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Updated on 11th April, 2023 , 6 min read
Recent Notification:- There has been no change in the ASO test centre for aspirants. The OPSC test centres that were already assigned for the ASO written exam slated for August 21, 2022 will stay intact for the postponed examination on August 27, 2022 (Saturday).
The MEA, or the Ministry of External Affairs, is a branch of the Indian government in charge of maintaining connections and communication with foreign nations. The Staff Selection Commission provides young people an excellent opportunity to work with the leading companies in the federal government. Assistant section officer, or ASO in MEA, is one of the top posts in SSC CGL. SSC administers the Combined Graduate Level (CGL), one of the routes to becoming an ASO in MEA. In the next post, we will provide all the data about ASO in the Ministry of External Affairs qualifications, job profiles, salary ranges, and more.
The following table gives details about OPSC ASO-
Details |
Particulars |
Post Name |
Assistant Service Officer (ASO) |
Exam Date |
27th August 2022 |
Exam Mode |
Online |
Applying Mode |
Online |
Duration of Exam |
6 hours (360 minutes) |
Selection Process |
Written Examination Interview |
Age Limit |
21 - 38 years |
No. of Attempts |
There is no limit until the qualifying conditions are met. |
Fees |
General- Rs. 500 ST/SC/PwD (More than 40% of those with disabilities are excluded from paying fees.) |
Post |
796 posts |
The SSC administers the CGL examination to fill different Group "B" and Group "C" officer level positions in central level ministries and departments. The following are the MEA ASO qualifying criteria-
The following table shows the age restriction details for ASO-
Post |
Classification |
ASO in the Ministry of External Affairs |
Group B |
The higher age limit, as well as the category-codes for claiming age relaxation as of the date of reckoning, are as follows-
Category |
Age Relaxation |
SC/ST |
5 Years |
OBC |
3 Years |
PwD + OBC |
13 Years |
PwDe + Gen |
10 Years |
PwD + SC/ST |
15 Years |
Ex-Servicemen |
3 years after deducting military service from the actual age on the closure date. |
The following are the required qualification specifications for the position of ASO in MEA:
The following are the duties of an ASO-
The below table gives details about the exam dates of ASO-
Events |
Important Dates |
Release of Notification |
31st December, 2021 |
Online Application Date |
20th January, 2022 |
Last Date of Application Form |
19th February, 2022 |
Last Date to Pay ASO Fees |
19th February, 2022 |
Application Form Submission |
25th February, 2022 |
Admit Card Date |
To be announced |
Exam Date |
21st August, 2022 (postponed) |
Answer Key Date |
To be announced |
ASO Result Date |
To be announced |
Merit List |
To be announced |
The application period for ASO 2022 began on January 20, 2022. Candidates must apply online using the official website in order to complete the application form, upload documents, and pay the application fee.
The following are some steps to apply for the ASO application form-
Candidates must complete the following procedures to register, which is the first and most important component of the application:
The submission of application fees concludes the ASO 2022 application procedure. The following table shows the application costs for candidates in various categories:
Category |
Fees (INR) |
General |
Rs. 500 |
SC/ST/PwD (with 40% more disability) |
NIL |
The pay scale of an ASO in MEA runs from INR 44,900 to INR 14,2400 with a grade pay of INR 4600 in addition to the Central Govt. permitted allowances. According to the 7th pay commission, the ASO in MEA would have originally received a salary of roughly INR 66,000/- pm.
The below table gives details about the salary structure-
Details |
Salary Structure (INR) |
Pay Scale |
Rs. 44,900 - 1,42,400 |
Pay Level |
Level 7 |
Basic Pay |
Rs. 44,900 |
Grade Pay |
Rs. 4600 |
DA (currently 17%) |
Rs. 7,633 |
Travel Allowance |
Cities- 3600 Other places- 1800 |
HRA |
Rs. 10,776 |
Gross Salary Range (approx) |
Rs. 66,909 |
The following are some of the benefits of ASO in India-
796 posts are available for ASO recruiting in 2022. The table below shows the breakdown of vacancies according to category-
Category |
Total |
Women from the Total |
General |
447 |
149 |
ST |
178 |
59 |
SC |
109 |
36 |
SEBC |
62 |
21 |
Total |
796 |
265 |
The Assistant Section Officer (ASO) is responsible for the department's workflow. They have essential job duties that concentrate on Indian diplomacy.
Here are some of the ASO's work duties in MEA-
The following are the ASO training details in MEA-
The position of MEA Assistant is not limited to Delhi. You can be sent to regional passport offices on a need basis, but there is normally a personnel deficit in Delhi, so this only happens on a need basis. One must choose 5-10 places for transfer from a list of 60 supplied by the Ministry of Foreign Postings. The Ministry, on the other hand, would pick which site one would be sent to. The assigned overseas destination can be disputed, but such rejections do not sit well with the superiors since they disrupt the efficient functioning.
The following career options as an ASO at the Ministry of External Affairs-
Director |
↓
Deputy Secretary |
↓
Under Secretary |
↓
Section Officer |
↓
Assistant Section Officer (ASO) |
After passing departmental examinations, the initial promotion from Assistant Section Officer (ASO) to Section Officer takes about 4 - 5 years. Otherwise, it may take between 10 and 14 years to advance in seniority.
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