The Government of India, through the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions, Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), has issued revised guidelines on the deputation of Group 'C' employees from the Central Government to the State Governments, Union Territories (UT) Administrations, Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), Autonomous Bodies, Statutory Bodies, Universities, and Local Bodies. This update, dated 24th September 2024, seeks to streamline and bring consistency to the terms and conditions regulating deputation and foreign service assignments.
Key Provisions:
General Application:
- All cases of deputation for Group 'C' employees shall require the approval of the competent authority in the concerned Ministry/Department/Organization.
Eligibility:
- Completion of 9 years: Employees must complete nine years of service in their parent cadre before being eligible for deputation.
- Exception: Employees with 7 years of service may apply for deputation to entities in North-Eastern States, Jammu & Kashmir, Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep, or foreign service in organizations within these regions.
- Spouse Grounds: Employees may proceed on deputation after completing 6 years of service on spouse grounds if the spouse is posted in a State/UT.
Conditions of Deputation:
- The initial deputation period shall be limited to three years, extendable by two more years upon review.
- The total deputation period for any employee during their career shall not exceed five years. No further extensions will be allowed beyond this.
- Employees already on deputation will be allowed to complete their full term under the existing rules.
- Requests for deputation extension must be submitted at least three months before the original deputation period ends, along with the consent of the borrowing organization.
Deputation Oversight:
- Failure to secure prior approval for deputation extension will lead to automatic reversion to the parent cadre. The employee will face potential disciplinary actions if they fail to return after completing the approved deputation period.
- Overstaying on deputation without proper authorization could result in severe consequences, including the non-inclusion of overstay periods for pension calculations and delays in promotions.
Cooling-Off Period:
- A mandatory cooling-off period between two deputation assignments shall be enforced as per the consolidated guidelines issued by the DoPT on 28th March 2024.
Relaxation of Rules:
- Any deviation from the guidelines will be reviewed by a designated committee. This committee will have the authority to recommend relaxations to the competent authority.
- The same committee shall also review and provide recommendations for ongoing deputations where employees have six months or more left in their tenure.
Other Instructions:
- The guidelines emphasized that deputation remains valid only for the approved period, and employees should be relieved from their duties at the end of their tenure unless an extension is formally granted.
- Any unauthorized overstay beyond the deputation period may lead to disciplinary action, including salary stoppage and service disruptions.
Application:
- These guidelines are effective immediately and apply to all Group 'C' Central Government employees.
