VOCPA Inquiry Officers Empanelment 2026

About This Job

VOCPA has published a DoPT notice for empanelment of retired officers as Inquiry Officers. This is a panel opportunity for retired officers not below Deputy Secretary level from Central Government, State Government, or PSUs. The VOCPA careers API shows the last date as 30 June 2026. There is no fixed vacancy count in the notice.

V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority Inquiry Officers Empanelment 2026

V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority (VOCPA) has listed the Government of India, Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) office memorandum on its official careers page. The notice is for creating a panel of retired Inquiry Officers to conduct departmental inquiries. This is an empanelment, not a regular salaried post; work is assigned case by case as per the rules in the memorandum.

The notice says Inquiry Officers may conduct departmental inquiries against Group A officers of CSS and CSSS cadre as per DoPT terms and later amendments. VOCPA’s API keeps this item active with the official last date of 30 June 2026, so the listing remains open even though the attached DoPT memo carries its own internal circulation date.

Who Can Apply?

• Retired Officer Level: You should be a retired officer not below the rank of Deputy Secretary or equivalent.
• Eligible Background: Retired officers from Central Government, State Governments, and PSUs are covered in the DoPT procedure.
• Conduct Requirement: You should not have been penalized in a disciplinary proceeding or criminal prosecution.
• Inquiry Experience: The application format asks for details of earlier inquiry officer responsibility and disciplinary proceeding experience, if any.
• Panel Validity: The panel of retired officers is valid for 3 years.
• Case Load: An Inquiry Officer may be restricted to 8 cases in a year and not more than 4 cases at a time.
• Timeline: The inquiry report should normally be submitted within 180 days from appointment as Inquiry Officer.

Important conduct conditions: The designated officer must not be a witness, complainant, close relative, or known friend of the officer being inquired into. The Inquiry Officer must also keep documents and information strictly confidential and return all records after submitting the report.

Honorarium and Allowances

• Category I Cases: Honorarium equal to 90% of monthly basic pension where witnesses are more than 10.
• Category II Cases: Honorarium equal to 70% of monthly basic pension where witnesses are between 6 and 10.
• Category III Cases: Honorarium equal to 60% of monthly basic pension where witnesses are less than 6.
• Transport Allowance: Rs. 40,000 per case, with additional reimbursement for approved outstation travel as per entitlement.
• Secretarial Assistance: Rs. 40,000, Rs. 30,000, or Rs. 20,000 depending on case category.
• Additional Charged Officer: In common disciplinary proceedings, an extra Rs. 5,000 may be payable for every additional charged officer.
• Payment Condition: Payment is linked to proper submission of case records and inquiry report as required by the disciplinary authority.

Travel and daily allowance are governed by entitlement immediately before retirement and approvals for outstation travel. Since payment is case-based and linked to pension percentage, the monthly salary fields are left blank in the structured data.

Selection Process

The DoPT procedure says names are screened after receipt of willingness from retired officers. The panel is made through a three-member committee consisting of Joint Secretary-level officers, including the CVO of the concerned ministry, department, or PSU.

1. Application Scrutiny: Details in the proforma are checked against the eligibility conditions.
2. Committee Screening: A three-member committee screens suitable retired officers.
3. Panel Formation: Officers may be placed on a level/rank-wise and place-specific panel.
4. Case Allocation: A disciplinary authority may appoint an Inquiry Officer based on willingness, experience, sector, and residence status.

No written exam is mentioned in the notice. The key screening factors are retired officer rank, service background, disciplinary record, inquiry experience, willingness, and suitability for the panel.

How to Apply

1. Download and fill the proforma attached with the official notice.
2. Enter details such as last post held, service, pay level, retirement date, contact details, and inquiry experience.
3. Send the signed application to the Under Secretary [AVD-CS(Gr.A)], Department of Personnel and Training, 31020 (W/H), Kartavya Bhawan-03, New Delhi-110001.
4. You may also forward the signed application by email to bhupinder.malik@nic.in as mentioned in the notice.
5. Submit the application before the VOCPA careers deadline of 30 June 2026.
6. Make sure the proforma includes name, last post held, service, last pay level, equivalent central post, date of birth, retirement date, address, mobile number, email, and retired department details.
7. Add details of disciplinary matter experience, previous Inquiry Officer assignment, present IO cases, training or programme attended for IO/PO work, penalty status, and whether retirement was on superannuation/VRS/FR 56.
8. Sign the statement confirming that the facts given in the proforma are true.

Important Dates

• DoPT Memorandum Date: 18 May 2026
• VOCPA Listing Start Date: 22 May 2026
• Last Date as per VOCPA Careers API: 30 June 2026
• Panel Validity: 3 years after empanelment

• Conduct departmental inquiry proceedings assigned by the disciplinary authority
• Maintain strict confidentiality of inquiry records, documents, and information
• Hold hearings and examine records, witnesses, and procedural objections as required
• Use video conferencing where possible to reduce unnecessary travel
• Prepare a clear inquiry report with findings on each article of charge
• Submit the inquiry report within the prescribed timeline, normally within 180 days
• Return all case records and signed reports to the appointing authority after completion