FSSAI opens applications for Director-level posts on deputation; deadline December 12
Food safety regulator invites eligible senior officers to apply for three Director positions on foreign service terms, with one-year initial tenure and strict documentation requirements.
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The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a circular announcing recruitment for three Director-level posts (pay level-13) through deputation, including short-term contract, on foreign service terms.
The statutory body, established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, is responsible for setting science-based standards and regulating food manufacture, storage, distribution, sale, and import across the country to ensure safe and wholesome food for consumers.
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According to the circular dated November 26, 2025, eligible officers can submit applications online through the careers section of the FSSAI website from November 29 to December 12, 2025. Only applications submitted online within this timeline will be considered, with December 12 also serving as the cut-off date for eligibility criteria.
Candidates applying through deputation must ensure submission of a hard copy of their online application, duly certified by their employer, along with mandatory documentation such as integrity certificate, vigilance clearance, major/minor penalty details from the past ten years, and certified APARs for the last five years.
These documents must reach the Assistant Director, Recruitment Cell, FSSAI Headquarters, New Delhi, through the proper channel by December 19, 2025. Advance copies will not be accepted for scrutiny.
The circular also clarifies that departmental officers in the direct line of promotion are not eligible to apply for deputation. Applicants who had previously applied under notice DEP-03/2025 need not apply again but must ensure resubmission of any missing documents before the current deadline.
Appointments made under deputation will initially be for one year and may be extended based on vacancy and performance appraisal, subject to Government of India guidelines. The deputation process is exempt from the rule of immediate absorption, and remuneration will follow DOPT’s Office Memorandum dated June 17, 2010, and subsequent guidelines. The upper age limit for application is 56 years as of the closing date.
The circular further notes that officers working in departments or autonomous bodies with IDA salary structures should refer to the IDA-CDA equivalency chart (Annexure-III) for eligibility clarification. Additionally, once submitted, candidates will not be permitted to withdraw their applications.
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The communication has been issued by Pritha Ghosh, Joint Director (Recruitment), and circulated to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s Food Regulations division for wider dissemination, including uploading on the DoPT website.
