The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has decided that a total ceiling of ten years be prescribed beyond which an officer may not be permitted to be appointed in the personal staff of ministers, irrespective of level.
"However, tenure as Private Secretary and OSD to the minister has been limited to five years within the overall limit on the personal staff of the minister," Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions V Narayanasamy said in a written reply.
The ceiling is not applicable on the personal staff appointed in the Prime Minister's Office, he said.
"It has also been directed that the cadre authority should check whether the officer had worked in the personal staff of a minister earlier and if so, the total tenure be restricted to not more than ten years in the officer's entire career," Narayanasamy said.
For the purpose of reckoning ten years, all assignments including any stints that the officer may have had earlier at Under Secretary or lower levels also in the personal staff of any are to be counted, he said.
During the last one year, five cases seeking extension beyond permissible limit have been rejected by the competent authority, the Minister added.