Prior to 2014, the establishment officer (EO), ex-officio secretary to the ACC in the department of personnel and training (DoPT), who served ex-officio as the secretary to the ACC, prepared a list of vacancies that were pinpointed by the various Central ministries. The official panel of candidates was forwarded to the ACC for final approvals. The ACC either held in-person meetings in the Prime Minister’s Office in South Block or discussed the issues on phone. Once the committee approved the appointments, the EO’s office issued the requisite orders