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(MINISTRY OF LABOUR & EMPLOYMENT, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA)
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Plate A, Ground Floor, Block II, East Kidwai Nagar, New Delhi-110023
Website: www.epflndia.gov.ln, www.epfindia.nic.in
File No. HRD-11/65/2025/AP AR/2024-25/ / / l{ D 31
Dated: -2 8 NOV 2025
To,
All Additional CPFCs (HQ)/ Director (PDNASS)
All Addi. CPFCs (Zones)
All RPFCS/OIC in charge of ROs/ ASD-HO/ZTIS/DOS
Subject: Revision of timelines for preparation/ completion of Annual Performance
Assessment Report (AP AR) for the year 2024-25 through SP ARROW-reg.
Ref:
I. HO Circular No. HRD-V65/2025/APAR/2024/1407 dated 26.08.2025
II. HO Circular No. HRD-11/65/2025/APAR/2024-225 dated 22.09.2025
IIL. HO Circular No. HRD-II/65/2025/APAR/2024-25/143 l_Corrigendum dated 01.10.2025
IV. HO Circular No. HRD-Il/65/2025/APAR/2024-25/3517 dated 06.11.2025
- This is in continuation to the circular dated 06.11.2025 revising the timelines for submission of Annual Performance Assessment Report (AP AR) for the year 2024-25 through SPARROW.
- It has been observed that a significant number of AP ARs for the year 2024-25 are still pending at the level of the Reporting Officer, even after the lapse of last date for comments by the Reporting Officer (November 19th, 2025), as per the circular dated 06.11.2025.
- Considering this to be the first year of SPARROW implementation and in view of the pending AP ARs, the Competent Authority has agreed to further revise the time lines for completion of various APAR activities for the year 2024-25. The revised timelines, with reporting extended till 01.12.2025 and reviewing till 15.12.2025, are as under:
| S. No. | Activities | Timeline (Date on or before to be completed) | Auto Forward |
|---|
| 1 | Submission of report by Reporting Officer to Reviewing Officer | 01.12.2025 | 02.12.2025 |
| 2 | APAR to be completed by Reviewing Officer and to be sent to Administration or CR Section I Cell | 15.12.2025 | 16.12.2025 |
| 3 | Disclosure of AP AR to the officer reported upon | 19.12.2025 | - |
| 4 | Submission of representation, if any, on AP AR by the officer reported upon | Within 15 days from the date of disclosure i.e. 03.01.2026 | - |
| 5 | Forwarding of representation by the APAR Custodian to the Competent Authority | 10.01.2026 | - |
| 6 | Disposal of representation by the Competent Authority and forwarding it to AP AR Custodian | 09.02.2026 | - |
| 7 | Communication of the decision of the Competent Authority by the AP AR Custodian to the officer reported upon | Within 10 days from the finalization of decision by the Competent Authority | - |
| 8 | End of AP AR process after which the AP AR will be finally taken on record | 19.02.2026 | - |
- It is reiterated that the timelines highlighted are the maximum timelines beyond which the AP ARs will be automatically pushed to the next level. Reporting/Reviewing authorities and AP AR Custodians are requested to process the cases pending at their level even before the due dates.
- Guidelines for issuing No Report Certificate (NRC), No Reporting Authority Certificate, No Reviewing Authority Certificate:
Case 1: No Report Certificate (NRC) is to be issued under the following circumstances:
- • When the Officer Reported Upon (ORU) has not worked under any Reporting Officer or Reviewing Officer for the minimum requisite period of 90 days ( e.g., due to long leave, study leave, maternity leave, training, suspension, or unauthorized absence).
OR
- • When both the Reporting Officer and the Reviewing Officer have retired, and the extended period of one month for writing the report has lapsed.
Case 2: No Reporting Authority Certificate is to be issued under the following circumstances:
- • If the Reporting Officer has retired from office and the extended period of 1 month has lapsed, the AP AR shall be written by the Reviewing Officer. In such cases, No Reporting Authority Certificate is to be issued by the APAR Custodian.
