Indian Telecommunications Service Group A Recruitment  Rules, 2020

Indian Telecommunications Service Group A Recruitment  Rules, 2020

MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS
(Department of Telecommunications) NOTIFICATION

New Delhi, the 14th October, 2020

G.S.R. 632(E).-ln exercise of the powers conferred by the proviso to article 309 of the Constitution and in supersession of the Indian Telecommunications Service (Group-A) Recruitment Rules, 1992 published in Gazette of India vide GSR 278 dated 29.05.1992, except as respects things done or omitted to be done before such supersession, the President hereby makes the following rules regulating the method of recruitment to the Indian Telecommunications Service (Group ‘A’), namely:-

1. Short title and commencement.- (I) These rules may be called the Indian Telecommunications Service (Group ‘A’) Rules, 2020.

(2)They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the official Gazette.

2. Definitions.- In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires,-

(!)”Commission” means the Union Public Service Commission(UPSC);

(2) “Controlling authority” means the Government of India in the Ministry of Communications, Department of Telecommunications;

(3) ”Departmental Promotion Committee, Departmental Confirmation Committee, Departmental Screening Committee” means a constitute to consider promotion or confirmation of officers, grant of Non-Functional Up-gradation or Non-Functional Selection grade respectively, in any grade constituted in accordance with Schedule IV to these rules;

(4) ”Duty post” means any post in a grade whether permanent or temporary, mentioned in Table I of Schedule I to these rules;

(5) “Examination” means the Engineering Service Examination conducted by the Commission for recruitment to the posts in this Service;

(6) “Government ‘ means the Government of India;

(7) “Grade” means a grade of duty posts specified in column (2) of Schedule I to these rules;

(8) “Officer” means a member of the Service;

(9) ”regular service” in relation to any grade means the period of service in that grade rendered after

selection and appointment thereto under the rules and includes any period-

(a) taken into account for the purpose of seniority in the case of those already in the grade at the time of commencement of these rules;

(b) during which the officer would have held a post in that grade but for being on leave or otherwise not being available for holding such post;

(10) ‘Schedule’ means the Schedules appended to these rules;

(11) ‘Service’ means the Indian Telecommunications Service, which shall consist of the posts or grades or time scales mentioned in Schedule I to these rules.

(12) The expressions ‘Scheduled Castes’, ‘Scheduled Tribes’, ‘Other Backward Classes’ and ‘Person with disability’ shall have the same meaning as assigned to them in the Constitution of India/ Acts of Parliament.

3. Constitution of Services. – (1) There shall be constituted a service known as the Indian Telecommunications Service, consisting of persons appointed to the Service under rules 6 and 7.

(2) All the posts included in the Service shall be classified as Group A posts.

(3) The regular continuous service by the officers, as referred to in sub-rule (I) of this rule in the respective corresponding grades, rendered prior to commencement of these rules shall be counted as qualifying service for the purpose of seniority, confirmation, promotion, non-functional up-gradation and pension.

4. Grades, Authorized Strength and its Review.- (!) On the date of commencement of these rules, the posts in the various grades in the Service, their numbers and level in pay matrix shall be as specified in Schedule I.

(2) On and from the commencement of these rules, the authorised permanent strength of the various grades shall be such as may be determined by the Central Government from time to time, subject to variation dependent on workload.

(3) The controlling authority may, in consultation with the Commission and the Government [Ministry of Communications, Department of Expenditure (wherever applicable) and the Department of Personnel and Training], make temporary additions to or reduction in the strength of the posts in various grades as it may deem necessary from time to time, subject to any general or special orders issued by the Government.

(4) The controlling authority may, in consultation with the Commission and the Central Government [the Ministry of Communications, Department of Expenditure (wherever applicable) and the Department of Personnel and Training], include in the Service such posts as may be equivalent to the posts included in the services in status, grade, pay scale and professional content, other than those included in Schedule I, or exclude from the Service a post included in the said Schedule.

(5) The controlling authority may, in consultation with the Commission, appoint an officer whose post is included in the Service under sub-rule (4) to the appropriate grade in a temporary capacity or in a substantive capacity as it may deem fit, and fix his seniority in such a grade in accordance with the general orders and instructions issued by the Government from time to time.

5. Members of the Service.- (1) The following persons shall be the members of the Service, namely:-

(a) Persons deemed to have been appointed to duty post under rule 6; and

(h) Persons appointed to duty post under rule 7.

(2) A person appointed under clause (a) of sub-rule (1) shall be deemed to be member of the Service in the appropriate grade applicable to him from the date of initial constitution of the Service.

(3) A person appointed under clause (h) of sub-rule (1) shall be deemed to be member of the Service in the appropriate grade applicable to him, as specified in Schedule I, from the date of such appointment.

