The Indian government is planning to introduce sweeping changes to its consultant hiring policies — with a cap on quantity and tenure of recruits. Work is currently underway on the new rules with the Ministry of Finance steering the formulation process. The Centre is also likely to introduce uniform remuneration bands based on experience level for various consultants.
According to details accessed by The Indian Express, the proposal is likely to curtail the engagement of excerpts to a maximum of three years within a single ministry or department. Young Professionals can continue work in another department up to five years across the government. The proposal also envisions greater uniformity in remuneration — starting with Rs 50,000 for freshers. highly qualified Young Professionals with over five years of experience will be paid a fixed rate of Rs 70,000 while those with three to five years of experience get Rs 60,000.
There has been widespread criticism about the disparity in pay and tenure of consultants in recent years — with ministries failing to impose an upper ceiling on the number or duration of consultants they engage.
What are the key features of the new policy?
The upcoming policy will cap the number of consultants hired by various ministries and government departments and outline a clear pay scale. It will also curtail the duration of employment — with a maximum of five years allowed in most cases. Each division in a ministry, typically headed by a Joint Secretary or Additional Secretary, may be allowed to engage no more than one Young Professional.
Officials familiar with discussions told the publication that the government was keen to ensure all appointments were first approved by the relevant department Secretary. Experts would also be hired in consultation with the Financial Advisor (usually an Additional Secretary-level officer) and outline clear terms of engagement. These consultants would have defined terms of reference, periodic assessments, and adherence to existing budgetary and procedural norms.
How many consultants and experts does the government hire?
According to official data there are nearly a thousand Young Professionals and 686 professionals and domain experts currently engaged with various ministries and departments of the Central government. The lengthy list also includes 1,453 consultants hired through agencies, 1,476 retired government employees, and 27,624 other outsourced staffers.