The process of making a regular appointment for the key post of Chief Editor and Joint Director at the National Book Trust has hit a roadblock, with the of Human Resource Development postponing a Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) meeting to look into the matter.
The Ministry first permitted the NBT to go ahead with the routine process to fill the post with a regular appointee, but postponed the DPC meet on the ground that a meeting had been fixed on October 17, in which the NBT did not invite the Ministry to send its representative. The meeting was postponed just two days after permission was given by the Ministry.
The DPC is supposed to have officials from the NBT, the Ministry and an independent expert.
The NBT replied that no such meeting had been fixed for October 17 in the first place, and the Ministry had been “misled” by someone. The trust also asked the Ministry to take serious note of this. However, things had not moved further after this, sources in the Ministry said.
A mail sent by The Hindu to the official of the Ministry looking into the matter did not elicit any response. The official could also not be reached on phone, as he was in a meeting, though his office confirmed the mail had been received.
Qualifications required
The essential criteria are that the candidate should be below 50, have a Master’s degree from a recognised university and “10 years experience in senior editorial capacity in a publishing organisation engaged in production of books or with a newspaper or magazine or a public institute of repute and adequate experience of developing, writing and editing books”. The desirable qualifications are a doctoral degree in Indian literature or language and knowledge of book production.
