Foreign tours/travels as part of Training Programmes – approval of Screening Committee of Secretaries (SCOS)

Prior approval of the Screening Committee of Secretaries would be required for all FSTs of delegations exceeding 5 members for Govt funded tours

Subject: Foreign tours/travels as part of Training Programmes – approval of Screening Committee of Secretaries (SCOS).

Instructions have been issued by this Department from time to time on the need to curtail expenditure on foreign travel. In recent months it has been observed that Ministries/Departments have been proposing Foreign Study Tours (FSTs) of large delegations of officers as a part of training programmes. In keeping with the Government’s drive on economy and rationalization of expenditure and to have an objective assessment of such FSTs, it has been decided that prior approval of the Screening Committee of Secretaries would be required for all FSTs of delegations exceeding 5 members (irrespective of level/rank of officers), where Government of India is funding such tours and which are part of career training programme(s) or stand alone tours or otherwise.

2. This has the approval of Cabinet Secretary.

sd/-

(N. Radhakrishnan)

Director(E.Coord)

Download OM No.7(1)/E.Coord/2014 dated 25.11.2014