DoPT red flags Smriti Irani’s choice for CBSE head; raises queries on Satbir Bedi

NEW DELHI: The Smriti Irani-led HRD ministry’s top choice for the job of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) chairman has run into trouble with the Department of Personnel & Training, raising the possibility of a further delay in appointing the chief of the body which has remained headless since December 2014.

The DoPT has raised a number of queries regarding Satbir Bedi, the candidate proposed by the HRD ministry, and sent the file back to the ministry. The DoPT raised queries to Bedi’s candidature citing possible ineligibility as per the criteria, especially the requirement of three years of experience in educational administration, officials said. The DoPT is also learnt to have raised the issue of the complaints received in the ministry regarding the appointment process.

Bedi, a joint secretary in HRD ministry’s School Education Department, is holding additional charge of CBSE chairman at present.

A search-cum-selection committee set up by the ministry had proposed Bedi’s name as the top choice for the post of CBSE chairman.

While the panel of names shortlisted by the committee was sent to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, the DoPT has now sent back the file raising queries and seeking many clarifications on Bedi’s eligibility. The DoPT has pointed to a mismatch between the eligibility criteria spelt out in the advertisement put out by the government and the recruitment rules for the CBSE Chairman’s post. “The file has been sent back to the HRD ministry. It is now for them to take further action,” DoPT spokesman KTS Dhatwalia said in response to queries by ET.

HRD ministry spokesman Ghanshyam Goel said his ministry had no information regarding the matter. “The officials concerned have informed that they have no knowledge yet if the file is back or not,” he said.

Bedi refused to comment on the issue. As per the ad put out by the ministry, government officials holding analogous post are eligible for the post but at least three years of experience in educational administration at a senior level of grade of director onwards is considered “essential”, while five years of experience in education or educational administration is “desirable”.