All departments to revise R&P Rules; Law Department approval now mandatory for new recruitments
Shimla: In a major policy shift, the Himachal Pradesh government has officially abolished the system of contractual recruitment and initiated a complete overhaul of the Recruitment and Promotion (R&P) Rules across all departments. The Personnel Department has issued strict instructions to all Administrative Secretaries, Divisional Commissioners, Heads of Departments, and Deputy Commissioners to amend the rules before initiating any new hiring process.
According to the directives, the term ‘Job Trainee’ will now replace the earlier ‘contractual appointment’ terminology in the recruitment rules. This move follows the enactment of the State Government Employees Recruitment and Service Conditions Act, 2024, marking the end of contract-based hiring in the state.
The Personnel Department has emphasised that no department can proceed with recruitments without first amending their R&P rules. Furthermore, all draft recruitment notifications must now be submitted to the Law Department for scrutiny and approval before being officially issued.
Key Amendments in R&P Rules
The Personnel Secretary has specifically instructed departments to revise columns 4, 9, 10, and 15-A in the R&P format:
- Column 4 (Pay Scale): It must now clearly mention the level of the pay matrix in expanded form to bring transparency and uniformity in pay structures.
- Column 9 (Probation Policy): A standardized probation period of two years will be applicable for direct recruitments, extendable by one year in exceptional cases. Promotions involving changes in group levels (e.g., from Group B to Group A) will also require a two-year probation. However, there will be no probation for term-based appointments, re-employment after retirement, or inter-group promotions.
- Column 10 (Method of Recruitment): This will now explicitly detail the method—whether direct recruitment, promotion, regularisation, secondment, or transfer. The column must also specify the percentage of posts filled through each method.
- Column 15A (Contractual Appointment): This column, which previously governed contractual hiring, has been completely removed from the R&P format, reinforcing the government’s commitment to ending contract-based jobs.
The Personnel Department has directed all departments to expedite the amendment process and submit updated draft notifications for legal vetting.
This decision is expected to bring consistency, transparency, and long-term security to the recruitment process across government services in Himachal Pradesh.
