The government has put in place a seven-step screening system for all appointments to key institutions and organisations, an elaborate process that begins with a candidate’s internet footprint and ends with clearance from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in successful cases.This is clearly the most comprehensive process to be followed for appointments to government institutions in India, officials said, pointing out that in cases where the assent of the President is required another three levels are added to the screening.As a result, some institutions may have had to wait for longer than in the past to fill a key vacancy but once a candidate passes through the various checks everyone can rest assured that the candidate enjoys the trust of the government, said one of the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.The screening process begins with a simple tracking of a candidate’s internet footprint including comments related to the candidate to check the general perception about the candidate.The second step involves a check of the candidate’s social media profile and accounts, with a closer look at the candidate’s comments and views on the ruling dispensation, government policies and current issues. Officials said that this is a sensitive stage, for strong comments even by friends and associates of a candidate on social media can lead to the candidate’s elimination.Next comes an assessment of a candidate’s integrity and of how the candidate is perceived. This ‘perception audit’ considers not just concerns over corruption but also allegations, proven or otherwise, regarding the candidate’s public or private life.The fourth step involves a 360-degree approach, similar to what is employed before empanelling IAS officers at secretary level in key ministries. The candidate’s superiors juniors and colleagues are quizzed to “understand” the candidate better so as to get a well-rounded feedback.Then comes the fifth stage of screening, an intensive background check which often requires an Intelligence Bureau clearance of a candidate. The PMO steps directly into the picture from this stage on, according to officials.The sixth round of screening is crucial and has seen many a heavyweight candidate lose out. Candidates are assessed on their past association, professional, personal and ideological affiliations with the previous government or with organisations seen as anti-government in any way.The seventh stage involves the final clearance from the PMO, which has its own well-oiled screening mechanism. In all major appointments, Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself takes the final call.In cases where the President’s approval is required, for instance in the case of vice chancellors of central universities or some cultural bodies, another three steps get added as Rashtrapati Bhavan under President Ram Nath Kovind also does its own due diligence on the candidates.With candidates required to clear a rigorous screening mechanism, many institutions such as central universities, cultural institutions and boards of public sector units have had to wait for months or even more than a year to get a full-time head.IIT Roorkee has yet to get a chairman even after Anil Kakodkar’s appointment was approved by the President. Last-minute queries about him having been an appointee of the erstwhile UPA government have left his final selection in limbo.Universities such as IGNOU, Tripura University and Visva-Bharati have been without a vice chancellor for more than two years. Most of the Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) are yet to get a chairperson. Even the country’s apex higher education regulator, the University Grants Commission, has been without a vice chairperson for over a year now.Similarly, the government took considerably long to make appointments at cultural institutions such as the Lalit Kala Akademi , Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, the Indian Council for Historical Research and the National Gallery of Modern Art.