Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu has approved amended Delhi patwari recruitment rules, removing the mandatory computer diploma requirement and making graduation the essential qualification for appointment to the Revenue Department.
The change covers 230 patwari posts across Delhi’s 13 districts, of which only 60 are currently filled, according to an office note cited by the Lieutenant Governor’s office. The amendment is intended to enable recruitment after the previous qualification requirement prevented the selection process from producing eligible candidates.
Under the earlier rules, applicants needed to have passed Class 12 from a recognised board, with mathematics as one of the subjects, and hold a one-year computer diploma from a government-recognised institution. Graduation, along with a diploma or certification in Cadastral Survey or Total Station Method Survey and one year of field experience, was listed as desirable.
The amended rules make graduation from a recognised university in any discipline the essential educational qualification. The requirement for a computer diploma has been dropped. Instead, the Revenue Department will provide new recruits with three months of training in computers and surveying and mapping.
The change follows the last recruitment process conducted by the Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board, in which no candidate was able to meet the mandatory requirement of a one-year computer diploma from a government-recognised institution, the office note said. The qualification requirement therefore became a barrier to filling posts that perform core land-record functions.
The number of sanctioned patwari posts has also risen from 218 to 230 following the reorganisation of Delhi’s districts from 11 to 13. With 170 positions currently unfilled, the revised rules create a wider recruitment pool while shifting part of the technical qualification process into departmental training after appointment.
The amended rules also allow patwari posts to be filled through personnel taken on deputation from central, state or Union Territory governments. This provides the department with an additional staffing route alongside direct recruitment through the DSSSB.
Patwaris are Revenue Department officials responsible for maintaining land records and collecting land revenue. Their work is linked to the administration of property and land transactions, making staffing levels relevant to the functioning of revenue offices across Delhi’s districts.
The next recruitment process will determine how quickly the department can use the revised eligibility criteria to fill the vacant posts. The department’s three-month computer and surveying and mapping training will form part of the preparation for new incumbents under the amended rules.
