Foreign postings

Last year the government was warning babus about losing their jobs if they overstayed their foreign postings, but this year it has decided to relax the rules, likely due to pressure from various ministries and organisations. Sources say that the government has now decided to extend the duration of a foreign posting from a maximum of five years to a maximum of seven years. It has also been suggested that departments will be empowered to frame their own rules for deputation tenures longer than seven years if required.

Department of personnel and training secretary Sanjay Kothari has reportedly asked all ministries to send their comments on this proposal before the rule is finalised. It’s part of a series of rule amendments the Centre has initiated. Just a few weeks ago, the government had issued new guidelines about foreign trips by babus, limiting them to a maximum of four trips every year. But the latest decision is likely to gladden many a babu heart.

Old ways linger Though the Modi government has been trying to invigorate Dilli’s babudom towards higher performance, it’s not always easy. At the beginning of the month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that the government wished to end the practice of interviews for recruitment to junior-level positions. Subsequently, the department of personnel and training asked all ministries and departments to implement this decision.

DoPT secretary Sanjay Kothari further directed the ministries to send an action taken report within a week. That deadline, sources say, is long past and none of the ministries chose to honour it. Mr Kothari has now been forced to extend the deadline. Apparently, little seems to have changed since the days of the United Progressive Alliance. Hopefully, the rescheduled deadline for the report will send the right message.

Perform or Perish Under the Modi sarkar, the work performance of babus is constantly under the microscope. After many exhortations to babus to work hard and honestly, the government is also walking the talk. Sources say that more than 120 under secretary-level babus at the Centre are under the scanner for alleged below-par performance and could now even face disciplinary action.

Babus know that the government means business. Last year 58 babus faced penalties and, in some extreme cases, even compulsory retirement and pension cuts for their “unsatisfactory” performance. Now an even larger number of babus are facing possible penalties, which should hopefully send the right message down the babu ranks. Apparently of the 122 babus whose performance review is underway, 17 are from the defence ministry, followed by 13 babus in higher education. The government is not mincing words. Cabinet Secretary P.K. Mishra has instructed all ministries and Central department of the need to rotate babus working in sensitive and non-sensitive posts and to form panels to review the performance. The message is clear: shape up or ship out!