The panel will be for foreign assignments in the field of public administration under the United Nations and its allied agencies. The officers interested in foreign assignments should have no pending departmental or vigilance inquiry against them, it said. The department should also be able to relieve such officers after their appointment.

The government has asked the heads of department to ensure that the applications of desirous officers duly filled in the prescribed proforma in duplicate reach the Chief Secretary by February one next.

These assignments may be in other developing countries, but paid by the international organisations or in the international organisations themselves, it said. Each such panel will be valid for a period of three years. The fresh panel of experts would be operated from this month to the end of December 2001. The officer should have acquired at least three years of work experience in an area determined as per the codes with outstanding performance to his credit in the field to which his name is proposed.

The officer may be permitted to remain on long-term assignment adding upto a maximum of five years during the first 25 years of his service.

However, there is no ceiling beyond 25 years of service. The United Nations and other international organisations offer terms of appointment like salary, installation grant, assignment allowance, education grant, medical facilities and travel cost. These depend upon nature and duration of assignment and vary according to the country of assignments.