Para 2 — CSMOP
Original Rule Text
# 2. Allocation/Transaction of government business
The Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961 hereinafter referred to as AOB Rules (as amended from to time) allocates the business of government amongst its various Ministries/Departments. The Government of India (Transaction of Business) Rules, 1961 and hereinafter referred to TOB Rules (as amended from to time) seeks to define the authority, responsibility and obligations of each Ministry/Department, Cabinet & its Committees and the Prime Minister of India (Rule 12 of TOB). The AOB and TOB rules are available on the website of Cabinet Secretariat www.cabsec.nic.in.
What This Means
Para 20 addresses oral instructions given by higher officers to their subordinates, and insists that written documentation must follow. When a superior officer gives a direction — even verbally, even by phone — the subordinate should try to obtain it in writing. If urgency prevents this, the superior must follow up with a written confirmation at the earliest opportunity. This rule closes the common gap where verbal instructions are given but no record exists.
There is an added complexity when the instruction comes from an officer who is not the immediate superior but is higher in the hierarchy (e.g., the Joint Secretary gives instructions directly to an ASO, bypassing the Section Officer). In this case, the ASO must bring it to the attention of the immediate superior (the Section Officer) at the earliest. The Section Officer then takes responsibility for getting written confirmation from the senior officer.
This rule protects subordinates who act on oral instructions. If an action later turns out to be wrong or is questioned, the subordinate can point to the written record showing they were instructed. It also protects the administration from situations where an officer claims to have had verbal authority that was never actually granted.
This explanation was generated with AI assistance for educational purposes. Always refer to the official gazette notification for authoritative text.
Key Points
- 1Oral directions from higher officers should be given in writing wherever possible.
- 2If written instructions are not possible at the time, written confirmation must follow at the earliest.
- 3When an officer acts on a superior's oral instruction, they should get the direction in writing before acting, or written confirmation after.
- 4Instructions from a non-immediate superior must be brought to the notice of the immediate superior.
- 5The immediate superior then obtains written confirmation from the senior officer who gave the instruction.
- 6This rule protects subordinates who act in good faith on oral instructions.
Practical Example
The Joint Secretary (JS) calls an ASO directly and says 'process the transfer order today without waiting for the Section Officer's note — it is urgent'. The ASO should: (1) immediately inform the Section Officer that the JS gave this instruction, (2) proceed with the action as instructed since urgency was cited, (3) record on the file: 'Processed on oral instruction of JS Shri ______, dated 26.03.2026, pending written confirmation'. The Section Officer then sends an e-mail to the JS: 'This is to confirm the oral instruction given to the ASO...' and the JS's reply confirming the instruction is placed on file.
This explanation was generated with AI assistance for educational purposes. Always refer to the official gazette notification for authoritative text.
Frequently Asked Questions
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This explanation was generated with AI assistance for educational purposes. Always refer to the official gazette notification for authoritative text.