Case 3: No Reviewing Authority Certificate is to be issued under the following circumstances:
- • If the Reviewing Officer has retired from office and the extended period of 1 month has lapsed, the AP AR recorded by the Reporting Officer shall be treated as the final AP AR for the relevant period. In this situation, No Reviewing Authority Certificate is to be issued by the APAR Custodian.
- The procedure for uploading the above-mentioned certificates is enclosed as "Annexure A".
- It is directed to strictly follow the above revised timelines for completion of various AP AR activities for the year 2024-25
(Issues with the approval of the Competent Authority)
(Uday Gupta)
Regional P.F. Commissioner-11 (HRD-11)
Copy for necessary action:
- i. RPFC (NDC) for web upload
Copy to (through EPFO website) for information:
- i. PS to CPFC, FA&CAO and CVO for information
- ii. Hindi Section for Hindi version.
(Uday Gupta)
Regional P.F. Commissioner-11 (HRD-11)
ANNEXURE-A
Guidelines for issuing No Report Certificate (NRC), No Reporting Authority Certificate, No Reviewing Authority Certificate:
Case 1: No Report Certificate (NRC)
I. Log in to SPARROW using Custodian credentials.
II. Go to Workflow → Create/Update and search for the concerned employee.
III. Open the Action tab and update the workflow.
IV. In the Reporting Authority (Stage) tab, enable “Auto Delegation to Custodian for Manual Work” (Available on the right hand side of the page).
V. In the Reviewing Authority (Stage) tab, enable “Skip button” (Available on the right hand side of the page).
VI. Then click on the update button, a message will appear “workflow updated successfully”.
VII. Next the APAR will move to the Custodian’s Inbox in “Manual Process” tab.
VIII. In “Manual Process” tab at Reporting level two options will appear: “Section Upload” and “Reference Upload”.
IX. Click on “Section Upload” and manually fill, sign, and upload the NRC in the prescribed format (copy enclosed as Annexure-I), ensuring that the reason for issuing the NRC is clearly mentioned.
X. After uploading, click the Send button; the NRC will move to the CR Section under the “Process” tab for disclosure to the ORU.
XI. Go to the “Process” tab and click on the concerned APAR ID under “Disclosure” tab, click on send to disclosure the APAR to the ORU.
Case 2: No Reporting Authority Certificate
I. Log in to SPARROW using Custodian credentials.
II. Go to Workflow → Create/Update and search for the concerned employee.
III. Open the Action tab and update the workflow.
IV. In the Reporting Authority (Stage) tab, enable “Auto Delegation to Custodian for Manual Work”.
V. Then click on the update button, a message will appear “workflow updated successfully”.
VI. Next the APAR will move to the Custodian’s Inbox in “Manual Process” tab.
VII. In “Manual Process” tab at Reporting level two options will appear: “Section Upload” and “Reference Upload”.
VIII. Click on “Section Upload” and manually fill, sign, and upload the No Reporting Authority Certificate in the prescribed format (copy enclosed as Annexure-II).
IX. After uploading, click the Send button; the APAR will move to the Reviewing Authority.
Case 3: No Reviewing Authority Certificate
I. Log in to SPARROW using Custodian credentials.
II. Go to Workflow → Create/Update and search for the concerned employee.
III. Open the Action tab and update the workflow.
IV. In the Reviewing Authority (Stage) tab, enable “Auto Delegation to Custodian for Manual Work”.
V. Then click on the update button, a message will appear “workflow updated successfully”.
VI. Next the APAR will move to the Custodian’s Inbox in “Manual Process” tab.
VII. In “Manual Process” tab at Reviewing level two options will appear: “Section Upload” and “Reference Upload”.
VIII. Click on “Section Upload” and manually fill, sign, and upload the No Reviewing Authority Certificate in the prescribed format (copy enclosed as Annexure-III).
IX. After uploading, click the Send button; the NRC will move to the CR Section under the “Process” tab for disclosure to the ORU”.
X. Go to the “Process” tab and click on the concerned APAR ID under “Disclosure” tab, click on send to disclosure the APAR to the ORU.
