DoPT Circular on Fake Training Entities: Government Issues Strict Advisory
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Government of India, has issued a strong caution to all ministries, state governments, and cadre-controlling authorities regarding fake training institutes posing as government bodies. The alert comes after suspicious foreign training programmes were circulated by an unrecognized entity named National Institute of Secretariat Training & Development (NISTD).
This advisory, dated 27 November 2025, urges government officials to exercise extreme caution before enrolling in any such programmes.
NISTD Misrepresented as a Government Body
According to the DoPT circular, the Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB) flagged that NISTD was falsely projecting itself as:
- A Government entity, and
- An autonomous body established by the Government of NCT of Delhi.
However, official verification revealed that:
- NISTD is not a government institution.
- It is only a proprietorship firm, registered under GST (GSTIN: 09ADEPA3952G3ZQ).
- Its GST registration now stands suspended effective 15 September 2025.
This makes it clear that NISTD has no authority to organize training programmes for government or semi-government officials.
DoPT Clarifies: NISTD Training Programmes Are Not Recognized
The DoPT has explicitly stated that:
Training programmes conducted by NISTD are not recognized or approved by the Department of Personnel and Training.
All Cadre Controlling Authorities (CCAs) have been instructed to:
- Sensitize government servants under their jurisdiction.
- Ensure officials verify the authenticity of any training institute.
- Contact DoPT in case of any doubt regarding training programme legitimacy.
This step aims to prevent government employees from falling prey to unauthorized and misleading training advertisements.
Foreign Training Restrictions Still in Force
The circular reiterates that the restrictions imposed through the DoPT OM No. 16017/12/2020-iGOT dated 01.04.2021 — concerning foreign training programmes — continue to remain valid.
This means:
- No official should enroll in foreign training programmes unless specifically approved.
- Unauthorized foreign courses promoted by private entities must be strictly avoided.
The reminder ensures that officials remain compliant with existing government policies on foreign exposure and capacity-building programmes.
A Clear Warning for All Government Employees
The new DoPT circular serves as an important reminder for government and semi-government officials to stay alert and verify all training-related communications. With fake institutes increasingly misrepresenting themselves as government bodies, this advisory helps maintain the integrity of official training systems.
Officials are encouraged to follow due diligence and refer cases to the Department whenever authenticity is in doubt.