Govt eases norms for bureaucrats going abroad for training

Officers up to joint secretary level going abroad for training will not need approval of the Screening Committee of Secretaries (SCoS), finance ministry has said.
The expenditure department in the ministry has issued an office memorandum saying "approval of SCoS is not required in case of foreign visits of up to Joint Secretary level officers as part of foreign training component, mid-career training programme or any other training, irrespective of number of members and days".
The memorandum was issued to clarify certain aspects of a circular issued by the ministry earlier this month regarding foreign visits by bureaucrats.
The circular issued on January 5 had said that foreign visits of a bureaucrat should not exceed five working days.

It also restricted the number of overseas visits by a bureaucrat to four in a calendar year. It said Secretaries should undertake foreign travels only when no one else can be deputed.
The circular had also said that foreign travels of bureaucrats will be authorised by SCoS.