TNI Bureau: The selection process for the post of Director (Personnel) at NMDC Ltd, a Navratna public sector undertaking under the Government of India, has come under scrutiny following questions over the shortlisting of candidates by the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB).

Interviews for the post are scheduled to be held on December 23. On December 10, PESB released a list of 12 shortlisted candidates, including five officers from NMDC and seven from other public sector undertakings. Among the internal candidates are two General Managers and three Deputy General Managers.

Concerns have been raised by sources over the exclusion of several senior NMDC officers at the General Manager level and above, who reportedly have long experience in personnel and human resources functions and had applied for the post.

The controversy deepened after PESB issued a special notice on December 19, adding NMDC Executive Director Shivendra Bahadur Singh as a 13th candidate for the interview. According to the PESB notice, Mr. Singh was included after the Board considered his representation submitted on December 16, treating it as a special case.

This late inclusion has led to questions about the criteria followed by PESB and why similar opportunities were not extended to other applicants. Sources have also pointed out that Mr. Singh is not known to have prior experience working in the personnel department, raising further doubts about the decision.

Meanwhile, sources indicate that lobbying is underway both within and outside NMDC ahead of the vacancy, as the current Director (Personnel) is due to complete her tenure on January 31, 2026. Officials from different public sector backgrounds are said to be pushing for their preferred candidates.

The developments have sparked debate over transparency and fairness in the selection process. Observers say the issue could reflect poorly on the credibility of the PESB and the overall appointment mechanism if the concerns are not adequately addressed.