Ministers to decide on search panels for recruitments: Govt

The Minister of a concerned ministry will now decide the composition of search-cum-selection committees to fill vacant government posts, as per the draft rules formed by the Centre.
According to existing guidelines, ministries have to constitute these committees with the approval of their Minister-in-Charge and thereafter the composition of the search-cum-selection committee needs to be approved by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).
It has now been decided to delegate the power to approve such committees to the respective ministries or departments, the DoPT said in new guidelines.
"The Search Committee or Search-cum-selection Committee would now be constituted with the approval of Minister-in-Charge of the respective Ministry or Department and there would be no need to refer the same to DoPT for approval. A copy of the Committee so constituted may be forwarded to DoPT," it said.

All ministries have been asked to send their comments on the proposed changes in the guidelines by March 15.
A member of the service who is detained in official

custody whether on a criminal charge or otherwise for a period longer than 48 hours, shall be deemed to have been suspended by the government concerned, it said.
A detailed report of the suspension shall be forwarded to the central government within a period of 15 days from the date on which the member of the service is suspended or is deemed to have been suspended.
IAS officers working under central government shall only be suspended on the recommendations of the Central Review Committee as amended with the approval of Minister-in-charge, Department of Personnel and Training, it said.

The Prime Minister is in charge of Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions which has DoPT as one of the departments.
The new rules mandates central ministries to submit proposal for suspension of a member of service to the DoPT with the approval of Minister-in-charge concerned.
The period of suspension of an IAS, IPS and IFoS officer, suspended on charges of corruption, shall not exceed two years but the same can be continued beyond two years on the recommendations of the Central Review Committee. The period of suspension for any reason other than corruption shall not exceed 120 days.

An order of suspension which has been extended shall remain valid for a further period not exceeding 120 days, at a time, unless revoked earlier on the recommendation of the Central or State Review Committee, the order said.