MHA wants check on content on portal for retiring employees

MHA has sought a mechanism to check sharing of any objectionable content by retiring employees, who might be privy to sensitive internal security matters.

New Delhi: Home Ministry has sought a mechanism to check sharing of any objectionable content by retiring employees, who might be privy to sensitive internal security matters, on an online public platform launched for them by government in March to share their experience.

A suggestion in this regard was made by MHA officials during a recent meeting called by Personnel Ministry with representatives of some of other departments to encourage submission of write-ups on 'Anubhav' -- a portal for the retiring central government employees to showcase commendable work done by them during their service.

"Ministry of Home Affairs suggested that facility to edit the write-ups at the level of Head of Office and Head of Department may be given so that the objectionable paragraph in the write-up could be deleted and the entire write-up is not rejected," according to the minutes of the meeting held late last month.

It was explained that this facility has not been allowed with the intention that the employees submission should not be modified, it said.

Earlier, Central Reserve Police Force has objected to sharing of operational experience by retiring personnel of armed forces on a Anubhav saying it will be a "risk" to national security.

MHA also suggested that there should be a facility to upload the write-ups in Hindi. It was assured that this facility would be provided shortly, it said.

Representatives of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting were requested to provide material which would motivate the retiring employees to contribute in Anubhav.

The problems being faced by the ministries or departments in increasing the number of write-ups were also discussed during the meeting.

"Representative of Ministry of Earth Science wanted guidelines on the format and content of write-ups that could be of help to motivate the retiring employees. He was informed that there are guidelines on what not to write. There can be no guidelines for write-up which mainly is a experience sharing instrument," according to the minutes of the deliberation.

Senior officials who are part of the programme emphasised upon the need to increase the number of published write-ups in Anubhav and that rejections be avoided as far as possible.

It was said that paramilitary forces, posts, railways, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) are being expected to add maximum number as they have huge number of employees.

About 793 write-ups have already been published on the Anubhav website. 227 others are yet to be released and 31 write-ups have been rejected, according to a latest data.

As part of the Anubhav initiative, central government employees retiring within next six months are expected to share experiences and good work done by them during their tenure.