Special Task Force to Monitor J&K Government Employees 

Special Task Force to Monitor J&K Government Employees 

Part of: GS Prelims and GS – II – Policy and Governance 

In news

• The J&K government constituted a Special Task Force (STF) for identifying and scrutinising the government employees who are involved in any cases related to posing threat to the security or anti-national activities.

Key takeaways 

• The STF will have the ADGP, (CID), J&K, as its chairman and the IGP, representatives of the Home Department; Department of Law, Justice Member and Parliamentary Affairs and the concerned department as its members.
• The STF will scrutinise cases of employees suspected of activities requiring action under Article 311(2)(C) of the Constitution.
• The STF has been tasked to compile records of such employees and engage with other members of the Terror Monitoring Group (TMG) for identifying such other employees.
• The move comes as a number of government employees in the past were found expressing their political opinion in public space on the Kashmir conflict.

Important value additions 

Article 311(2) in The Constitution Of India, 1949

• No such person as aforesaid shall be dismissed or removed or reduced in rank except after an inquiry in which he has been informed of the charges against him and given a reasonable opportunity of being heard in respect of those charges.
• Provided further that this clause shall not apply:

1. where a person is dismissed or removed or reduced in rank on the ground of conduct which has led to his conviction on a criminal charge; or
2. where the authority empowered to dismiss or remove a person or to reduce him in rank ins satisfied that for some reason, to be recorded by that authority in writing, it is not reasonably practicable to hold such inquiry; or
3. where the President or the Governor, as the case may be, is satisfied that in the interest of the security of the State, it is not expedient to hold such inquiry