Para 22 — CSMOP
Original Rule Text
# 22. Confirmation of oral instructions -
(i) If an officer seeks confirmation of oral instructions given by his superior, the latter should confirm it in writing whenever such confirmation is sought.
(ii) Receipt of communications from junior officers seeking confirmation of oral instructions shall be acknowledged by the senior officers or their personal staff, or the personal staff of the Minister, as the case may be.
What This Means
Para 22 is a short but important procedural rule that ties into the oral instructions framework of Paras 20 and 21. When a subordinate officer has acted on oral instructions and now seeks written confirmation from the superior who gave those instructions, the superior is obligated to provide that confirmation in writing. The superior cannot simply ignore the request for written confirmation.
Further, when the superior receives a communication from a junior officer seeking such confirmation — or when the Minister's personal staff receives it — they must acknowledge receipt of that communication. This creates a documented trail: the junior asked for confirmation, and the superior acknowledged receiving the request. It prevents a situation where a superior can later claim they never received a request for written confirmation, leaving the subordinate without protection.
This rule is particularly important for junior officers who have followed instructions in good faith but want to protect themselves if the action is later questioned. The written confirmation and its acknowledgement together form the protective documentation.
This explanation was generated with AI assistance for educational purposes. Always refer to the official gazette notification for authoritative text.
Key Points
- 1When a subordinate seeks written confirmation of oral instructions, the superior must provide it.
- 2The receipt of a confirmation request must be acknowledged by the superior or their personal staff.
- 3This rule applies to both administrative superiors and Ministerial personal staff.
- 4The two-step process (confirmation request + acknowledgement) creates a complete documentary record.
- 5Subordinates who have acted on oral instructions are entitled to written confirmation and an acknowledgement of their request for it.
Practical Example
After the situation in Para 20's example, the Section Officer sends a note to the JS: 'I request written confirmation of the oral instruction dated 26.03.2026 to process the transfer order.' The JS receives this note. The JS is now obligated to: (1) provide written confirmation of the instruction, and (2) acknowledge receipt of the SO's request. The JS's personal staff acknowledges the SO's note the same day, and the written confirmation follows within the next working day. Both the acknowledgement and the confirmation are placed on the file.
This explanation was generated with AI assistance for educational purposes. Always refer to the official gazette notification for authoritative text.
Frequently Asked Questions
▼
▼
▼
▼
This explanation was generated with AI assistance for educational purposes. Always refer to the official gazette notification for authoritative text.