OFFICE PROCEDURE (CSMOP)Central Secretariat Manual of Office Procedure

Core Principle/Rule: The CSMOP prescribes strict structural and stylistic rules for different government communications according to the audience—internal or external—and the nature of the decision—administrative or statutory.

Key Facts:

• Office Memorandum (OM): Used for correspondence between Ministries/Departments or to convey general information or decisions to employees. It is always written in the third person, bears no salutation such as “Dear Sir,” and has no complimentary close such as “Yours faithfully.”
• Office Order: Used exclusively for internal day-to-day administration within the same department or office—for example, granting leave, distributing work, or internal transfers.
• Notification: Used to promulgate statutory rules and orders, announce appointment or promotion of Gazetted Officers, and issue declarations that must be published in the Gazette of India.

Core Principle/Rule: “Noting” is the internal deliberative process recorded on a file to facilitate decision-making, while “Drafting” prepares the final communication that will be officially issued.

Key Facts:

• Noting Rules: Notes must be concise, objective, written on the right side of the note sheet, and leave a quarter margin blank on the left side.
• Prohibitions in Noting: Verbatim reproduction of an incoming letter or detailed summaries of routine or ephemeral matters are strictly prohibited to save time and space.
• Drafting Rules: A draft must carry the exact message intended by the decision-making authority and always include the file number, sender’s name and designation, and clear enclosures.

Core Principle/Rule: Government uses a standardized alphanumeric file-numbering system so every file is uniquely identifiable, duplication is prevented, and movement can be tracked across the administrative machinery.

Key Facts:

• A standard file number consists of specific blocks, typically: Primary Subject Block – Secondary Subject Block / Serial Number / Year of Opening – Section/Desk Name.
• Example: In A-11011/5/2026-Estt., “A-11011” denotes the subject blocks, “5” is the serial number of the file opened under that subject, “2026” is the year, and “Estt.” denotes the Establishment section.
• Files must be uniquely numbered, and a new series is started at the beginning of every calendar year.

Core Principle/Rule: Government files cannot remain indefinitely on desks or be arbitrarily destroyed. CSMOP prescribes strict categorization for closing and archiving files according to historical and administrative value.

Key Facts:

• Category ‘A’ — Keep and Microfilm/Digitize: Files of historical value or containing vital policy decisions. They are preserved permanently and must be microfilmed or digitized.
• Category ‘B’ — Keep but Do Not Microfilm: Files required for permanent preservation and of administrative importance, but lacking sufficient historical value to justify microfilming cost.
• Category ‘C’ — Keep for Specified Period: Files of secondary importance retained for a fixed period—such as C-3, C-5, or C-10—and destroyed after that period expires.