Himachal’s New Recruitment Rules: A Shift Towards Stability

The Employees’ Service Conditions Act, 2024, has significantly changed the recruitment system in Himachal Pradesh’s government departments. Effective immediately, recruitment on a contract basis has been banned. The Personnel Department issued a directive on Saturday, instructing all departments to halt such appointments until further notice.

This move is part of the state’s plan to introduce a regularisation system after five years of provisional service, similar to Gujarat’s model. Specific instructions have been sent to various administrative officials, including Administrative Secretaries, Heads of Departments, Deputy Commissioners, and others.

The Act, passed in the Assembly and enforced from February 20, 2025, includes provisions with retrospective effect from December 12, 2003. These provisions mandate regularisation as the sole path forward, eliminating contract appointments.

Previously, some departments, like the Education Department, appointed school lecturers contractually without consulting the Personnel and Law Departments. The new Act subjects such appointments to scrutiny, and all ongoing and upcoming selection processes are being reviewed to comply with the revised legal framework.

Additionally, the government issued instructions on April 8, 2025, regarding the regularisation of contract employees. Contractual employees with two years of continuous service by March 31, 2025, are eligible for regularisation. However, all regularisations must now adhere to the Employees’ Service Conditions Act, 2024. Departments must ensure the new Act’s provisions are included in regularisation orders, and any existing orders must be amended to comply.

These sweeping changes are expected to impact several past and ongoing appointments. All departments have been advised to await new government guidelines before proceeding with any new recruitment.