Export push: Government to hire technical manpower at certification bodies under restructuring plan

NEW DELHI: With an aim to improve the quality of Indian exports, the government plans to recruit a higher number of technical people at various commodity boards and certification bodies.

As part of their restructuring, the commerce department is zeroing in on the number of people who will retire from Tea Board, Coffee Board, Spices Board, Rubber Board, Marine Products Exports Development Authority and Export Inspection Council in the next two years after which it would do focussed hiring and recruit more technical people.

“Organisation restructuring of commodity boards is required because many have recruited large manpower. There is a need to streamline people with clearly defined roles and functions,” said an official aware of the development.


The reorganisation can be done through two approaches. Either the government identifies surplus employees and gives them the option of voluntary retirement or it waits for the natural retirement process to take its own course. The second approach means the government will not recruit in place of employees who retire naturally in the next two-three years thereby streamlining manpower.

“The other way is preferred. This will allow us to do focussed hiring and recruit more technical people,” the official added.

Experts have welcomed the move saying it will benefit as long as technically sound people are recruited in these agencies.

“All these organisations need specialists in certain products with skills in testing, standards, quality control and certification as is the case world-wide,” said a Delhi based trade expert.

Another industry expert said the government is trying to strengthen the area of testing for which it needs good technical persons.

“This is where we lack and these boards face problems. It is a good move as it will give us more information at ground level,” the second expert said.

The exercise to zero in on the number of people who will retire is on and likely to get completed in the next two months.

“We are doing that exercise to get clarity on numbers,” the official said.