The UPSC, however, seems firm on going ahead with the interviews scheduled for February 22 -- it has called eight people so far. But what has caused some panic in the Ministry is that one of the required qualifications is that all applicants be under 55 years of age.

The Ministry, in fact, had been writing to the UPSC for over a year, insisting Prasar Bharati would be forming the recruitment board, as directed under the Prasar Bharati Act of 1990. The requisition for the D-G's appointment came in 1996, which is the plea UPSC has used. Having consulted the LawMinistry, it is confident that as the post of D-G fell vacant before the Prasar Bharati was formed, the UPSC is well within its right to hold interviews.

The Prasar Bharati board too had said the UPSC could continue to appoint DD and All India Radio professionals, in the absence of the recruitment board being formed, but the Ministry put the spanner in the works again, saying the decision did not extend to the appointment of those above joint secretary level.

Clearly, the Ministry would like to retain control of the D-G, appointing an ad hoc person in his place. Since former Chief Executive Officer S S Gill reverted the Joint Secretary (Broadcasting) to the Ministry last year, ending his additional charge, Doordarshan has not had a D-G. The UPSC decision took the Ministry by surprise. Having taken the decision on January 18, it sent the letters to the D-G candidates a week later.