The government's much-touted and so-called foolproof 360-degree selection process, which earned the NaMo administration the displeasure of a  large number of civil servants from the time of its hasty inception and introduction two years ago, stands to total ridicule now on the issue of its position and posturing versus former CBI director Alok Verma.

Former GoI secretary Anil Swarup said in a tweet on January 10: “There is something wrong with the selection procedure if the guy who was selected had to be removed twice. Shouldn’t those that selected him also take some responsibility? Was there an angle beyond 360° in making such a selection? Not so serious questions, but deserve answers.”

On Monday, he had tweeted: “Can an officer who is above 60 years be deputed to a post where the retirement age is 60 and term it as a transfer? Who is advising the decision makers, causing huge embarrassment? Are a small set of civil servants bringing a bad name to the entire civil service?”

Earlier, he also tweeted: “How do you explain that the same CVC who finds an officer above board for a critical post suddenly discovers something so condemnable as to warrant his removal? If the officer was so “bad”, why was he appointed in the 1st place? If he was “good”, how did he suddenly become “bad”?”

Responding to the Twitter backlash to his remarks, Swarup said: “Unfortunately many that have not read the tweet properly have tried to give it a political color. The comment is not a political one. It is about institutions and civil servants, especially in such positions, who are supposed to sustain them through actions that are above board.”