New Guidelines For Bureaucrats On Awards From Private Organisations

The competent authority may grant approval, only in exceptional circumstances, subject to the condition that "the award should not have any monetary component authority.

The Centre has made prior approval mandatory for IAS, IPS and IFoS officers before accepting any award from private organisations but with a condition that it should not have any monetary component in cash in terms of facilities.

In the latest order, the Personnel Ministry said the competent authority may grant approval, only in exceptional circumstances, to the officers and in such cases, credentials of the private bodies/institutions/organisations should be unimpeachable.

The move comes after the government noticed that members of all Indian services -- Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFoS) -- are accepting awards or recognition accorded by private bodies, despite the existing instructions.

Accordingly, it is clarified that awards given by private bodies, institutions or organisations may be accepted only with prior approval of competent authority, said the order issued to all secretaries of central government ministries and chief secretaries of states on Thursday.