Recruitment Rules are in place for recruitment to various categories of posts made by the Ministry of Tourism. As regards other service matters, the Ministry follows rules/instructions/orders issued by the respective nodal Ministries/Departments of the Government of India. All rules regulating the service conditions of the employees are also being followed. Besides, the Ministry maintains, where necessary, guidelines specific to schemes.

The detailed guidelines regarding selection and posting of officers at Indiatourism Offices abroad are brought out below.

Officials Guidelines for Foreign Postings
With the approval of Minister (T&C), following guidelines are being laid down for selecting the officers/staff for posting in overseas India Tourism Offices;

• Applicability

  These guidelines shall be applicable for selecting officials from the Department of Tourism for manning various categories of posts, as mentioned below, in Indiatourism Offices overseas:

  • Regional Director in the pay scale of Rs. 14300-400-18300.
  • Regional Directors in the pay scale of Rs. 12000-375-16500.
  • Directors in the pay scale of Rs. 10000-325-15200.
  • Assistant Directors/Managers in the pay scale of Rs. 6500-200-10500.
  • Assistant Director (Accounts) in the pay scale of Rs. 6500-200-10500.
  • Private Secretary in the pay scale of Rs. 6500-200-10500.
  • Tourist Information Officers in the pay scale of Rs. 5000-8000.

• Procedure for Selection

  The selection process should start well in advance, at least one year before the post is due to fall vacant, in view of the time taken in getting all clearances. This would help in ensuring timely filling up of the posts.

  On the basis of these guidelines, the Admin.I Section will draw up a panel of eligible candidates in order of their seniority, who fall in the zone of consideration, indicating eligibility or otherwise.

  This panel will then be put up to the Chairman of the Selection Committee, who will take necessary steps to call for a meeting of the Committee, to conduct the interview in order to assess the candidates and submit its recommendations for selection, duly indicating the place of posting.

  The Selection Committee, among other things, would consider various aspects, including managerial abilities, service record, verbal and written communication skills, knowledge of Indian tourism product, knowledge of global tourism scenario, personality, health, knowledge of foreign languages etc. Field experience in Indiatourism Offices in India shall be accorded due priority. Additional weightage shall be given to useful professional qualifications like Tourism Management/studies, mass communication, marketing management, business management, public relation, financial management, information technology, etc. Similarly, due weightage shall be given for having experience in organizing events, exhibitions/conventions. Knowledge of administrative and financial rules and procedure would be given weightage. Due consideration would be given to such eligible officers who never had an overseas posting. Other things being equal, seniority would be given preference. However, considering competitive nature of global tourism market, the aim of the Selection Committee would be to select the best and the brightest officials out of the available panel.

  The Chairman of the Selection Committee will directly submit recommendations of the Committee to the next higher administrative authority for seeking the approval of Hon’ble Minister.

  The Selection Committee shall also prepare a waiting list of an equal number of vacancies in order to meet any exigencies in future.

  The crucial date for determining the eligibility or otherwise of a candidate will be determined as on the date of occurrence of last vacancy for which a particular interview is being held. However, the crucial date for determining the condition of ‘minimum service left for retirement’ will be reckoned from the date of first vacancy of the respective interview.

• Composition of the Selection Committee:

  The Selection Committee would comprise of the following:

  For the post of Regional Directors and Directors

  • Secretary (T) as D.G. (Tourism) ….in the chair
  • Joint Secretary (T)
  • Financial Adviser (T)
  • Addl. Director General (T)

  For the post of Assistant Director/Manager, Assistant Director (Accounts), Private Secretary and Tourist Information Officer

  • Addl. Director General (Tourism) …in the chair
  • Director/Dy. Secretary in Secretariat handling administration.
  • Other Director/DS in the Secretariat.

