No.37/3/2003-EO(F)
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Department of Personnel & Training

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New Delhi, the   10th  April,  2003

To 

1.    The Chief Secretaries of all the State Govts./UTs.

2.    The Secretaries of all the Ministries/Departments
      
             of Government of India.

 Sir/Madam,

             The Department of Personnel & Training, Government of India sponsors the names of suitable officers every year for training abroad in various selected institutions.  Applications/nominations are invited for the programmes listed out at Annexure I. 

 2.         The eligibility criteria for nominating  officers   for    foreign   training  programmes  in the year 2004 are  as below :-

 (a)      Zone of Consideration :            

            The officers belonging to the Indian Administrative Service, Central Secretariat Service, State Civil Services and such officers of the other two All India Services viz. Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFS) and organised Group ‘A’ Central  Civil Services, as are holding posts on deputation under the Central Staffing Scheme, are eligible to apply to this Department, in response to this  Circular, for training programmes abroad.  

(b)           Duration of Long Term and Short Term Programmes :                       

  (i)    Training programmes abroad of a duration of six months or more are treated                 as       Long Term;

              (ii)   training programmes abroad of a duration of 15 days or more but less than               six months are treated as Short Term.

(c)       Minimum Service

              Officers should have completed a minimum of 7 years of service on the date of application/at the time of commencement of  particular programme applied for, for nomination for courses where such minimum service is specified or preferred by the Universities/Foreign Governments.  For all other courses, the minimum service stipulated is nine years. 

(d)      Upper age limit : 

              Generally for Long Term courses the upper age limit followed is 45 years and for Short Term courses, 52 years at the time of application/commencement of programme.  However, in cases where foreign Govt./institution prescribes a different upper age limit for a training programme, the same will prevail.   

(e)       Only one Long Term Programme : 

              An officer can attend only one long-term training programme in his/her service career.  Officers already possessing MBA Degree, would not be considered for the Long Term MBA Courses.

                                                         

(f)        Short Term Training to be job relevant : 

              Officers who are working in the field connected with the subject of the course should be nominated to short term courses.                         

(g)      Cooling - off’ condition :

(i)               An officer having attended a foreign training programme of a duration of 15 days to one month, will be required to complete a ‘cooling-off’ period of two years before such an officer can be considered again for foreign training.  

(ii)             Officers deputed for training abroad of a duration of more than one month and upto six months are required to complete a ‘cooling-off’ period of three years. 

(iii)           Officers deputed for training programmes abroad of  a duration of more than six months are required to complete a ‘cooling off’ period of five years before being considered for a short term programme. 

(iv)            The ‘cooling off’ condition will not apply for training programmes of a duration of less than 15 days.

             (v)            Project-related    trainings/official     visits      abroad,  

irrespective  of   duration, are exempted from the provisions of                   ‘cooling off’.

 

(h)      Preference in nomination : 

              Officers who have earlier attended training programmes abroad, and have completed the prescribed ‘cooling-off’ period, may be nominated again  for another training programme abroad only if suitable officers  who   have   not   attended any foreign training programme earlier are not available.  Preference will, however, be given to officers who have not attended any training abroad.

 (i)      Nominations to be supported with vigilance clearance

      reports and service records : 

              Nomination of all officers must be accompanied by the following certificates :- 

(a)            vigilance clearance certificate;  

(b)            statement   certifying   that   the   officer   consistently has a very good/outstanding record.  

(c)            certificate to the effect that during the last five years there are  no standing adverse entries  in the ACR of the officer; 

                         In the case of IAS officers also the nominating Ministry/State Govt. should forward the nominations along with vigilance clearance certificates.

(j)      Debarment :

              Officers who have been debarred from Central deputation for having failed to join a post under the Central Government, and those who have been debarred from nomination for foreign training on their failure  to attend the training programmes to which they might have been nominated, will not be considered until the debarment period is over.                                                        

(k)      Nomination of SC/ST and Women officers

              Names of suitable officers belonging to SC and ST as well as women officers for training abroad may also be forwarded in sufficient numbers so that due representation can be given to them. 

(l)      Officers serving under Central Staffing Scheme : 

i)               Only such officers who would have completed a minimum of 2 years of service  on the post in GOI in January, 2004,  should be  recommended  for long term training Programmes abroad. 

             ii)          The officers    whose   tenure  under  the   Central Staffing Scheme is due to come to an end within two   months  prior to the commencement of the training, or during the currency of the training, should be nominated by the respective Ministries/ Departments      of      Govt.    of    India only  after  securing   the cadre clearance of the respective   State   Govts./cadre controlling authorities  on whose strength   the   officers   are  borne.     In  the event of nomination and final selection of such officers for foreign training programmes, the Ministries/Departments would be required to send a formal proposal  for extending the Central Deputation tenure of the officers approved for nomination for training, upto the end of the training, to the Establishment Officer for obtaining the approval of the competent authority so that they could draw their salary from the Central Government during the period of training.  On return from training, such officers would revert to their cadre and the Central Ministries/Departments shall not grant any leave in their cases.  

iii)           Officers whose tenure is due to come to an end more than two months before the commencement of the training programme, the Ministry/Department may sponsor such officers only with the concurrence of the cadre controlling authority concerned.  On selection such officers would revert to their Cadre &  thereafter      proceed on training. 

 

3.         The nominations made in response to this letter will be considered for all the courses commencing in 2004 for which nominations are sought by any other Department,  or  may   become   available   and   which  are   not  indicated in the list at Annexure-I

4.         If an officer nominated by this Department does not file his nomination papers or withdraws his request at any stage or the officer is not relieved for attending the training programme by the Administrative Ministry/State Government/cadre authority, will be debarred from any foreign training for 5 years. 

5.         The   State  Governments/Central Ministries/Cadre Controlling Authorities  are expected to utilise the skills acquired by the officers in the relevant  field, on their return from training.  Attention is also invited to the instructions issued by this Department in letters No.15012(2)/3/91-Trg(R) dated  the 22nd April, 1992 and  No.37/9/2000-EO(F), dated  the 11th January, 2001  relating to utilization of the experience of officers returning from training abroad by attaching them to the various National/State training institutions/Academies of administration.   

6.           As advised in the instructions dated 11th January, 2001, while nominating officers for various training programmes abroad, it may be ensured that the officers nominated have given an undertaking that they would be willing and available for training-related assignments, on return from training.                                                                               

7.           Details of  officers who are recommended for foreign training may kindly be furnished in the proforma at Annexure – II. Applicants  can opt for a maximum of three training programmes. 

8.         The State Govt./Ministry may nominate one nodal officer for the purpose of coordination and the name, address, telephone and fax numbers of that officer may be indicated while forwarding nominations to this Department. 

9.                   I  am  desired  to  request  to send the nominations of officers of your Department / State Govt. / UT for various courses along with the details as per Annexure-II  to this Department latest by the  15th June, 2003.   Any nomination received after this date shall not be considered.

                                                                                                                          Yours faithfully,
Sd/-
                       
                                                                                            ( Archana Arora )
Director

Annexure I   
Annexure-II