No essay required for babus to get London posting: govt

The Centre has done away with the requirement of writing a 250-word essay for getting a posting as Minister (Economics) at the Indian High Commission in London, which is mandatory for getting the same in the US.
The officer should have at least a "very good" service record. However, preference would be given to officers who have "outstanding" service record, a vacancy circular issued today by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said.
The officer should have a prior work experience in commerce, agriculture or industry. They should have an experience in an Economic Ministry of the Government of India, it said.

The interested officer must be below 54 years of age. Experience and familiar exposure to international trade and bilateral or international trade negotiations are desirable qualifications for the post, the circular said.
The post of Minister (Economics) in the High Commission of India in London is a Joint Secretary-level appointment under the Department of Commerce.
Last week, the DoPT circulated a vacancy for the same post under the Department of Economic Affairs at the Indian Embassy in Washington, DC. A write-up of 250 words is one of the pre-requisites for getting the posting as Minister (Economics) there.