CEPI Recruitment 2026: Senior Legal Consultant at the Custodian of Enemy Property, MHA — ₹72,000/Month, Last Date 28 August

Law Jobs update by Akinchan Aggarwal, Advocate — B.A. (Hons.), LL.B. (Gold Medalist), LL.M. (Disputes Resolution), UGC–NET, Ph.D. (Pursuing)

⏳ CLOSES 28 AUGUST 2026 AT 5:00 PM. This is a prescribed-format application that must reach CEPI by then — incomplete or unsigned applications are summarily rejected. If you are eligible, act today.

The Office of the Custodian of Enemy Property for India (CEPI), Ministry of Home Affairs, has issued a Vacancy Circular dated 12 August 2026 for the engagement of three Senior Legal Consultants on contract, at its head office in Delhi and its branch offices at Lucknow and Kolkata.

The remuneration for non-retired candidates is ₹72,000 per month, equivalent to Pay Level 10 of the Central Government, on an initial engagement of three years.

What makes this worth a second look is not the pay. It is the subject matter. Enemy property law is one of the smallest and strangest specialisations in Indian practice, and the office that administers it recruits very rarely.

Table of Contents

1. What the Custodian of Enemy Property Actually Does
2. The Vacancy at a Glance
3. Two Separate Eligibility Tracks
4. Desirable Qualifications
5. Remuneration
6. The Terms — Read Before You Apply
7. How to Apply
8. The Application Form, Field by Field
9. The Non-Disclosure Undertaking
10. An Honest Assessment
11. Frequently Asked Questions

1. What the Custodian of Enemy Property Actually Does

Most law graduates have never encountered this office, so a word on it is worth the space — and it explains exactly why the circular asks for the combination of skills it does.

The Enemy Property Act, 1968 provides for the continued vesting of "enemy property" in the Custodian of Enemy Property for India, an authority under the Ministry of Home Affairs. Enemy property means property that belonged to, was held by or managed on behalf of persons who took the nationality of a country that committed external aggression against India — in practice, property left behind by those who migrated to Pakistan or China after the conflicts of 1962, 1965 and 1971. The Custodian holds and administers it; it does not belong to the Government, and it does not revert to the original owners' heirs.

That last proposition was the subject of prolonged litigation, and it was settled legislatively by the Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2017, which amended the 1968 Act with retrospective effect. Broadly, the amendment provided that enemy property continues to vest in the Custodian even where the enemy has ceased to be an enemy — by death, extinction, winding up or change of nationality — that the law of succession does not apply to such property, and that the Custodian may dispose of it. The amendment also curtailed the jurisdiction of civil courts over such disputes.

The practical consequence is a portfolio of thousands of immovable properties across several States, each carrying questions of title, revenue records, mutation, encroachment, tenancy, valuation and disposal — and a steady stream of litigation from claimants, occupants and State authorities.

Now read the eligibility clause again. The circular asks for five years in property law, revenue law and litigation, and lists a post-graduate qualification in land laws as desirable. That is not boilerplate. It is a precise description of the office's docket.

2. The Vacancy at a Glance

Particulars	Details
Office	Office of the Custodian of Enemy Property for India (CEPI), Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India
Circular	File No. CEPI/DEL36/25/2025/1066, dated 12 August 2026
Post	Senior Legal Consultant (Level-10)
Vacancies	03 — Delhi 1 (OBC), Lucknow 1 (UR), Kolkata 1 (SC)
Remuneration	₹72,000 per month for other candidates; for retired Government officials, last pay drawn minus pension per DoPT guidelines
Engagement	Initially 3 years, subject to annual performance review; extendable by a maximum of one year at a time with the approval of Secretary, MHA
Nature	Full-time, temporary and purely contractual — no right to regular appointment
Age Limit	45 years for all other candidates; 64 years for retired Government officials — as on the closing date
Application Fee	None mentioned
Mode	Prescribed format (Annexure-I), by e-mail or hard copy
Last Date	28 August 2026 by 5:00 PM
Issued by	Bikram Munda, Under Secretary to the Government of India

3. Two Separate Eligibility Tracks

The circular creates two entirely distinct routes. Read the one that applies to you and ignore the other.

