Full Form of SDO

What is a Sub Divisional Officer?

A Sub Divisional Officer or SDO is the head of the sub-division of a govt. organization. There are many government departments where the post of SDO can be found, for example, in PWD irrigation, Electricity Board, etc. It can be said that SDOs are appointed in almost all government departments.

The Sub-Divisional Officer is the sub-chief division's civil officer. In truth, he is a tiny version of the subdivision's Deputy Commissioner. On routine problems, he is qualified to correspond directly with the government and other ministries. He must fulfil executive, magisterial, and revenue responsibilities.

His executive responsibilities include maintaining peace and order, development, local bodies, motor taxation, passports, issuance and renewal of firearm licences, Subdivisional establishment, etc. As Sub-District Magistrate, he implements security measures for the upkeep of Law and Order and wields judicial authority under specific provisions of the preventive chapters of the Code of Criminal Procedure. In such instances, an appeal from the orders of the Subdivisional Magistrate is heard by the District and Sessions Judge. Under certain Acts, he has been assigned the powers of collector in addition to his duties as Assistant collector of the first grade.

There are a number of tasks that the SDO has to perform, therefore, the designation is followed by the name of the respective department or organization such as SDO PWD.

SDO: Process to Becoming

Based on their experience, the employees of a department can be promoted to the post of SDO. Apart from this, the State government also recruits SDOs through PSC exams (Public Service Commission exams). To appear in this exam, the candidate must have a bachelor's degree in the relevant field. Also, the department to which he or she belongs becomes crucial in determining the function of SDO.

For instance, in the state of Punjab, the role of sub-divisional officers (civil) is described here:

• The functions are very much like the functions of the Deputy Commissioner of a district. The SDO has to serve as the main agent of the Deputy Commissioner.
• The SDO becomes the head of all the development projects in the subdivision. He or She plays an important role in coordinating the works of various departments.
• As in most cases, the SDO is single-handedly responsible for everything happening in their subdivision, therefore he can take decisions independently.
• As per the Punjab Land Revenue Act and Punjab Tenancy Act, the SDO also serves as Assistant Collector.
• As per the demand of his subordinate revenue officers, the SDO plays the role of an appellate authority.
• The SDO is subordinate to the District Magistrate and is responsible for maintaining the law, peace, and order in his area of jurisdiction.

Eligible Criteria Become Sub Divisional Officer

Candidates for the position of SDO (Sub Divisional Officer) must meet these eligibility requirements. Here are the specifics of the eligibility requirements:

1). SDO Qualification

• Bachelor's degree in the relevant discipline from an accredited university is required.
• Relevant field in the sense that candidates must hold a bachelor's degree in the electrical field in order to be assigned to the department of the electricity board.
• Candidates with a Master's degree are also eligible for SDO positions.

2). Age Limit for SDO Role

The minimum age requirement to become an SDO is 21. Candidates must be at least 21 years old to qualify for the position of SDO. However, the maximum age requirement for becoming an SDO varies by category, as certain categories enjoy caste-based age relaxations. The following are the age limits for category applicants:

• General Classification: 21 to 30 Years
• OBC Category: 21 to 33 Years Old
• SC/ST Category: 21 to 35 Years of Age
• Nationality

Candidates for the position of SDO must be Indian citizens (Sub Divisional Officer).

What are the Responsibilities of SDO?

There are various responsibilities of an SDO:

• SDO is responsible for maintaining law and order in the sub-division.
• SDO has to oversee after motor taxation.
• It is the SDO that issues the arms licenses and is also responsible to renew them.
• The SDO makes sure that the division works smoothly.
• The minor officers of the division report to the SDO for their work.
• He/She has the responsibility for carrying out development in their division.

What are the Role of Sub-Division Civil Officer?

• To coordinate various functions of the different sections.
• The SDO oversees the developmental projects of the subdivision.
• Taking decisions in that particular subdivision.
• The SDO is responsible for the exemption functions.
• The SDO also serves as an Assistant Collector according to the land revenue act.