Job Opportunity: Consultant (Legal) At Department Of Animal Husbandry And Dairying
Table of Contents
- Post, number of vacancies and mode
- Eligibility: qualification, registration and experience
- Educational qualification
- Category of applicants
- Skills and additional requirements
- Scope of work and typical responsibilities
- Remuneration and contract conditions
- Application process and deadline
- Ideal candidate profile
The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, has invited applications for two Consultant (Legal) posts on a contractual basis, with applications to be submitted in the prescribed format by 12 December 2025.
Post, number of vacancies and mode
The engagement is for experienced legal professionals to support DAHD’s policy, litigation, and transactional work from Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi, across domains like schemes, contracts, tenders, and court matters involving central animal husbandry and dairy programmes.
- Post: Consultant (Legal).
- Number of posts: 02 (two).
- Engagement: Short-term, purely contractual, governed by DAHD’s consultant guidelines circulated via office memorandum (no claim to regularisation).
Eligibility: qualification, registration and experience
Educational qualification
- Master’s Degree or Bachelor’s Degree in Law (3‑year or 5‑year course) from a recognized university or institute in India, recognized by the Bar Council of India.
Category of applicants
DAHD has opened the posts to both private advocates and retired Government servants, subject to conditions.
- Private applicants
- Must be presently registered as an advocate with the Bar Council of India or the Bar Council of Delhi under the Advocates Act, 1961.
- Must have at least 5 years’ experience in court practice with appearance before High Courts and/or the Supreme Court of India; OR be an expert in legal matters with at least 5 years’ experience in Government Departments/PSUs handling court cases.
- Retired Government servants
- Retired from the level of Section Officer (SO), Under Secretary (US), Deputy Secretary (DS) or Director in Government of India.
- Must also hold an LL.B. (3‑year or 5‑year) or Master’s in Law from a recognized university in India or recognized by the Bar Council of India.
Skills and additional requirements
- Excellent written and oral communication and interpersonal skills.
- Essential computer proficiency: MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint and basic office IT skills for drafting, formatting, tracking, and presentations.
DAHD’s consultant circular also stipulates that selected consultants must maintain confidentiality, abide by the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and refrain from acting against departmental interests during and for a specified period after engagement.
Scope of work and typical responsibilities
While the LiveLaw extract flags “Scope of work” in the qualification line, the underlying DAHD circular and similar consultant engagements outline a broad legal-support remit.
Key elements generally include:
- Litigation and court coordination
- Assisting in drafting affidavits, counter-affidavits, written statements, and miscellaneous applications in matters before High Courts, the Supreme Court, and tribunals concerning DAHD schemes and actions.
- Liaising with Central Government Standing Counsel and other panel advocates, preparing briefs and factual notes, and ensuring timely filing and compliance with court directions.
- Advisory and drafting
- Vetting and drafting of MoUs, agreements, RFP conditions, and policy documents in areas such as animal health schemes, dairy development, and allied programmes.
- Providing legal opinions on statutory interpretation, tender disputes, contract enforcement, and issues arising in central‑state implementation of DAHD schemes.
- Regulatory and policy support
- Assisting DAHD in vetting notifications, guidelines, and scheme documents to ensure legal soundness and alignment with applicable laws and central government instructions.
- Supporting responses to RTI/legal notices and Parliament questions where legal vetting is required.
Consultants are engaged full-time and cannot take up other assignments or appear in matters adverse to the Department during their tenure, as per DAHD’s consultant terms.
Remuneration and contract conditions
The precise monthly remuneration is stated in DAHD’s Office Memorandum for consultants; recent DAHD consultant recruitment notices indicate consolidated pay in the vicinity of ₹70,000 per month for legal consultants, without additional allowances like DA/HRA.
Key conditions from the OM include:
- Engagement is initially for a defined period (typically one year), extendable based on performance, requirement, and approval.
- Consultants are not treated as Government servants and are not entitled to pension, gratuity, or other service benefits; the consolidated fee is inclusive of all benefits.
- Either side may terminate the contract with one month’s written notice; DAHD may terminate earlier for proven misconduct.
- Post‑tenure restriction: consultants cannot represent or advise any party against the Department’s interests on related matters for two years after the contract ends.
Application process and deadline
DAHD has provided both physical and email modes for submission.
- Prescribed format: Candidates must fill in the prescribed application format annexed to the DAHD circular (bio-data form), available through the Ministry/department’s website or linked recruitment portals.
- Submission options:
- Physical:
- Send the completed and signed application with supporting documents to: Establishment (HQs) Section,
Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying,
Room No. 435-A, 4th Floor,
Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi – 110001.
- Send the completed and signed application with supporting documents to: Establishment (HQs) Section,
- Email:
- Email the application (and scanned supporting documents) to: aashish.goyal@gov.in
- Physical:
- Last date: Applications (by post or email) must reach on or before 12 December 2025.
Supporting documents typically include proof of law degree, Bar Council enrolment (for advocates), experience certificates showing minimum 5 years of practice or government/PSU work handling court cases, and proof of retirement level for ex‑government officials.
Ideal candidate profile
The opportunity is well-suited to:
- Advocates with at least five years’ substantial experience in High Court/Supreme Court litigation or in advising Government departments/PSUs on court matters, who are comfortable with central government procedure.
- Retired SO/US/DS/Director-level Government officers with law degrees and hands-on experience of handling files, court cases, and legal vetting in Ministries or attached offices.
- Professionals with strong drafting, research, and coordination skills, and the ability to communicate legal issues clearly to senior administrators within the Ministry.
Official Notification: https://dahd.gov.in/sites/default/files/2025-11/AD21-11-25.pdf
