Summary: DoPT Guidelines for Empanelment of Retired Officers as Inquiry Officers

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Government of India, has initiated the process of creating a panel of retired officers to serve as Inquiry Officers (IO). These officers will be responsible for conducting Departmental Inquiries against Grade 1 officers belonging to the CSS and CSSS cadres.

Eligibility Criteria for Empanelment

• Applicants must be retired officers from Ministries or Departments under the Government of India, and must not have retired below the rank of Deputy Secretary.
• Interested retired officers must willingly offer their services for this role.
• The officer must possess a clean disciplinary record, meaning they should not have faced any penalty in previous disciplinary proceedings or prosecution in criminal cases.
• Willing and eligible officers must submit their application in the prescribed proforma to the Under Secretary [AVD-CS(Gr.A)], DoPT, New Delhi, no later than May 30, 2026.

Key Terms and Conditions of Appointment

• Once constituted, the panel of retired Inquiry Officers will remain valid for a period of three years.
• To ensure efficiency, an Inquiry Officer will be assigned a maximum of 8 disciplinary cases in a year, handling no more than 4 cases simultaneously.
• The IO is mandated to complete the inquiry and submit the final report within 180 days from the date of their appointment.
• The designated officer must sign an undertaking stating they are not a witness, complainant, close relative, or known friend of the delinquent Government official.
• The IO is strictly bound to maintain absolute secrecy regarding the data and documents received, utilizing them solely for the purpose of the entrusted inquiry. All case records must be returned upon the presentation of the report.

Revised Honorarium and Allowances

Based on the revised guidelines issued in 2022, the remuneration structure for retired Inquiry Officers depends heavily on the number of witnesses cited in the chargesheet:

• More than 10 witnesses: The honorarium is set at an amount equal to 90% of the monthly basic pension drawn.
• Between 6 to 10 witnesses: The honorarium is an amount equal to 70% of the monthly basic pension drawn.
• Less than 6 witnesses: The honorarium is an amount equal to 60% of the monthly basic pension drawn.
• Transport Allowance: A flat rate of Rs. 40,000 per case is provided, alongside actual expenses for authorized outstation air or railway travel depending on the officer's pre-retirement entitlement.
• Secretarial Assistance: Allowances range from Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 40,000 depending strictly on the number of witnesses involved in the case.