• Eligibility Criteria

  Subject to fulfillment of other conditions mentioned in guidelines, all officials of the Ministry of Tourism (including Directorate-General of Tourism) would be eligible for being considered for foreign posting of Regional Director/ Director/ Assistant Director/Private Secretary/Tourist Information Officer as the case may be. The only exception shall be employees who have availed ACP. ACP entails next higher scale of pay but not physical promotion. Therefore those employees who have availed ACP will be eligible for overseas postings in their substantive grade only.

  The criteria for minimum experience for overseas postings would be as follows :

  • For the post of Regional Director in the pay scale of Rs. 14,300-18,300 (Joint Director General).
    Joint Director General who fulfills the general eligibility conditions for overseas posting viz ACR grading,
    vigilance/disciplinary clearance would be considered.
  • For the post of Regional Directors in the pay scale of Rs. 12,000-16,500.
    Dy. Director Generals in the HQs and the Regional Director in the field offices in India will be required to
    have minimum service of one year as DDG/RD.
  • For the post of Directors, in the pay scale of Rs.10,000-15,200.
    Asstt. Director Generals in the HQs and Directors in the field offices will be required to have minimum
    service of one year as Asstt. DG/Director.
  • For the post of Asstt. Director/ Manager in the pay scale of Rs. 6,500-10,500.
    Assistant Directors in the HQs and Asstt. Directors /Managers in the field Offices will be required to have
    two years of service in the grade of Assistant Director/ Manager.
  • For Private Secretary in the pay scale Rs. 6,500-10,500
    PS of the Ministry of Tourism having 2 years experience as Private Secretary will be eligible. However, in
    case of non-availability of suitable PS, Sr Stenographer in the pay scale of Rs. 5,500-9,000 having five
    years experience will be considered.
  • For Assistant Director (Accounts) in the Pay scale Rs. 6,500-10,500
    Assistant Director of the Directorate General of Tourism having experience of 2 years as DDO/ Accounts
    work or Assistant Director with 2 years experience and who have undergone Cash & Accounts Training of
    duration of at least 2 weeks from ISTM or any other approved Institution will be considered.
    (Other eligibility criteria for PS and Assistant Director (Accounts) will remain same as applicable
    for other grades)
  • For the post of Information Assistant/ Tourist Information Officer in the pay scale of Rs. 5,000-8,000
    Tourist Information Officers will be required to have minimum service of four years as Information Assistant /
    Tourist Information Officer.

  NOTE I: The minimum service mentioned in points (a) to (g) above will also include ad-hoc service in that pay scale/grade.

  NOTE II: The officers/officials who are on deputation in the Directorate General of Tourism will require minimum one year of service in the grade of DDG and Asstt. DG and two years in the grade of Asstt. Director in the Department of Tourism, Govt. of India before being considered for overseas posting.

  The option of seeking reversion for the sake of overseas posting shall not be allowed. If any official intends to be considered for overseas posting in his substantive post/grade then he should not accept promotion to the next higher grade on ad-hoc basis and as such will be debarred from being considered for promotion to the next higher grade for a period of one year.

  Officials who have been on long leave continuously for better part of the last one year before the interview would not be considered for overseas posting.

  Cooling off period for DDGs (RDs) and Asstt. DGs (Directors) will be 2 years and for all other grades, the cooling off period will be 3 years.

  Candidates against whom disciplinary/vigilance proceedings are pending or whose overall service record is below "GOOD" will not be eligible.

  Officials with less than three and half years of service left for retirement would not be eligible for overseas posting in all grades.

• Tenure

  The tenure of an overseas posting will be three years for all categories of posts. However, the Department of Tourism may grant extension up to a maximum of 6 months on administrative grounds.

• Relaxation

  Any relaxation in the above guidelines shall be made only with the approval of the Minister in-charge.

• The Ministry of Tourism reserves the right to recall any officer posted overseas by curtailing his tenure without assigning any reason whatsoever in public interest.

  This issues in supersession of all previous guidelines issued by the Ministry of Tourism time to time.