The Act defines “All-India Service” and gives the Central Government power to constitute services, make recruitment/service rules, and apply some rules retrospectively within limits.
--- Section 1. Section 1.Short title. --- This Act may be called the All-India Services Act, 1951. --- Section 2. Section 2.Definition. --- In this Act, the expression "an All-India Service" means the service known as the Indian Administrative Service or the service known as the Indian Police Service, 1 [or any other service specified in section 2A]. [Footnotes] 1. Ins. by Act 27 of 1963, s. 2. --- Section 2A. Section 2A.Other All-India Services. --- 1 [2A. Other All-India Services.-- With effect from such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint in this behalf, there shall be constituted the following All-India Services and different dates may be appointed for different services, namely:-- 1. The Indian Service of Engineers (Irrigation, Power, Buildings and Roads); 2. The Indian Forest Service; 3. The Indian Medical and Health Service.] [Footnotes] 1. Ins. by s. 3, ibid . --- Section 3. Section 3.Regulation of recruitment and conditions of service. --- (1) The Central Government may, after consultation with the Governments of the States concerned, 1 *** 2 [and by notification in the Official Gazette]] make rules for the regulation of recruitment, and the conditions of service of persons appointed to an All-India Service. 3 [(1A) The power to make rules conferred by this section shall include the power to give retrospective effect from a date not earlier than the date of commencement of this Act, to the rules or any of them but no retrospective effect shall be given to any rule so as to prejudicially affect the interests of any person to whom such rule may be applicable.] 4 [(2) Every rule made by the Central Government under this section and every regulation made under or in pursuance of any such rule, shall be laid, as soon as may be after such rule or regulation is made, before each House of Parliament while it is in session for a total period of thirty days which may be comprised in one session or in two or more successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session immediately following the session or the successive sessions aforesaid, both Houses agree in making any modification in such rule or regulation or both Houses agree that such rule or regulation should not be made, the rule or regulation shall thereafter have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so, however, that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that rule or regulation.] [Footnotes] 1. The words "including the State of Jammu and Kashmir" omitted by the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Adaptation of Central Laws) Order, 2020, vide notification No. S.O. 1123(E) dated (18-3-2020) and vide Union Territory of Ladakh Reorganisation (Adaptation of Central Laws) Order, 2020, notification No. S.O. 3774(E), dated (23-10-2020). Earlier ins. by Act 25 of 1958, s. 2. 2. Ins. by Act 19 of 1975, s. 3. 3. Ins. by Act 23 of 1975, s. 2. 4. Subs. by Act 19 of 1975, s. 3, for sub-section (2) . --- Section 4. Section 4.Continuance of existing rules. --- All rules in force immediately before the commencement of this Act and applicable to an All-India Service shall continue to be in force and shall be deemed to be rules made under this Act.