.2006,their revised pay will be fixed with reference to the pay scale granted to them
under the ACPS.
6.1 ln the case of ACP upgradations granted between 01.01.2006 and 31.08.2008, the
Government servant has the option under the CCS (RP) Rules, 2008 to have his pay
fixed in the revised pay structure either (a) w.eJ. 01.01.2006 with reference to his prerevised
scale as on 01.01.2006; or (b) w.eJ. the date of his financial upgradation under
ACP with reference to the pre-revised scale granted under ACP. ln case of option (b),
he shan be entitled to draw his arrears of pay only from the date of his option i.e. the
date of financial upgradation under ACP.
6.2 ln cases where financial upgradation had been granted to Government servants in
the next higher scale in the hierarchy of their cadre as per the provisions of the ACP
Scheme of August, 1999, but whereas as a result of the implementation of Sixth CPe's
recommendations, the next higher post in the hierarchy of the cadre has been upgraded
by granting a higher grade pay, the pay of such employees in the revised pay structure
will be fixed with reference to the higher grade pay granted to the post. To illustrate, in
the case of Jr. Engineer in CPWD, who was granted ]"t ACP in his hierarchy to the grade
of Asstt. Engineer in the pre-revised scale of Rs.6500-10500 corresponding to the revised
grade pay of Rs.4200 in the pay band PB-2, he win now be granted grade pay of
Rs4600 in the pay band PB-2 consequent upon upgradation of the post of Asstt. Enggs.
ln CPWD by granting them the grade pay of Rs.4600 in PB-2 as a result of Sixth CPC's
recommendation. However, from the date of implementation of the MACPS, all the
financial upgradations under the Scheme should be done strictly in accordance with the
hierarchy of grade pays in pay bands as notified vide CCS (Revised Pay) Rules, 2008.
7. With regard to flxation of his pay on grant of promotion/flnancial upgradation
under MACP Scheme, a Government servant has an option under FR22 (1) (a) (1) to get
his pay flxed in the higher post/ grade pay either from the date of his
promotion/upgradation or from the date of his next increment viz. 1st July of the year.
The pay and the date of increment would be flxed in accordance with clariflcation no.2
of Department of Expenditure's O.M. N0.1/1/2008-1Cdated 13.09.2008.
8. Promotions earned in the post carrying same grade pay in the promotional
hierarchy as per Recruitment Rules shall be counted for the purpose of MACPS.
8.1 Consequent upon the implementation of Sixth CPe's recommendations, grade
pay of Rs. 5400 is now in two pay bands viz., PB-2 and PB-3. The grade pay of Rs. 5400
in PB-2 and Rs.5400 in PB-3 shall be treated as separate grade pays for the purpose of
grant of upgradations under MACP Scheme.
9. 'Regular service' for the purposes of the MACPS shall commence from the date
of joining of a post in direct entry grade on a regular basis either on direct recruitment
basis or on absorption/re-employment basis. Service rendered on adhoc/contract basis
before regular appointment on pre-appointment training shall not be taken into
reckoning. However, past continuous regular service in another Government
Department in a post carrying same grade pay prior to regular appointment in a new
Department, without a break, shall also be counted towards qualifying regular service
for the purposes of MACPS only (and not for the regular promotions). However,
beneflts under the MACPS in such cases shall not be considered till the satisfactory
completion of the probation period in the new post.
10. Past service rendered by a Government employee in a State Government/statutory
body/Autonomous body/Public Sector organisation, before appointment in the
Government shall not be counted towards Regular Service.
11. 'Regular service' shall include all periods spent on deputation/foreign service,
study leave and all other kind of leave, duly sanctioned by the competent authority.
12. The MACPS shall also be applicable to work charged employees, if their service
conditions are comparable with the staff' of regular establishment.
13. Existing time-bound promotion scheme, including in-situ promotion scheme, Staff'
Car Driver Scheme or any other kind of promotion scheme existing for a particular
category of employees in a Ministry/Department or its offices, may continue to be
operational for the concerned category of employees if it is decided by the concerned
administrative authorities to retain such Schemes, after necessary consultations or they
may switch-over to the MACPS. However, these Schemes shall not run concurrently
with the MACPS.
14. The MACPS is directly applicable only to Central Government Civilian employees.
1t will not get automatically extended to employees of Central Autonomous/Statutory
Bodies under the administrative control of a Ministry/Department. Keeping in view the
flnancial implications involved, a conscious decision in this regard shall have to be taken
by the respective Governing Body/Board of Directors and the administrative Ministry
concerned and where it is proposed to adopt the MACPS, prior concurrence of Ministry
of Finance shall be obtained.
15. lf a financial upgradations under the MACPS is deferred and not allowed after 10
years in a grade pay, due to the reason of the employees being unfit or due to
departmental proceedings, etc., this would have consequential effect on the subsequent
financial upgradation which would also get deferred to the extent of delay in grant of
first financial upgradation.
16. On grant of financial upgradation under the Scheme, there shall be no change in
the designation, classification or higher status. However, financial and certain other
benefits which are linked to the pay drawn by an employee such as HBA, allotment of
Government accommodation shall be permitted.
17. The financial upgradation would be on non-functional basis subject to fitness, in
the hierarchy of grade pay within the PB-1.Thereafter for upgradation under the MACPS
the benchmark of 'good' would be applicable till the grade pay of Rs. 6600/- in PB-3.
The benchmark will be 'Very Good' for financial upgradation to the grade pay of Rs.
7600 and above.
18. ln the matter of disciplinary/ penalty proceedings, grant of benefit under the
MACPS shall be subject to rules governing normal promotion. Such cases shall,
therefore, be regulated under the provisions of the CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965 and
instructions issued thereunder.
