Faced with criticism, the I&B ministry reverses the “no training, no salary” order

NEW DELHI: Facing backlash, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) quickly revised its order withholding salaries of employees who had failed to fulfill the mandate Karmayogi training courses on the iGoT platform.
The order issued Monday affected all employees identified as part of the National Apprenticeship Week – including contract workerssuch as Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) and Peons – to complete a minimum of four hours of training.
While ministries have tailored specific courses for their staff, courses prescribed by the MIB, including technical modules, totaling more than 2.15 hours, have been criticized for being irrelevant to the core functions of the ministry.
With many employees failing to complete the course, the accounts office was asked not to disclose salaries for November, causing an outcry that went beyond the I&B ministry. As of Tuesday, the revised directive now requires a status report on course completion instead of withholding salary bills. Despite the change, “the initial order left employees scrambling to complete classes before the end of the month, fearing repercussions,” an official said.
“Can the salary – intended for main professional responsibilities – be withheld in the event of incomplete training sessions? asked one MIB staff member. Concerns have also been raised about the ability of junior staff, such as contract workers, to complete these courses.
According to ministry sources, despite murmurs of discontent and a directive described as “atrocious”, no formal protest has been lodged. Instead, most employees seek to obtain their certificates quickly to avoid conflicts. Interestingly, the initiative has been greeted with enthusiasm in some quarters, as senior civil servants recognize top performers and celebrate their training experience.