Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Sept 9 : In a major break-through, possibly the first of its kind in the history of independent India, the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) today announced its decision to do away with the time old practice of getting documents attested by a gazetted officer or some other authority before being submitted by an individual applicant.
Addressing a press conference here today to highlight the achievements of his Ministry during last three months, Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Space and Atomic Energy said, the new Government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over with the commitment for “Minimum Government – Maximum Governance” and the decision to introduce the provision for self-attestation of documents will be a major step forward in making the governance simplified. This will particularly be of great help to lakhs of youth applying for jobs or admissions in public institutions because they have to run from pillar to post to get their documents attested which becomes an added ordeal to their already existing predominant of unemployment and deprivation.
Speaking from his personal experience, Dr Jitendra Singh said, he has come across several villages in the peripheral parts of India where young educated youth find themselves desperate and helpless because in their vicinity for several miles they do not have a single gazetted officer or a court notary etc. to attest their documents or issue them affidavit and therefore this new decision is going to save enormous energy and time spent by such youth. However, he observed, the existing Act providing for attestation will have to be examined for each department depending upon its requirement and sensitivity, and therefore in certain cases like, for example, in departments related to security or issuing of fire arm licences, the practice of self-attestation may not be desirable.
In addition, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the Government is also seeking to introduce a single affidavit containing all the information and thus a “single self-attested affidavit” will be a revolutionary step in the existing system of personnel management.
For pensioners, Dr Jitendra Singh said, he has introduced the concept of “pre-retirement counseling” and “post-retirement engagement” considering the increasing life span and sound state of health at time of superannuation.
Enumerating other highlights of his three months in office as Minister for Personnel, Dr Jitendra Singh pointed out that the results of 2013 IAS Civil Service Exam were declared in the month of July and cadre allocation for the new pass-outs / probationers was completed in a brief period mere 12 days, whereas last year the same process had taken as many as 148 days for cadre allocation of the pass-outs of 2012 Civil Service Exam. This step has gone a long way in boosting the morale of the youngsters who are going to be the bureaucrats and administrators of tomorrow.
Also present in the press conference were Sanjay Kothari Secretary (Personnel), Ravi Shanker Secretary Administrative Reforms, Frank Noronha Director General, Press Information Bureau.
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