Para 25 — CSMOP
Original Rule Text
# 25. Referencing -
(i) Every page in each part of the file (viz. Notes, correspondence, appendix to notes and appendix to correspondence) will be consecutively numbered in separate series on the top right hand corner. In an electronic environment the number of page and Serial number of Receipts/Issue will be generated automatically. The docketing will also take place immediately below the note which has culminated in issuance of fair signed communication
(s) in question.
(ii) The drafts of letters issued having crucial policy, financial and vigilance implications, where the drafts have been changed by Senior Officers in the process of movement of files upwards, barring grammatical corrections should also form a part of the correspondence portion, which shall be numbered ad seriatim.
(iii) The document under consideration on a file shall be flagged „PUC‟ and the latest fresh receipt noted upon, as „FR‟. If there is more than one „FR‟ they shall be flagged separately as „FRI‟, „FRII‟ and so on.
(iv) to facilitate the identification of reference to documents contained in other files after the removal of linked file(s), the number of the file referred to will be quoted invariably in the note. Similarly, the number and date of orders, notifications and the resolutions, and, in the case of acts, rules and regulations, their brief title together with the number of the relevant section, rule paragraph or clause, referred to shall be quoted in the notes.
What This Means
Para 25 covers referencing — the system of page numbering and document flagging that keeps a government file navigable. Every page in every part of the file (notes, correspondence, appendix to notes, appendix to correspondence) must be numbered consecutively, in a separate series for each part. In e-Office, this numbering and serial assignment is done automatically by the system, and docketing (recording the page number of the issued communication) happens automatically below the note that led to the issuance.
Drafts of outgoing letters that had important implications — policy, financial, or vigilance — where the draft was changed by senior officers during file movement, must also be kept in the correspondence portion and numbered, except for purely grammatical corrections. This ensures that the evolution of important communications can be traced.
The document currently under consideration on the file is flagged 'PUC' (Paper Under Consideration), and the latest fresh receipt being noted upon is flagged 'FR'. If there are multiple fresh receipts, they are flagged 'FRI', 'FRII', and so on. When making references to documents in other files or to Acts, Rules, and Regulations, the exact file number, order number, date, and relevant section/rule must be quoted in the note. This cross-referencing allows a reader to quickly verify any reference made in the notes.
This explanation was generated with AI assistance for educational purposes. Always refer to the official gazette notification for authoritative text.
Key Points
- 1Every page of every part of the file must be numbered consecutively in a separate series per part.
- 2In e-Office, page numbering and docketing are system-generated automatically.
- 3Policy/financial/vigilance-related drafts that were changed by senior officers must be retained in the correspondence portion.
- 4The document under consideration is flagged 'PUC'; the latest receipt being noted upon is flagged 'FR'.
- 5Multiple fresh receipts are flagged FRI, FRII, FRIII, and so on.
- 6All cross-references in notes must quote exact file numbers, order numbers, dates, and section/rule references.
- 7This ensures traceability of any reference made in the noting.
Practical Example
The ASO of the Legal Cell is preparing a note referring to a High Court judgment. Her note reads: '...as held by the Allahabad High Court in Writ Petition No. 12345/2024 dated 15 January 2025 (copy at C-23 of this file)...' She has placed the court order at page C-23 (the 23rd page in the correspondence portion). She flags the judgment as 'PUC'. The Ministry of Law's earlier advice on the same matter, received as a fresh receipt, is flagged 'FR' and is on notes page N-14. In e-Office, all these page numbers would be auto-assigned when she adds documents to the e-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.