
In response to the evolving landscape of Science and Technology, the government has reevaluated the processes for recruiting and promoting scientists across various central government departments. Notably, adjustments have been introduced to the Flexible Complementing Scheme (FCS) concerning scientist recruitment and promotion.
The decision to revamp the recruitment procedures stemmed from numerous appeals by central government ministries and departments. According to the latest reports from the Press Trust of India (PTI), the Flexible Complementing Scheme (FCS) for scientists, operational within select scientific ministries and departments of the Indian government, underwent modifications. These changes were prompted by the recommendations of the sixth Central Pay Commission (6th CPC), resulting in the issuance of directives on the Modified Flexible Complementing Scheme (MFCS) by the Personnel Ministry in September 2010. It’s important to note that these guidelines do not apply to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) or the Departments of Atomic Energy and Space, which adhere to a distinct merit-based promotion scheme for scientists.
An official order from the Personnel Ministry highlighted the necessity for enhancing the educational qualifications within the MFCS across several ministries and departments. The order also outlined that the revised FCS’s provisions, which align scientist recruitment with their functional roles, would come into effect from July 1, 2024.
The revised scheme entails the establishment of an inter-ministerial committee under the Secretary of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), with the Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology serving as a member and the secretary of the respective ministry/department as a co-opted member. A recent directive issued on March 13 emphasized that all scientific ministries/departments currently implementing MFCS, along with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, must take steps to incorporate the revised FCS provisions by amending relevant recruitment rules. This measure aims to ensure that recruitment rules align with the revised FCS provisions.