Aviation regulator flags slow hiring via UPSC, seeks autonomy for recruitment

Documents accessed by HT show DGCA proposed sweeping reforms including the ability to hire directly from premier technical institutes like IITs and NITs

India’s aviation safety regulator is demanding greater autonomy from government recruitment processes, citing internal projections that show only 294 new appointments are possible in the next six months due to bureaucratic delays, at a time when the sector faces mounting safety concerns.

The demand comes as India’s aviation sector handles 376 million passengers annually while operating with critical regulatory gaps. As of July 1, 2025, the DGCA had 553 posts filled, leaving 48% of technical positions vacant, with projections showing 216 positions will remain unfilled even after the expected recruitment. (File)

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has told the government that even after these additions, it will operate with only 847 officials against 1,063 sanctioned posts, using this projection as evidence that traditional recruitment methods are failing to keep pace with the world’s fastest-growing aviation market.

Internal documents accessed by HT show the DGCA has proposed sweeping reforms including the ability to hire directly from premier technical institutes like IITs and NITs for up to five years, autonomy in technical recruitment, and maintaining a pool of retired aviation officers as consultants.

“The DGCA flagged that it takes more than one year to be recruited by the UPSC. The shortage leads to limited availability of eligible officials on deputation posts for the sector,” a ministry official said, describing how the regulator is leveraging recruitment failures to argue for independence from the Union Public Service Commission’s hiring processes.

The demand comes as India’s aviation sector handles 376 million passengers annually while operating with critical regulatory gaps. As of July 1, 2025, the DGCA had 553 posts filled, leaving 48% of technical positions vacant, with projections showing 216 positions will remain unfilled even after the expected recruitment.

Of the total sanctioned strength, 961 Group A technical officer posts are to be filled through UPSC and 102 Flight Operations Inspector posts on contract.

Citing these numbers, the regulator has argued for “administrative autonomy in creation or transfer of posts, recruitment from open market, and financial powers for fixation of remuneration fee for consultants” in recent meetings with government officials, according to a second person aware of the matter.

The DGCA also cited “limited functional and financial autonomy for DGCA as an attached office” as a major obstruction, according to the person cited above

The regulator’s recruitment data underscores its case: only three officials were added in 2023, 72 in 2024, and 13 so far this year – a glacial pace that the regulator says justifies breaking free from conventional government hiring constraints.

The autonomy proposal includes specialised domestic and foreign training for officers, contractual hiring flexibility, special allowances to attract skilled manpower, and powers to create and transfer posts – reforms the DGCA says are essential given current systemic limitations.

The regulator has specifically highlighted the absence of financial incentives for officers on deputation and no special allowances to attract skilled manpower, factors that compound recruitment challenges in a sector where technical expertise commands premium private sector salaries.

The issue of staff shortage was first reported by HT on July 20, after which the matter was taken up in parliament. Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu has acknowledged the challenge while defending current efforts: “We recruited for 103 posts which was the highest number in the history of DGCA. This year we plan to recruit 190. By the end of October, we are going to recruit 190 posts for DGCA,” he said at the time

Some immediate relief is expected with 54 officials set to join, including 43 Airworthiness Officers, the second officer cited above said. A proposal to recruit 190 people directly through UPSC has been accepted, with joining expected by October.

Officials said the regulator has presented these staffing projections to the parliamentary Standing Committee, using the data to emphasise that current recruitment systems are hampering its ability to conduct airline operations oversight, aircraft certification, and safety audits.

“The DGCA urged for full freedom to hire its own technical staff,” the official concluded, as the regulator leverages the recruitment crisis to push for broader operational independence.

The staffing shortage affects oversight of airports, with each of the 553 current officials effectively responsible for monitoring 680,000 passengers – a workload disparity the DGCA argues demonstrates the urgent need for hiring autonomy.