6. Initial Constitution of Service.- The officers of the Indian Telecommunications Service holding duty posts in various grades of that Service on regular basis or holding lien on such posts on the date of commencement of these rules shall be deemed to have been appointed to the appropriate duty posts and grades in the Service in a substantive or officiating capacity, as the case may be.
7. Future Maintenance of the Service. – (1) After the initial constitution of the Service under rule 6, if any vacancy arises in any of the grades specified in Schedule I, it shall be filled in the manner hereinafter provided in this rule, namely:

(a) Fifty per cent. of the vacancies in the grade of Junior Time Scale shall be filled by direct recruitment through the examination on the basis of the educational qualifications and age limit specified in Schedule II or any scheme or examination that may be notified by the Government in consultation with the Commission; and

(b) The remaining fifty per cent. of the vacancies in the Junior Time Scale shall be filled by promotion of officers of the Telecommunications Engineering Service Group ‘B’ in the manner specified in Schedule III.

(2) Appointment in the grades specified at serial numbers 1 to 7 in the Schedule III, shall be made by promotion from amongst the officers in the next lower grade possessing minimum qualifying service as specified in column (4) of Schedule III.

(3) The selection of officers for promotion shall be made by selection except in the case of promotion to post of Non Functional Selection Grade in Junior Administrative Grade (NFSG) which shall be on the basis of seniority subject to suitability on the recommendation of the committee constituted for this purpose in accordance with Schedule N .

(4) The selection in each case under sub-rule (2) shall be on the recommendation of the Departmental Promotion Committee.

(5) Minimum educational qualification and age-limit of a candidate for appointment to the service by direct recruitment shall be as specified in Schedule IL

8. Non-Functional Up-gradation.– Officers shall be granted Non-Functional up-gradation;

(i) in accordance with the orders or instructions issued by the Central Government from time to time;

(ii) made on the recommendations of the screening committee as specified in Schedule N .

9. Seniority.- (1) The relative seniority of the members of the Service, appointed to any Grade, on commencement of these rules, shall be the relative seniority in their respective grades as determined before the date of commencement of these rules:

Provided that if the seniority of any member of the Service has not been determined before the date of commencement of these rules, the same shall be determined by the Government in accordance with the general instructions on seniority issued by the Government from time to time.

(2) The seniority of persons appointed to various grades of the Service on and from the date of commencement of these rules shall be determined in accordance with the general orders or instructions on seniority issued by the Central Government from time to time.

10. Probation.- (1) Every officer on appointment to the Service, either by direct recruitment or by promotion to Junior Time Scale, shall be on probation for a period of two years:

Provided that the Controlling Authority may extend the period of probation in accordance with the orders and instructions issued by the Government from time to time:

Provided further that any decision for any extension of period of probation shall be taken ordinarily within eight weeks after expiry of the previous period of probation and communicated in writing to the concerned officer together with the reasons for so doing within the said period.

(2) On completion of the period of probation or an extension thereof, officers if considered fit for the permanent appointment, shall be retained in their appointment on regular basis and be confirmed in due course against the available substantive vacancy, as the case may be.

(3) If, during the period of probation or any extension thereof, as the case may be, the Government is of the opinion that an officer is not fit for permanent appointment, the Government may discharge or revert the officer to the post held hy him prior to his appointment in the Service, as the case may be.

(4) During the period of probation or any extension thereof, the officers may be required to undergo such training and instructions and to pass such examination and tests (including examination in Hindi) as the Government may deem fit, as a condition to satisfactory completion of probation.

(5) As regards matters relating to probation, if not covered by these rules, the members of the service shall be governed by the instruction issued by the Government from time to time in this regard.

11. Mid-Career Training (MCT) Programme.– The officers of the service shall complete the MCT programme(s) satisfactorily as specified by the Central Government from time to time.
12. Appointment to the Service.– All appointments to the service shall be made by the Controlling Authority for all duty posts in various grades of the service.
13. Liability for service in any part of India and other Service conditions.– (1) The officers appointed to the Service shall be liable to serve anywhere in India or outside.

(2) An officer appointed to the Service, if so required shall be liable to serve in any Defence Service or a post connected with the defence of India, for a period of not less than four years including the period spent on training if any:

Provided that such officer,

(a) shall not be required to serve as aforesaid on expiry of ten years from the date of his appointment of the Service or from the date of his joining prior to the initial constitotion of the Service:

(b) shall not ordinarily be required to serve as aforesaid if he has attained the age of forty years.

(3) The conditions of service of the members of the Service, if not covered hy these roles, shall be governed by the rules applicable generally to the officers of the Central Government.

