Master Circular on Probation/Confirmation in Central Services- reg.
No.28020/3/2018-Estt.(C)
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, PG & Pensions
Department of Personnel & Training
North Block, New Delhi
Dated: 11th March, 2019
OFFICE MEMORANDUM
Subject : Master Circular on Probation/Confirmation in Central Services- reg.
The undersigned is directed to refer to this Department’s O.M.No.28020/1/2010-Estt.(C) dated 21.07.2014 wherein consolidated instructions on Probation/Confirmation were issued.
It has been decided to further consolidate/ modify the instructions/ guidelines in relation to probation and confirmation as a Master Circular to provide clarity and ease of reference. The Master Circular issued vide O.M. dated 21.07.2014 has been suitably updated as on date and the same is enclosed. The list of O.M.s which have been referred for consolidation of instructions for this Master Circular is at Appendix.
(Umesh Kumar Bhatia)
Deputy Secretary to the Government of India
MASTER CIRCULAR ON PROBATION AND CONFIRMATION IN CENTRAL SERVICES
PROBATION
1. A person is appointed on probation in order to assess his suitability for absorption in the service to which he has been appointed. Probation should not, therefore, be treated as a mere formality. No formal declaration shall be necessary in respect of appointment on probation. The appointing authority may declare successful completion, extend the period of probation or terminate the services of a temporary employee on probation, on the basis of evaluation of performance.
2. Probation is prescribed when there is direct recruitment, promotion from one Group to another or for officers re-employed before the age of superannuation. The probation shall stand successfully completed on issue of orders in writing. It is, however, not desirable that a Government servant should be kept on probation for long periods.
3. Instead of treating probation as a formality, the existing powers to discharge probationers should be systematically and vigorously used so that the necessity of dispensing with the services of employees at later stages may arise only rarely.
4. Concentration of attention on the probationer’s ability to pass the probationary or the departmental examination, if applicable, is essential part of the qualification for confirmation but not the most important part. There should be a very careful assessment of the outlook, character and aptitude for the kind of work that has to be done in the service before a probationer is confirmed.
5. A probationer should be given an opportunity to work under more than one officer during this period and reports of his work obtained from each one of those officers. The probation reports for the whole period may then be considered is fit to be confirmed in service. For this purpose, separate forms of report on the probationers should be used, which are distinct from the usual Annual Performance Appraisal Report (APAR) forms. The probation reports, unlike APAR, are written to help the supervising officer to concentrate on the special needs of probation and to decide whether the work and conduct of the officer during the period of probation or the extend period of probation are satisfactory enough to warrant his further retention in service or post. The probation reports thus do not serve the purpose for which the APARs are written and vice versa. Therefore, in the case of all probationers or officers on probation, separate probation reports should be written in addition to the usual APARs for the period of probation.
6. Save for exceptional reasons, probation should not be extended for more than a year and in no circumstance an employee should be kept on probation for more than double the normal period.
7. A probationer, who is not making satisfactory progress, should be informed of his shortcomings well before the expiry of the original probationary period so that he can make special efforts at self-improvement. This can be done by giving him a written warning to the effect that his general performance has not been such as to justify his confirmation and that, unless he showed substantial improvement within a specified period, the question of discharging him would have to be considered. Even though this is not required by the rules, discharge from the service being a server, final and irrevocable step, the probationer should be given an opportunity before taking the drastic step of discharge.
8. During the period of probation, or any extension thereof, candidates may be required by Government to undergo such courses of training and instructions and to pass examinations, and tests (including examination In Hindi) as Government may deem fit, as a condition to satisfactory completion of the probation.
MANDATORY INDUCTION TRAINING
9. In all cases of direct recruitment there should be a mandatory induction training of at lest two weeks duration. Successful completion of the training may be made a pre-requisite for completion of probation. The syllabus for the training may be prescribed by the Cadre authorities and the Training Division of DOPT can be consulted, if required. The recruitment rules for all posts, wherever such a provision does not already exist, may be amended to provide for such mandatory training. Till such time as the Recruitment Rules are amended, a clause on the above lines may be included in the offer of appointment.
PERIOD OF PROBATION
10. The period of probation is prescribed for different posts/services in Central Government on the following lines:
| S.NO | METHOD OF APPOINTMENT | PERIOD OF PROBATION |
|---|---|---|
| PROMOTION | ||
| 1 | Promotion from one grade to another but within the same group of posts e.g. from Group ‘C’ to Group ‘C’. | No probation. |
| 2 | Promotion from one Group to another e.g. Group ‘B’ to Group ‘A’ | 2 years or the period of probation prescribed for the direct recruitment to the post, if any. |
| DIRECT RECRUITMENT | ||
| 3 | (I) For direct recruitment to posts except clause (ii) below (ii) For direct recruitment to posts *carrying a Grade Pay of Rs. 7600 or above or to the posts to which the maximum age limit is 35 years or above and where no training is involved, Note: Training includes on the job or ‘Institution training” |
2 years 1 year |
| 4 | Officers re-employedbefore the age of superannuation | 2 years |
| 5 | Appointment on contract basis, tenure basis, re-employment after superannuation and absorption | No probation |
Signed Copy & Probation – Confirmation Details