JS level officer with expertise in agriculture needed at embassy in Rome

COME January, Embassy of India at the Italian capital city of Rome will have a vacancy of Minister (Agriculture), for which the search has begun. A minister in a foreign mission is a joint secretary level officer above counsellor. The DoPT has written to all Union secretaries and chief secretaries of states for…
nominating JS level officers who should be at least three batches below the batch next to be considered for empanelment at the additional secretary level. SK Pattanayak is the incumbent minister (agriculture) at the Indian embassy in Rome.
The officer must have worked for at least two years at the Centre under the Central Staffing Scheme. He or she should have at least “very good” service record. However, preference will be given to officers who have “outstanding” service record with a grading of 9 and above. The age limit is 54 years. The officer should not have been on an assignment in a foreign/captive post of the government of India, earlier.
The experience of policy formulation and implementation in agriculture and allied sectors at the Centre or state levels is desirable. Also desired is experience in international negotiations.

Action and Appointments
a) Dr DK Singh, currently director in Lok Sabha secretariat, has been appointed as OSD to agriculture minister Sharad Pawar. Singh will hold the rank of a director and the appointment is till May 2014 or co-terminus with the minister.