DoP Guidelines for Retired Govt Employees as Consultants

The Department of Posts (DoP), under the Ministry of Communications, has rolled out a comprehensive set of revised guidelines for engaging retired Central Government employees as consultants in its Main Secretariat. The move aims to enhance transparency, ensure uniformity, and align with the principles of General Financial Rules (GFR), 2017.

These guidelines—approved by the Secretary (Posts)—supersede all previous instructions and will come into immediate effect.

Three Categories of Consultants Defined

The guidelines classify consultants into three types:

Institutional Consultants – Organizations or agencies hired for specific projects.
Individual Consultants – Professionals selected from the open market.
Retired Central Government Employees as Consultants – Retirees engaged specifically for administrative tasks or General Secretariat work.

The revised OM focuses exclusively on the third category and sets forth rules that align with GFR 2017 and Department of Expenditure (DoE) instructions.

Clear Rules for Remuneration and Work Conditions

Remuneration:

Monthly pay is fixed by deducting the basic pension from the last drawn salary.
No annual increments or percentage hikes during the tenure.
For example, if an officer’s last pay was ₹1,55,900 and their pension is ₹77,950, then their consultancy pay will be ₹77,950 – ₹77,950 = ₹0. (However, if part of the pension is commuted, remuneration adjusts accordingly.)

Other Key Provisions:

No DA or HRA is admissible.
Transport Allowance as per retirement-time rates.
Paid leave at 1.5 days per month (not carried forward).
TDS applicable as per rules.
Normal working hours: 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM (no extra pay for overtime).
Consultants must work full-time and cannot hold other assignments.

Strictly Temporary and Task-Based Appointments

The consultant’s engagement is temporary and non-official, specifically tied to designated tasks and projects. Retired officials cannot be appointed to fill regular vacancies. Additionally:

Appointments must be need-based and justified.
Maximum tenure: 5 years post-retirement (extendable one year at a time).
Confidentiality agreement mandatory.
Consultants cannot claim absorption or benefits in the department.

Robust Selection and Screening Mechanism

Proposal Requirements:

Before initiating any engagement, Divisions must provide:

Scope and necessity of work.
Timeline and terms of reference (ToR).
Required pay level and eligibility.

Screening Committees:

A dedicated committee, including DDG and ADG-level officers, will scrutinize all proposals.
For consultants at Level 12 and above, approval from the Secretary (Posts) is mandatory.
For Level 11 and below, a separate committee structure has been prescribed.

Applications are to be invited through www.indiapost.gov.in and the DoPT website. A model format and clear eligibility criteria must be part of the published circular.

Engagement and Termination Protocols

Consultants may be terminated under the following circumstances:

Failure to perform or meet milestones.
Substandard work quality.
Integrity issues.

The department also reserves the right to terminate engagements without reason, by providing 15 days’ notice. Consultants wishing to resign must also give a 15-day advance notice.

Special Provisions for Existing Consultants

Existing consultants will continue under their sanctioned entitlements until the completion of their current tenures. Confidentiality, intellectual property rights, and conflict of interest clauses will continue to apply.

Provisions for Relaxation and Final Authority

The Secretary (Posts) holds the authority to relax or modify terms under justified circumstances.
The OM will remain valid until replaced by future instructions from DoPT or DoE.