Filling System

File: In the govt. offices, a file would mean a folder or a cover containing papers in chronological & serial order, about a particular subject matter, or a particular person or a particular set of information, a particular case or a particular business etc. Common characteristics of files in Govt. offices: A file must show its belongingness i-e. name of the govt., division, dept., organization or office and if possible its further location in that div., dept. or organization. It should carry its number allotted to it in the place of its origin. It should show its subject or title. It should indicate a reference to the linked file(s), previous or other papers (if any). It should show the category it belongs to. Parts Of File In the Secretariat & offices alike, a file is usually in two parts: i) ii) Correspondence Part in pakka-boards; and Noting Part in ordinary cover.

Part (i) meant for incoming receipts (mail) and outgoing dispatches. Part(ii) meant for examination of case(s) dealt with in that file. Part (i) to be page numbered & Part (ii) to be paras numbered. Part (i) normally no to exceed 300 pages. Part (ii) to correspond to the voluminous. Each incoming mail or fresh receipt (FR) and office copy (O/C) of each dispatch (issue) from that file will be placed in Part (i) and an entry thereof (its subject, number and date etc.) in red-ink will be made in Part (ii) i.e. the Noting Part. How to preserve & promote these characteristics: File will be allotted a title (subject matter contained in it), a number and entered under the relevant head or sub-head in the relevant register of the Branch/Section/Office etc. The title and number will be mentioned at the designed places of Part (i) and Part (ii) Covers.

The allotment of a title and a number to a file will be in accordance with the subjects/functions allocated to an office Files created during a calendar year shall bear the name of year. If possible, the category of the file (A, B, C or D) may also be indicated on its cover, also showing the future year of its destruction (in case of category B, C or D). The previous linked file (s) or other previous papers (pps), if any, may also possibly be indicated on its cover. Opening of new file for every FR on the same subject should be avoided. Next volume of a file (if the pages of Part(i) exceed 300) or a Provisional Part of it (if the main file is away for some days and action on the FRs cannot be held up) can be opened. On return of the main file the Provisional Part file should be amalgamated with it. Label of urgency or Secrecy etc. depending upon the nature of the case will be affixed to the flapper of the file. Such labels should be removed when the element of urgency or secrecy is over & the file is consigned to record. Docket-sheet in the start of file to page-wise enlist its contents. Practice of preparing index cards for the files in the main subject head, under its sub heads & the subsidiary files would serve useful purpose for consigning the files to record & transferring them to other offices or record rooms etc. Categories of Files (Depending upon the nature of record/material or information contained in a file) 1. Category A: Permanent Record; Never to be destroyed.

Containing record of permanent value; irreplaceable; to be preserved with utmost care, e.g. important matters of policy, legislation, rules & regulations, state documents, treaties, agreements with foreign countries, important precedents, surveys, historical & research value. Such files are printed, now micro-filmed etc. 2. 3. Category B: Record to be retained for 10 or more years; e.g. service record of Govt. servants. Category C: Retainable for 3 or 9 years; e.g. Leave Accounts, T.A/D.A. M.R. Bills etc.

4. Category D: To be retained for less than 3 years; e.g.anonymous/pseudonymous/frivolous applications and material routine or ephemeral nature. Preservation of permanent & weeding out of out lived record: The usefulness or retainability of the record that has outlived its assigned life (category B, C & D) will be reviewed by Branch Staff carefully and the process of weeding out and destruction will be undertaken, as a recurrent annual practice, in accordance with the National Archives Act,

1993 & the other related Instructions. The record of permanent value is consigned to Central Record Office or Archival Museum of the Government, as may be decided. Files consigned to central record or archives can be requisitioned for consultation. Noting on Cases (Examination of cases or matters / papers under consideration (PUC) i.e. in-house work in an office/wing/cell/deptt./Div/Ministry etc.) On receipt of mail (a F.R. or a P.U.C), it is placed in Part (i) of the relevant file, page-numbered & red-entry as to its receipt is made in the Noting Part of the file & para-numbered. It becomes a Case to be dealt with. Examination of the case is not made on the P.U.C/F.R. itself but on the Noting Part in the paras next to the red-entry. Examination of the F.R/PUC on the Noting Part, at all the relevant hierarchical levels, is called as noting on the case. It starts at the Basic-Desk level & goes upto the Decision-Making level & the file (both parts) moves up & down till the case is decided and final communication is issued. O/C of the final Communication is placed in Part (i) & a red-entry to that effect is made in the Noting Part with page(s) and para(s) respectively numbered. Normally a case should pass through the process of examination at three tiers, including the level of decision-making. No elaborate note shall be recorded at the Basic-Desk level (e.g. Section Officer in the Secretariat): i) On a receipt which he is competent to dispose of as per clear delegation, precedent or practice in the Div/Deptt. i) In a case where a line of action has been indicated by a Senior Officer unless something important / to the contrary is to be pointed out. If the FR is only for information and the higher authorities have seen it .

ii)

Noting is required only on a case to be put up to higher Officer(s) for orders/approval. Noting should present the case in a systematic form, bringing out: a) Facts of the case; a) Statutory or customary procedure to be adopted; b) Related Rules & Regulations; c) Any other related facts & figures;

d) Points for decision; e) Suggested course of action; Consultation with the other relevant Divisions/ departments/offices should either precede the finalization of proposal(s) or be indicated in the Noting; Note should be legible; hand written (if short) or typed, if longer than half a page; Remarks of higher officers made on the PUC, if any, should be re-produced; Short connected paragraphs; long & tricky sentences/ phrases/ words to be avoided; temperately worded; PUC not to be re-produced verbatim or paraphrased; only a prcis should be enough; Paragraphs of the Noting part to be numbered continuously from the beginning till the end of that file. Reference to a foregoing para or paras in the same N.P should be made as para./N ante.; 2-3 blank sheets to be added to the Notes for convenience of higher officers; Enough space be available on the same page after the signatures of the one who wrote the note for use by the next higher officer. Name; Signature; Full date; Designation of the writer of note (on the right) & marking to the addressee/next higher officer (on the left); Mere signatures by the higher officer would mean agreement to / approval for / endorsement of the proposal;