14. Disqualification.- No person ,-

(a) who has entered into or contracted a marriage with a person having a spouse living; or

(b) who, having a spouse living, has entered into or contracted marriage with any person, shall be eligible for appointment to the service:

Provided that the Government may, if satisfied that such marriage is permissible under the personal law applicable to such person and the other party to the marriage and that there are other grounds for so doing, exempt any person from the operation of this rule.

15. Deputation to other departments or organisations.– Notwithstanding anything contained in these rules, officers appointed to the Service shall be sent on deputation or foreign service to any other Central or any of the States or Union territories or the autonomous bodies or public sector enterprises of Government or State Governments or any foreign country having an agreement in this regard with the Government or State Government Department in public interest, subject to the government instructions or orders in force from time to time for such deputation or foreign service.
16. Power to Relax.- Where the Government is of the opinion that it is necessary or expedient to do so, it may, by order, for reasons to be recorded in writing and in consultation with the Commission, relax any of the provisions of these rules in respect of any class or category of persons or posts.
17. Saving.- Nothing in these rules shall affect reservation, relaxation of age limit and other concessions required to be provided for the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, Persons with Disabilities, Ex-Servicemen and other special categories of persons in accordance with the orders issued by the Government from time to time in this regard.
18. Interpretation.- If any question relating to inteipretation of these rules arises, it shall be decided by the Government in consultation with the Commission.

19. Repeal.– Save as provided in rule 9 of these rules, the Indian Telecommunications Service (Group (A) Recruitment Rules, 1992 as amended from time to time, are hereby repealed:

Provided that such repeal shall not affect anything done or action taken under the said rules before such repeal.

SCHEDULE I

[See rules 2(4), 2(7), 2(11), 4(1), 4(4), 5(3), 7(1)]

1. The grades, designation, level in the pay matrix and number of posts included in the Indian Telecommunications Service(ITS) Group ‘A’.-

• In addition to above,

(i) There will be a deputation reserve of 310 posts for deputation of ITS officers to other Departments/Organizations.

(ii) There will be a special diminishing reserve of 720 posts for posting of officers to Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL)/ Mahanagar Doorsanchar Nigam Limited (MTNL).

(iii) This will be subject to the total numbers of officers remaining within the working strength of 1690.

(iv) Number of ITS posts to be operated in BSNUMTNL will be as per the Cabinet approval No. 7/CM/2013 dated 13 February 2013 (Annexure-1).

1. The Special Diminishing Reserve of 720 posts shall be operated for posting of officers to BSNL or MTNL as under:

Note: The number of posts in ‘Non- Functional Selection Grade’ in the Level-13 shall be restricted to thirty percent of senior duty posts (i.e. STS and above) or as amended by the Government from time to time.

Annexure-I

Reduction in ITS cadre working in BSNL and MTNL [Ref: Para A (iv) of Schedule I]

SCHEDULE II
[See rule 7(5)]

Qualification and Age for direct recruitment

1. A candidate shall possess-

(a) a degree in Engineering or its equivalent in ‘Electrical’ or ‘Electronics’ or ‘Electrical Communication’ or ‘Computer Science’ or ‘Telecommunications’ or ‘Information Technology’ or ‘Instrumentation’ from:

(i) a University established by or under a Central or a State Act or declared to be a University under section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 (3 of 1956) or any other institution recognised by the Government.
(ii) foreign University approved from time to time by the Government; or

(b) any other qualification which has been recognised by the Government in consultation with the Commission for the purpose of admission to the Examination.

2. Candidates shall have attained the age of 21 years, but shall not have attained the age of 30 years on the crucial date for determining the age-limit as advertised by the Commission at the time of recruitment.

(Relaxable for the Government servant up to 5 years in accordance with the instructions or orders issued by the Central Government from time to time).

Note: Candidates, who are otherwise qualified but have taken a degree from a foreign University which is not approved by the Government, may also be considered at the discretion of the Commission.

SCHEDULE ID

(See rules 7(1)(b) and 7(2))

Method of appointment, field of selection and the minimum qualifying service for promotion to the higher duty post or grade of the Indian Telecommunications Service (ITS) Group ‘A’.

Note: Where Juniors who have completed their qualifying or eligibility service are being considered for promotion, their seniors would also be considered provided they are not short of the requisite qualifying or eligibility service by more than half of such qualifying or eligibility service or two years, whichever is less, and have successfully completed probation period for promotion to the next higher grade along with their juniors who have already completed such qualifying or eligibility service.

SCHEDULE IV

[See rules 2(3), 7(4), 8 and SCHEDULE I]

Composition of Committees for considering cases of Promotion, Confirmation and Nonfunctional Up-gradation to the duty post(s) or Grade(s) of Indian Telecommunications Service (ITS) Group ‘A’

[F.No. 9-11(06)/2016-Estt(RR)/ITS]
C. KAROL, Director (Establishment)

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