MHA Proposes Recruitment Rules For Top I4C Posts, Invites Stakeholder Feedback Till Aug 14

NEW DELHI, July 15: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has proposed recruitment rules for the posts of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Additional Chief Executive Officer (Additional CEO) in the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) and invited stakeholder comments on the draft rules by August 14. According to an official memorandum issued by the ministry, the proposal includes one CEO post at Pay Matrix Level-15 (Additional Secretary rank) and three Additional CEO posts at Level-14 under the Senior Administrative Grade (SAG). The positions fall under the Cyber and Information Security Division of the MHA. The ministry said the appointments will be made on a deputation basis under the Non-Central Staffing Scheme and will not come under the purview of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Selection will be made with the approval of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) through a Search-cum-Selection Committee headed by the Union Home Secretary. Stakeholders have been asked to submit their comments on the proposed recruitment rules by August 14, after which the rules will be finalised. As per the draft, both the CEO and Additional CEO posts are classified as Group ‘A’, Gazetted, Non-Ministerial positions. The number of posts may vary depending on operational requirements. For the CEO post, eligible candidates must be officers from the All India Services, organised Group ‘A’ services, Central or State governments, Union Territories, autonomous bodies, public sector undertakings, universities or recognised research institutions. Applicants must hold an analogous post or have at least three years of regular service in Level-14, along with a bachelor’s degree and a minimum of five years’ experience in cyber security, cybercrime investigation, cyber forensics, information and communication technology (ICT) or internal security. For the Additional CEO posts, candidates must possess a bachelor’s degree and at least 10 years of administrative experience, including a minimum of three years in cyber security, cybercrime investigation, cyber forensics, ICT or internal security. The draft rules also prescribe a maximum deputation period of five years and an upper age limit of 55 years for appointment. The MHA has proposed that no Departmental Promotion Committee will be constituted and consultation with the UPSC will not be required for these appointments.