'Married Son' Can Get Compassionate Appointments: Centre

New Delhi: Married sons are now eligible for compassionate appointments, the centre has said. The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has issued new instructions in consultation with the Department of Legal Affairs in this regard.

It has been decided that a married son can be considered for compassionate appointment if he otherwise fulfils all the other requirements of the 'Scheme for Compassionate Appointment under Central Government', the DoPT said in an order.

It said the appointment will be subject to the conditions that the candidate is eligible and fulfil the criteria. Until this recent order, married sons were not eligible for compassionate appointments.

The criteria for considering the compassionate appointment is that the family is indigent and deserves immediate assistance for relief from financial destitution.

"Applicant for compassionate appointment should be eligible and suitable for the post in all respects under the provisions of the relevant recruitment rules," read the norms.

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The onus of examining the penurious condition of the dependent family rests with authority making compassionate appointment. Courts have clearly stated in various judgements that offering compassionate appointment as a matter of course, irrespective of the financial condition of the family of the deceased or medically retired government servant, is untenable, the existing guidelines say.

The objective of the scheme is to grant appointment on  compassionate grounds to a dependent family member of a government servant who died while in service or who is retired on medical grounds before attaining the age of 55 years (57 years for erstwhile Group 'D' employees) thereby leaving his family in penury.

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A joint secretary in-charge of administration in the ministry or department concerned is the competent authority to decide on compassionate appointments.