19. The MACPS contemplates merely placement on personal basis in the immediate
higher Grade pay /grant of financial benefits only and shall not amount to
actuallfunctional promotion of the employees concerned. Therefore, no reservation
orders/roster shall apply to the MACPS, which shall extend its benefits uniformly to all
eligible SC/ST employees also. However, the rules of reservation in promotion shall be
ensured at the time of regular promotion. For this reason, it shall not be mandatory to
associate members of SC/ST in the Screening Committee meant to consider cases for
grant of financial upgradation under the Scheme.
20. Financial upgradation under the MACPS shall be purely personal to the employee
and shall have no relevance to his seniority position. As such, there shall be no
additional financial upgradation for the senior employees on the ground that the junior
employee in the grade has got higher pay/grade pay under the MACPS.
21. Pay drawn in the pay band and the grade pay allowed under the MACPS shall be
taken as the basis for determining the terminal benefits in respect of the retiring
employee.
22. If Group "A" Government employee, who was not covered under the ACP
Scheme has now become entitled to say third financial upgradation directly, having
completed 30 year's regular service, his pay shall be fixed successively in next three
immediate higher grade pays in the hierarchy of revised pay-bands and grade pays
allowing the benefit of 3% pay fixation at every stage. Pay of persons becoming eligible
for second financial upgradation may also be fixed accordingly.
23. ln case an employee is declared surplus in his/her organisation and appointed in
the same pay-scale or lower scale of pay in the new organization, the regular service
rendered by him/her in the previous organisation shall be counted towards the regular
service in his/her new organisation for the purpose of giving nnancial upgradation under
the MACPS.
24. ln case of an employee after getting promotion/ACP seeks unilateral transfer on a
lower post or lower scale, he will be entitled only for second and third nnancial
upgradations on completion of 20/30 years of regular service under the MACPS, as the
case may be, from the date of his initial appointment to the post in the new
organization.
25. lf a regular promotion has been offered but was refused by the employee before
becoming entitled to a nnancial upgradation, no nnancial upgradation shall be allowed
as such an employee has not been stagnated due to lack of opportunities. If, however,
nnancial upgradation has been allowed due to stagnation and the employees
subsequently refuse the promotion, it shall not be a ground to withdraw the nnancial
upgradation. He shall, however, not be eligible to be considered for further nnancial
upgradation till he agrees to be considered for promotion again and the second the next
nnancial upgradation shall also be deferred to the extent of period of debarment due to
the refusal.
26. Cases of persons holding higher posts purely on adhoc basis shall also be
considered by the Screening Committee alongwith others. They may be allowed the
benent of nnancial upgradation on reversion to the lower post or if it is benencial vis-avis
the pay drawn on adhoc basis.
27. Employees on deputation need not revert to the parent Department for availing
the benent of nnancial upgradation under the MACPS. They may exercise a fresh option .
to draw the pay in the pay band and the grade pay of the post held by them or the pay
plus grade pay admissible to them under the MACPS, whichever is benencial.
lf a Government servant (tDC) in PB-l in the Grade Pay of Rs.1goo gets
his nrst regular promotion (UDC) in the PB-l in the Grade Pay of Rs.2400
on completion of 8 years of service and then continues in the same Grade
Pay for further 10 years without any promotion then he would be eligible
for 2nd nnancial upgradation under the MACPS in the PB-l in the Grade
Pay of Rs.2800 after completion of 18 years (8+10 years).
(ii) ln case he does not get any promotion thereafter, then he would get 3rd
nnancial upgradation in the PB-ll in Grade Pay of Rs.4200 on completion
of further 10 years of service i.e. after 28 years (8+10+10).
(iii) However, if he gets 2nd promotion after 5 years of further service in the
pay PB-ll in the Grade Pay of Rs.4200 (Asstt. Grade/Grade "C") i.e. on
completion of 23 years (8+1O+5years) then he would get 3rd nnancial
upgradation after completion of 30 years i.e. 10 years after the 2nd ACP in
the PB-ll in the Grade Pay of Rs.4600.
In the above scenario, the pay shall be raised by 3% of the total pay in the
Pay Band and Grade Pay drawn before such upgradation. There shan,
however, be no further fixation of pay at the time of regular promotion if
it is in the same Grade Pay or in the higher Grade Pay. Only the
difference of grade pay would be admissible at the time of promotions.
If a Government servant (LDC) in PB-I in the Grade Pay of Rs.1900 is
granted 1st financial upgradation under the MACPS on completion of 10
years of service in the PB-l in the Grade Pay of Rs.2000 and 5 years later
he gets 1st regular promotion (UDC) in PB-I in the Grade Pay of Rs.2400,
the 2nd financial upgradation under MACPS (in the next Grade Pay w.r.t.
Grade Pay held by Government servant) will be granted on completion of
20 years of service in PB-I in the Grade Pay of Rs.2800. On completion of
30 years of service, he will get 3rd ACP in the Grade Pay of Rs. 4200.
However, if two promotions are earned before completion of 20 years,
only 3rd financial upgradation would be admissible on completion of 10
years of service in Grade Pay from the date 2nd promotion or at 30th year
of service, whichever is earlier.
If a Government servant has been granted either two regular promotions
or 2nd financial upgradation under the ACP Scheme of August, 1999 after
completion of 24 years of regular service then only 3rd financial
upgradation would be admissible to him under the MACPS on completion
of 30 years of service provided that he has not earned third promotion in
the hierarchy.

(S.Jainedra Kumar)

Deputy Secretary to the Govt. Of lndia.