BusinessAugust 26, 2026

deputation

DEP-yuh-TAY-shun

Definition

The temporary assignment of an employee, typically a government official, from their permanent department or state cadre to another organization or office.

Etymology

Derived from the Latin 'deputare', meaning to assign or allot. It entered Middle English via Old French to describe the act of appointing someone to act on another's behalf or to a specific task.

In the news

The article uses the term to describe how officials from state services or other agencies are moved to serve under the Union government for a specific period of time. It highlights the administrative mechanism for sharing personnel between different government bodies.

How India recruits government employees — and why so few make it

Read the full article ↗

The Indian Express

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