In a bid to help the National Investigation Agency (NIA) overcome its acute manpower shortage — which it has been facing for the past five years since its creation — the Centre has diluted its recruitment norms.
The investigating agency for terror cases will be able to take staff on deputation from other Government departments directly, without going through the Union Public Service Commission, a mandatory part of the recruitment process.
This detour takes up a lot of time, sometimes years and has been a huge obstacle in recruitment, leading to hundreds of vacancies.The Ministry of Personnel notified the UPSC (Exemption from Consultation) Amendment Regulations, 2013, last week in this regard.
However, the relaxation in rule is for a select class of employee — up to the level of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police (non-IPS category). The NIA will have to complete its recruitment procedure, according to the notification, by January 31 next year.
The NIA has a strength of about 600 at present. It will be able to take on deputation about 100 personnel from various departments following relaxation of rules, according to an official.
The agency was formed in late 2008, after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. But it was only recently that it got accommodation for its headquarters in a Government building in the Capital. The NIA has branch offices in Hyderabad, Guwahati, Kochi, lucknow and Mumbai and is probing at least 71 terror-related cases.