Filling up ‘Integrity’ column of APAR – Adequate care to be exercised: : Guidelines vide DoT O.M. dated 03.02.2025 in reference to DoP&T O.M. dated 11.02.20216
The Office Memorandum (OM) addresses concerns regarding the mechanical and often inaccurate filling of the ‘Integrity’ column in Annual Performance Assessment Reports (APARs) for government officers. It emphasizes the need for Reporting Officers to exercise due diligence and make deliberate, informed decisions when assessing an officer’s integrity. The OM reiterates guidelines from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) dated 11th February, 2016, and provides specific instructions on how to accurately record integrity assessments.
Main Points:
- Issue with Current Practices:
- The ‘Integrity’ column in APARs is often filled mechanically, with the default entry being “Beyond Doubt.”
- Reporting Officers frequently lack sufficient interaction or observation of the Reported Officer to confidently vouch for their integrity.
- This practice undermines the credibility and purpose of the integrity assessment.
- Guidelines from DoPT’s OM (11.2.2016):
- Recording integrity as “Beyond Doubt” should be a conscious decision based on close interaction and personal knowledge of the Reported Officer.
- If the Reporting Officer cannot definitively assess integrity, they should use the option:
“Not watched the officer’s work for sufficient time to form a definite judgement but nothing adverse has been reported to me about the officer.” - The OM provides three options for filling the ‘Integrity’ column, and one of these must be used.
- Three Options for Integrity Column:
- Option 1: Integrity is “Beyond Doubt” (to be used only when the Reporting Officer can personally vouch for it).
- Option 2: Integrity is “Doubtful” (if there are reasons to question the officer’s integrity).
- Option 3: “Not watched the officer’s work for sufficient time to form a definite judgement but nothing adverse has been reported to me about the officer.” (for cases where the Reporting Officer lacks sufficient interaction).
- Compliance and Dissemination:
- All Reporting and Reviewing Officers in the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) must be informed of these guidelines.
- Strict compliance is required while recording or reviewing APARs to ensure accurate and fair assessments.
- Enclosure:
- A copy of DoPT’s OM dated 11th February, 2016, is attached for reference.
Text of DoT O.M. reproduced below:-
No. 30-06/2025-Admn. Cord
Government of India
Ministry of Communications
Department of Telecommunications
Sanchar Bhavan, New Delhi 110001.
Dated :3 Feb, 2025
OFFICE MEMORANDUM
Sub: Adequate care to be exercised in filling up ‘Integrity’ column of APAR
Ref: DoPT’s OM No.21011/27/2015-Estt.(A-II) dated 11th February, 2016
It has been observed that in many cases, assessment of officers recorded in APARs especially against the Integrity column are filled up in a mechanical manner with the entry mentioning integrity of the Reporting Officer being recorded usually as “Beyond Doubt”. On enquiry with the Reporting Officers in several such cases, it has come to light that they simply have not interacted with/observed him/her long enough to come to a definite conclusion regarding integrity either way, much less vouch for the Reported Officer’s integrity being beyond doubt.
2. DoPTs OM dated 11.2.2016 (copy enclosed) is relevant in this context. Recording integrity as “beyond doubt” should be a deliberate/conscious decision by the Reporting Officer only when he/she can personally vouch for the same based on close interaction with the Reportee Officer. In cases where this is not the position and yet integrity cannot in fairness be recorded as ‘Doubtful’; the option as listed under para 3 (c) of the OM viz. “not watched the officer’s work for sufficient time to form a definite judgement but nothing adverse has been reported to me about the officer’ may be used.
3. As brought out in para-3 of the OM, there are 3 options for filling up the ‘Integrity’ Colum in the APAR form, and one of the three has necessarily to be used.
4. This may be brought to the notice of all concerned Reporting/Reviewing Officers in DoT for information and compliance while recording/reviewing APARs of their Reportee Officers.
Encl.: As above
(Arvind Kumar Jha)
Under Secretary to the Govt of India
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