Govt to get specialists as joint secretaries for digital commerce, arbitration, conciliation and cyber laws

NEW DELHI: The government is looking to rope in specialists as part of its latest exercise to bring in lateral entrants into central ministries and departments. The applications for four joint secretary rank officials that have been invited has sought to recruit experts who can deal with policies in “emerging areas” such as digital commerce, arbitration and conciliation and cyber laws.
The government is also looking to appoint 20 director- and deputy director-rank posts.
As per the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), the government will recruit a joint secretary to deal with issues of digital commerce in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), which is framing the E-commerce Rules. The candidates must have a master’s degree or PG diploma in Business Administration, economics, commerce or foreign trade and must have 15 years’ experience in an e-commerce company, marketplace or retail trade company. They also must have a minimum seven years’ experience as the business head or practice head of such an entity.
The joint secretary will be responsible for policy formulation, analysis and to assist the government in matters related to digital trade and internal trade, matters related to Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) and initiatives to deepen the adoption of digital commerce.
Similarly, two joint secretaries will be recruited to deal with “arbitration and conciliation” and “cyber laws” respectively in the law ministry. In both the cases, the candidates must have at least 15 years’ post qualification experience, including seven years’ experience in the respective field.
In the lateral entry of directors, the government will recruit an expert to deal with “integrated nutrient management” in the agriculture ministry who must have a master’s degree in agriculture with specialisation and ten years’ experience in the field of promotion of organic manures, bio-fertilisers and quality control of fertilisers. Another recruitment will be for dealing with “natural resource management/ rainfed farming system”.
In the newly carved cooperation ministry, the government will also recruit a director or deputy secretary in charge of “cooperation/ credit”.
In June 2018, the government had for the first time invited applications for 10 joint secretary level posts. The persons taking up such government jobs work on contract basis for three to five years.