Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has introduced a new policy for character and antecedent verification in state government recruitment, allowing selected candidates for general posts to receive provisional appointment letters while their verification is pending.
The policy was announced by M. Devaraj (IAS: 1996: UP), Principal Secretary, in Lucknow on October 29. According to reports, the measure is intended to reduce delays in the recruitment process.
The provisions apply to direct recruitment across government departments, corporations, councils, autonomous bodies, panchayats and local bodies. However, appointments to sensitive posts will continue to require detailed verification before candidates are appointed.
Provisional Appointment Possible Before Verification
Under the revised procedure, candidates selected for general posts may receive provisional appointment letters before their character and antecedent verification is complete.
Read Also: UP Scraps Housing Board NOC Requirement for Building Plan Approvals, Eases Construction Clearances
The appointment remains provisional, and candidates must provide the prescribed documents and self-declaration. If verification subsequently establishes that a candidate is ineligible or has supplied false information, the appointment may be cancelled and legal action initiated.
Sensitive Posts to Require Detailed Checks
The policy retains stricter verification requirements for sensitive and security-related posts. District police and the Local Intelligence Unit (LIU) are required to submit verification reports within 30 days of receiving a request.
Verification is to cover the candidate’s home district and districts where the person has lived for more than one year during the preceding five years. The reported guidelines also state that police and LIU personnel will not need to visit a candidate’s residence and that the candidate’s physical presence will not be mandatory.
Serious Offences May Lead to Disqualification
The policy identifies involvement in serious offences—including murder, rape, examination-paper leaks, organised cheating and cyber fraud—as grounds that may render candidates ineligible for government employment.
At the same time, the guidelines clarify that the mere registration of an FIR or the pendency of an investigation will not automatically disqualify a candidate. Eligibility is to be assessed under the applicable verification rules.
Candidates who conceal information or provide false details risk cancellation of their appointment and possible legal action.
Existing Government Employees Exempt From Fresh Verification
According to reports on the new guidelines, employees already serving in government will not be required to undergo character verification afresh under the policy. Appointing authorities may, however, seek relevant information from their previous departments where necessary.
The revised procedure seeks to prevent pending verification reports from automatically delaying appointments while retaining checks for eligibility and character antecedents.
Read Also: UP Woos Global Tech Giants With 15 MoUs, Five Investor Letters at Lucknow Summit
