NEW DELHI: In a first-of-its-kind move, the Central Secretariat Service Forum today launched ‘CSS Shield’, a mutual support initiative aimed at providing financial assistance to the bereaved families of Central Secretariat Service (CSS) officers.
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences and MoS in the PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh, who launched the initiative, said that such collective efforts could help create a new culture of standing by families during times of sudden loss.
The CSS Forum’s ‘CSS Shield’ initiative has been established to provide financial support to the bereaved families of CSS officers during times of crisis. Dr Singh said the initiative was in keeping with the broader efforts of the Personnel Ministry to make government service systems more responsive to the needs of employees and their families.
Speaking at the event organised by the Central Secretariat Service Forum to launch ‘CSS Shield’, Dr Singh also called for continued efforts to make service rules more responsive to employees and their families. He said the mechanism was not difficult to implement. “But what matters is the collective will and willingness to contribute. When colleagues come together as one family to support a bereaved family, it sends a meaningful message beyond the organisation itself,” he asserted.
The event was attended by office-bearers and members of the CSS Forum, serving CSS officers and colleagues, as well as family members of late Mohan Chandra Bhatt and late Rajendra Chandra. On the occasion, Dr Singh presented financial assistance to the families of the two deceased officers as part of the initiative. Outlining the objective of the initiative, he said, “This initiative is in keeping with the larger effort of the Personnel Ministry to make government service systems more responsive to the needs of employees and their families.”
He said several service-related provisions had been amended in recent years to reflect contemporary requirements, adding that the Government remained open to introducing new provisions or modifying existing rules wherever this could make the system more responsive.
Referring to the approach of the Government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dr Jitendra Singh said there was continuous encouragement to review rules and procedures and make necessary changes wherever existing arrangements could be improved. He said the objective was to ensure that government systems remained sensitive and responsive to the needs of employees and their families.
The Minister also suggested that the initiative could take on a wider dimension as participation and the corpus increased. He said scholarships for the children of deceased CSS officers could also be considered as part of the support extended through the initiative, providing assistance to families beyond the immediate period of loss.
The CSS Shield initiative has been conceived around the principle of “Contribute for Family, Support with Dignity”, with the objective of providing collective financial support to the bereaved families of CSS officers. The initiative seeks to establish a more structured and dependable mechanism through which members of the service community can stand by the families of their colleagues during difficult times.
Speaking about the evolution of the initiative, representatives of the CSS Forum said the Forum had been supporting the families of deceased CSS officers through voluntary contributions even before the formal launch of CSS Shield. The experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, when a number of CSS officers lost their lives, further highlighted the need for a structured mechanism of mutual support. The Forum said that, since 2020, CSS officers had collectively contributed around Rs 1.30 crore towards financial assistance for the families of approximately 65–70 deceased officers. The ‘CSS Shield’ initiative has now been formalised to bring greater consistency and predictability to this support.
Under the new initiative, the Forum seeks to provide at least Rs 15 lakh to a bereaved family, while its broader objective is to progressively increase the assistance as participation grows. With the participation of approximately 13,000 members of the Central Secretariat Service, the Forum envisages taking the support substantially higher in the future.
Spelling out the objective of CSS Shield, the Forum said the launch reaffirmed the CSS Forum’s commitment to standing with its members and their families during difficult times and strengthening the spirit of “Together We Serve, Together We Support”.
The President of CSS Forum said "We are happy that the Government is encouraging initiatives of the CSS Forum, including ‘CSS Shield’, to support CSS officers and their families".
He said "On the suggestion of the Hon’ble Minister, the Forum will explore the possibilities to extend education assistance and scholarships to the children of CSS officers who unfortunately pass away in service". Earlier, the Forum has also entered into MoUs with educational institutions to provide education at concessional rates.
"We also hope that the 8th Central Pay Commission will consider enhancing the CGEIS contribution and sum assured, keeping in view present-day needs and the higher insurance covers available in the market. The CSS Forum remains committed to the welfare and security of the CSS fraternity and their families", CSS president added this.