387-page government handbook answers questions on recruitment, training, retirement etc.

Officer Trainees of a Group A service with President (File Photo)

UNDER what circumstances, the government can appoint a non-Indian to a civil post? Is stammering a disqualification for taking up a job in the government? You may get the answers of those and many more in the 387-page-long document which the government has…
just published. After a gap of 26 years, the government’s personnel department has published the “Handbook for Personnel Officers, 2013”, giving details of recruitment, training, career development etc. The book comprising 51 chapters is in the digital format, helping information seekers to get answers to many a question, thereby minimizing the RTI load. It was prepared by Institute of Secretariat Training and Management (ISTM) in collaboration with the DoPT. Here are a few experts from the Handbook:

Foreign BabusCandidates for employment in civil posts would have to be ordinarily citizen of India. There are, however, certain exceptions in favour of nationals of some neighbouring countries as also persons of Indian origin who had migrated to some other countries and were returning to India for permanent settlement.
There is no special dispensation in favour of persons who have acquired citizenship abroad. They are treated as a rule as at present stands, on par with other foreign nationals.
Appointment of non-Indians to civil posts under the Government of India should be made only in very exceptional circumstances for short periods, in fields where Indian experts are not available. Such appointments would be on contract.
Whenever it is proposed to appoint a non-Indian to civil post, simultaneously suitable steps should be taken to train Indians to fill such posts on a regular basis.
The contract of appointment should ordinarily specify that the remuneration and other payments due to the employee will be made in rupee in India, leaving it to him to make his own arrangements for remittance to his home country through banking channels in accordance with normal exchange control regulations. At present foreign nationals are allowed to make a monthly home remittance of Rs 2,360 or 50% of net emoluments whichever is less; at the time of retirement they are allowed to take:
(i) Currently remittable assets such as savings in bank, provident fund, gratuity and sale proceeds of personal effects in full.
(ii) On capital account i.e. sale proceeds of investments, they will be allowed to take Rs 1 lakh at the time of retirement and the balance in annual installments not exceeding Rs 30,000.

Moral TurpitudeNormally a person convicted of an offence involving moral turpitude should be regarded as ineligible for Government service; Provided in cases the appointing authority feels that there are redeeming features and reasons to believe that such a person has cured himself of the weakness, specific approval of the Government may be obtained for his employment.

StammeringStammering of mild degree is not to be considered a physical defect requiring disqualification of a candidate for a clerical post.

BigamyNo person:-
(a) Who has entered into or contracted a marriage with a person having a spouse living, or
(b) Who, having a spouse living, has entered into or contracted a marriage with any person shall be eligible for appointment to service.
Provided that the Central Government may, if satisfied that such marriage is permissible under the Personal Law applicable to such person and the other party to the marriage and there are other grounds for so doing, exempt any person from the operation of the rule.
Full Text of the Handbook