Revised guidelines for engagement of retired Central Government employees as consultants in the Department of Posts (Main Secretariat)

File No.: 31-2/2019-PE-II-DoP
Issuing Authority: Government of India, Ministry of Communications, Department of Posts (Establishment Division).
Date: 15 May 2025
Subject: Revised guidelines for engagement of retired Central Government employees as consultants in the Department of Posts (Main Secretariat).

2. Key Guidelines

2.1 Purpose & Scope
Objective: Ensure transparency and uniformity in hiring retired employees as consultants.
Applicability: Department of Posts (Main Secretariat).

Categories of Consultants:

Institutional Consultants (organizations/firms).
Individual Consultants (professionals from open market).
Retired Central Govt. Employees (focus of this OM).

2.2 Eligibility & Restrictions

Who Can Apply: Retired Central Govt. employees with expertise in policy/administration/finance.

Exclusions:

Cannot be engaged against regular vacant posts.
Appointments must be "bare minimum" and justified by exigencies.
Confidentiality: Consultants must sign an agreement on ethics and integrity.

2.3 Remuneration & Benefits

Salary Calculation:

Fixed monthly amount = Last pay drawn at retirement minus basic pension (including commuted portion).
Example: Retired at Pay Level 13 (₹1,55,900) with pension ₹77,950 → Remuneration = ₹77,950.

Allowances:

No DA/HRA/increments.
Transport allowance (as per pre-retirement rates).
TA/DA for official tours permitted.
Leave: 1.5 days per month (no carry-forward).

2.4 Tenure & Termination

Duration:

Initial 1 year (extendable to 2 years).
Maximum 5 years post-retirement.

Termination:

For poor performance, integrity issues, or departmental discretion (15-day notice).
Consultants may resign with 15-day notice.

2.5 Selection Process

Application: Advertised on India Post/DoPT websites (15-day window).

Screening Committees:

Level-12 and above: Chaired by Member (Personnel).
Up to Level-11: Chaired by DDG (Estt.).
Criteria: Experience, qualifications, performance in interview (marks out of 40).

2.6 Compliance & Transparency

Funding: Proposals must confirm budget availability.
TDS: Deducted from remuneration; certificate issued by DDO.
IPR: All deliverables remain property of the Department.

3. Annexures

Annexure-I: Application form (personal details, service history, qualifications)
Annexure-II: Terms of Reference (tasks, timelines, deliverables).
Annexure-III: Offer letter clauses (confidentiality, termination terms).

4. Distribution & Validity