New Delhi: There will be no more interviews for selection in junior level posts and non-gazetted posts of the central government from January 1, 2016, a government memorandum said on Tuesday.

"The timeline set regarding completing the process of the discontinuation of an interview by December 31, 2015, has to be adhered to strictly," said the memorandum from the department of personnel and training issued to all central ministries, departments, attached offices, subordinate offices, autonomous bodies and public sector undertakings.

"From January 1, 2016, there will be no recruitment with an interview at the junior level posts," it said.

"All advertisements for future vacancies will be without interview as part of the recruitment process.

"It is also clarified that as skill test or physical test is different from an interview, they may continue. However, these tests will only be of qualifying nature. Assessment will not be done on the basis of marks for such tests," it said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly suggested doing away with interviews for most junior level posts to reduce the scope of discretion.

In cases of specific posts where the ministry or department wants to continue taking interviews as a process of recruitment, a detailed proposal seeking exemption will have to be sent to the department with the approval of the minister or minister-in-charge.

The ministries have been asked to send a consolidated report by January 7 in this regard. (IANS), (image courtesy: exposeindialive.com)