Retired on 30 April 2026, re-employed as contractual JDG the next day. DGCA order silent on powers while tenure runs till 31 March 2027

Rajneesh Kapur

According to a Notification dated 22 April 2026 issued by the DGCA, Maneesh Kumar, Joint Director General, stood retired from government service with effect from the afternoon of 30 April 2026 on attaining the age of superannuation. Surprisingly, another Office Order F.No. A-19011/35/2019-E-III, of the same date, stated that consequent upon approval of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) vide communication No. 16/2/2021-EO(SM-II) dated 25 March 2026, he was re-employed on contract basis to the post of Joint Director General, DGCA, with effect from 1 May 2026 till 31 March 2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier, on the usual terms and conditions applicable to re-employed Central Government officers. (copies of the orders are available with Kalchakra)

The re-employment order designates him as JDG but remains silent on any specific notification or delegation of statutory powers under the Aircraft Rules, 1937. Functions attached to the post of JDG, including those of a Licensing Authority, normally require a separate and explicit delegation. Despite the purely contractual nature of the engagement, Maneesh Kumar is understood to be exercising the full range of powers associated with the post.

The contractual status of Kumar is further reflected by the issuance of a ‘Pink’ pass by the Ministry of Home Affairs (a category normally given to contractual personnel) instead of the ‘Yellow’ pass issued to regular government employees. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in India issues the ‘Pink Pass’, officially designated as the MHA Non-Official (Open) Photo Pass to non-official personnel rather than regular central or state government employees.

According to circulars from the Ministry of Home Affairs Pass Cell, this category specifically covers:

a) Non-Government Individuals and Private Personnel. Individuals who are not regular government officers or employees, but whose official work or liaison duties require frequent, open access to MHA-controlled security zones (such as North Block and other central secretariat buildings).

b) Contractual and Outsourced Workers. Private staff, consultants, or vendor personnel working on government premises who are sponsored by a competent authority.

It has also been learnt that the diplomatic passport issued during regular service has not been surrendered after superannuation. According to the source in the DGCA, he recently traveled to Bangkok and Malaysia on an official visit using his diplomatic passport.

It is reliably learnt that, a justification reportedly advanced for the re-employment was that no Deputy Director General was eligible for promotion to the post of JDG and that the post would otherwise have lapsed. This reasoning raises questions, as DGCA has already positioned an officer from outside against a JDG-level post.

Concerns have also been raised about the possibility that the same contractual officer has been given charge of more than one specialised technical directorate. Air Safety and Airworthiness are distinct directorates with separate mandates. One focuses on incident investigation and operational safety oversight, the other on aircraft certification, continuing airworthiness and maintenance approvals. No clear provision or established precedent exists for one officer simultaneously holding regular charge of both. Combining the two under a single contractual officer raises structural questions about conflict of interest and independent oversight.

The present contractual engagement is valid only till 31 March 2027. With several months still remaining, questions are already being asked whether the arrangement could be extended further, particularly in light of the earlier justification of a shortage of eligible internal officers? No official communication has yet been issued on any such proposal. The DGCA did not respond to the email sent by Kalchakra till the filing of this report.

The developments come at a time when DGCA continues to face significant vacancies in senior technical posts. The present arrangement has put the spotlight on the use of contractual re-employment for senior regulatory positions and whether established rules governing status, powers and functional separation of directorates are being followed.

*This is a developing story and more facts shall be updated in due course.