Section 3(2) in The Indian Forest Service (Pay) Rules, 2016
(2)(i)Appointment to the Selection Grade and to posts carrying pay above Selection Grade in the Indian Forest Service shall be made by selection on merit, as per criteria that may be prescribed by the Central Government, with due regard to seniority.(ii)Appointment of a member of the Service in the Level of Selection Grade and above shall be subject to availability of vacancies in these grades and for this purpose, it shall be mandatory upon the State Cadres or the Joint Cadre Authorities, as the case may be, to seek prior concurrence of the Central Government on the number of available vacancies in each grade and any appointments made without obtaining the prior concurrence of Government of India shall be liable for cancellation.(iii)The Central Government shall accord such concurrence within a period of thirty days from the date of receipt of such references and if the Central Government does not accord concurrence within a period of said thirty days, the concurrence on availability of vacancies shall be deemed to have been accorded and the position emanating as referred to this clause shall be placed before the Screening Committee at the time it meets to consider promotion in these grades.(iv)A member of the Service shall be entitled to draw pay in the scales of Selection Grade and above only on appointment to these grades.Provided that a member of the service shall be appointed to the Junior Administrative Grade only after he has completed phase III mandatory Mid Career Training Programme with effect from the date on which he would have been eligible for appointment in the Junior Administrative Grade if not for completion of the mandatory Mid Career Training Programme:Provided further that a member of the Service shall be appointed to the Super Time Scale (ii) only after he has completed phase IV mandatory Mid Career Training Programme as prescribed with effect from the date on which he would have been eligible for appointment in the Super Time Scale(ii) if not for completion of the mandatory Mid Career Training Programme:Provided also that a member of Service, who has less than three years of service after the year in which he has been slotted to undergo Phase III, Phase IV or Phase V of Mid-Career Training, would not be sent for mandatory mid-career training programme.Note 1: Whenever any Indian Administrative Service officer of a particular batch is posted at the Centre to a Level 10,11 ,12 or Level 13, 14 of the Pay Matrix the members of the Service, who are senior to such Indian Administrative Service officer by two years or more and have not so far been promoted to that particular level, shall be granted the same Level on non-functional basis in their respective State cadres from the date of posting of the Indian Administrative Service officer at the Centre in that particular Level and in the case of those members of the Service who are posted at the Centre, at the time of grant of Non-Functional upgradation, their basic pay will be fixed by granting one increment in the existing pay in the applicable existing Level subject to the minimum of the Level of non-functional upgradation, and they will not be granted pay at the higher Level as the case may be. Such officers will continue getting the pay of the post against which they have been appointed at the Centre under the Central Staffing Scheme along with Central Deputation Tenure Allowance (CDTA), wherever applicable.Note 2: The post of Principal Chief Conservator of Forest in the apex scale (Level 17) shall be filled by selection from amongst the officers holding the post of Principal Chief Conservator of Forest in the State cadre in the Level 16 of the Pay Matrix.
