IRS Amit Samdariya Appointed Joint Director in NTA on Four-Year Central Deputation
New Delhi: The Central Government has selected Amit Samdariya, a 2016-batch Indian Revenue Service officer of the Customs and Indirect Taxes (C&IT) cadre, for appointment as Joint Director at the National Testing Agency (NTA) under the Department of Higher Education. His appointment, made under the Central Staffing Scheme, will be for a period of four years from the date he assumes charge of the post, or until further orders, whichever comes earlier.
Samdariya was recommended for central deputation by the Department of Revenue and has now been selected for a position at the Deputy Secretary level in the NTA. The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has asked the Department of Revenue to relieve him of his present duties immediately so that he can take up his new assignment in Delhi.
Amit Samdariya Selected for NTA Assignment
According to an Office Memorandum issued by the Office of the Establishment Officer under the DoPT in August 2026, Amit Samdariya, IRS (C&IT:2016), has been selected for appointment as Joint Director in the National Testing Agency.
The post is classified at the Deputy Secretary level under the Central Staffing Scheme. His tenure will run for four years beginning from the date he takes charge, unless the government issues further orders ending or modifying the assignment earlier.
The appointment places a central tax-service officer in an organisation that plays a major role in conducting entrance and recruitment examinations and other testing-related activities under the higher education framework.
Department of Revenue Asked to Relieve Officer
The DoPT has specifically requested the Department of Revenue to relieve Samdariya from his current responsibilities immediately. He has been directed to take up his new assignment at the National Testing Agency under the Department of Higher Education in Delhi.
The memorandum was addressed to the Secretary, Department of Revenue, Arvind Shrivastava. The order makes it clear that the administrative process for his movement to the NTA should be completed without delay.
A separate appointment notification from the Department of Higher Education is expected to formally record his appointment. The DoPT has requested the department to forward a copy of that notification once it is issued.
Four-Year Tenure Under Central Staffing Scheme
Samdariya’s appointment has been made under the Central Staffing Scheme, which allows eligible officers from various government services to serve in ministries, departments and central organisations for specified periods.
In this case, the sanctioned tenure is four years from the date of assuming charge. However, the order also contains the standard provision that the appointment will continue until further orders or until the four-year period ends, whichever occurs earlier.
This means the tenure is subject to the government’s administrative decisions during the period of deputation. Any subsequent change would have to be communicated through an appropriate government order.
What Is the National Testing Agency?
The National Testing Agency is a central testing organisation under the Department of Higher Education. It conducts a range of major examinations and entrance tests, making its administrative functioning an important part of India’s higher education system.
A Joint Director at the Deputy Secretary level can be expected to handle significant administrative and organisational responsibilities within the agency, although the specific portfolio that Samdariya will oversee has not been mentioned in the DoPT memorandum.
His appointment comes as part of the Centre’s broader deployment of officers from different services into specialised administrative positions through the Central Staffing Scheme.
Amit Samdariya’s IRS Background
Amit Samdariya belongs to the 2016 batch of the Indian Revenue Service in the Customs and Indirect Taxes stream. His parent department is the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of Finance, and it was this department that recommended him for central deputation.
The latest order does not provide a detailed account of his previous postings or responsibilities within the revenue administration. It does, however, establish that he was considered for central deputation by the Department of Revenue before being selected for the NTA assignment.
His move to the National Testing Agency will therefore mark a shift from the revenue administration framework to a central organisation working under the Department of Higher Education.
Appointment Follows Central Deputation Selection Process
Central deputation appointments involve a formal selection and approval process through which officers are considered for positions in the Union Government and its attached or subordinate organisations.
In Samdariya’s case, the Department of Revenue recommended him for central deputation. He was subsequently selected for the Joint Director position at the NTA under the Central Staffing Scheme.
The DoPT has now communicated the selection to the concerned departments and directed that the officer be relieved so that he can assume his new responsibilities.
Important Rule on Joining the New Post
The DoPT memorandum also draws attention to an important condition attached to Central Staffing Scheme appointments. Citing directions of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet conveyed through a DoPT circular dated August 17, 2005, the department has reminded that an officer should join the assigned post within three weeks from the date of issue of the appointment order.
Failure to join within the prescribed period can result in the initiation of the process for debarment from the Central Staffing Scheme. In practical terms, this means officers selected for central deputation are expected to take up their assignments within the stipulated timeframe unless an authorised exception or extension is granted.
The reminder has been specifically included in the order concerning Samdariya’s appointment.
Department of Higher Education to Issue Appointment Notification
The Department of Higher Education has been asked to issue the formal appointment notification concerning Samdariya. Once that notification is issued, a copy is to be forwarded to the DoPT for its records.
The memorandum was also circulated to senior offices within the personnel administration system, including the office of the Minister of State for Personnel and the office of the Secretary (Personnel). A copy has also been sent to Samdariya through the Secretary of the Department of Revenue.
Samdariya to Take Charge in Delhi
The new assignment will be based in Delhi, where the National Testing Agency functions under the administrative framework of the Department of Higher Education. Samdariya has been asked to take up the Joint Director position after being relieved by his parent department.
His appointment will bring an IRS officer with a Customs and Indirect Taxes background into the administration of the national testing system. While the exact responsibilities attached to his position will become clearer through the formal appointment notification, the post itself carries Deputy Secretary-level status.
The four-year central deputation also gives the officer an opportunity to work outside his parent revenue department and gain experience in a different area of central administration.
Key Details of Amit Samdariya’s Appointment
The major points in the DoPT order are clear. Amit Samdariya is a 2016-batch IRS officer from the Customs and Indirect Taxes stream who was recommended for central deputation by the Department of Revenue.
He has been selected as Joint Director at the National Testing Agency, at the Deputy Secretary level, under the Department of Higher Education. His tenure is fixed at four years from the date he assumes charge, or until further orders, whichever comes earlier.
The Department of Revenue has been asked to relieve him immediately, while the Department of Higher Education will issue the formal appointment notification.
For now, the next step is Samdariya’s joining at the NTA in Delhi. His appointment reflects the movement of officers from specialised central services into wider administrative roles under the Central Staffing Scheme, with the DoPT setting a clear timeline for taking charge of the new assignment.