Track A — For Retired Government Officials

A retired Central Government, State Government or PSU employee at the level of Deputy Secretary or equivalent (from Level-12 of the Pay Matrix), who has worked in either:

• the Ministry of Law & Justice; or
• the JAG branch of the Armed Forces or CAPFs,

on legal matters.

A useful provision for those on the verge of retirement: Government officials scheduled to superannuate within three months may apply now. They will be empanelled and engaged post-superannuation, if required.

Track B — For Other Candidates

All three conditions must be satisfied:

1. A Bachelor's Degree in Law (LL.B.) from a NIRF top 50 ranked University or Institute;
2. Advocates or legal professionals with 5+ years of experience in legal practice, or in the legal department of a reputable private firm or PSU, dealing with Property Law, Revenue Law and Litigation; and
3. Membership of the Bar Council of India.

The NIRF condition is the real filter, and it is checked. The application form at Annexure-I contains a dedicated column for "NIRF Ranking / NAAC Accreditation" against each qualification. This is not a formality that will be overlooked at scrutiny. Confirm your institution's NIRF position in the relevant category before you spend an evening on the form.

One further bar, applicable to everyone: the candidate must not have any criminal record or pending cases. The application form asks the question directly, and requires a signed declaration.

4. Desirable Qualifications

• A Post-Graduate Degree, Diploma or Certificate in Land Laws or related fields;
• Strong analytical, drafting and communication skills; and
• Good working knowledge of computer operations (MS Office).

If you hold a land laws qualification, foreground it — in a field this narrow, it is a genuine differentiator rather than a line on a CV.

5. Remuneration

Category	Remuneration
Retired Government officials	Fixed per month as per DoPT guidelines — last pay drawn minus pension
Other candidates	₹72,000 per month, equivalent to Pay Level 10 of the Central Government
Retired officials of PSUs and autonomous bodies	Expressly treated as "other candidates" — that is, ₹72,000 per month, not the last-pay-minus-pension formula

Applicable TDS is deducted as per the Income Tax Rules, and a TDS certificate is provided.

6. The Terms — Read Before You Apply

The circular is unusually candid about what this engagement is and is not. To its credit, everything below is stated on the face of the document.

Full-time, and exclusive

The engagement is on a full-time basis, and no other assignments or engagements are permitted during the contractual term. Practising advocates should read this carefully: this is not a retainer you carry alongside a practice. The Non-Disclosure Undertaking reinforces it, requiring an undertaking not to engage in any other employment, consultancy or activity that may conflict with obligations to CEPI or the MHA during the tenure.

Leave — and how little of it there is

• Weekly off on Saturdays, Sundays and Central Government Gazetted Holidays.
• Retired Government officials: 18 days' paid leave per calendar year, on a pro rata basis.
• Other candidates: 12 days' paid leave per calendar year, on a pro rata basis.
• No encashment and no carry-forward.
• No remuneration for any period of absence exceeding the admissible leave.
• No other kind of leave — medical, casual or earned — is admissible.

Allowances — effectively none

• No entitlement to residential accommodation, CGHS, medical reimbursement, personal staff or support staff, or any allowance or facility of that kind.
• TA/DA for official domestic travel is admissible at the entitlement of the analogous post, subject to prior approval.
• No reimbursement for joining or exit travel.

Termination — and the fifteen-day rule

CEPI may terminate the engagement on the following grounds:

1. Inability to effectively perform assigned duties;
2. Unsatisfactory quality of work;
3. Non-achievement of milestones or targets;
4. Breach of trust, dishonesty or lack of integrity;
5. On the recommendation of the Ministry of Home Affairs; and
6. At the discretion of the Competent Authority in CEPI, without assigning any reason.

Termination is on 15 days' written notice. Resignation likewise requires 15 days' advance written notice, or remittance of remuneration in lieu, unless waived by the Competent Authority.

Confidentiality

No data, statistics, reports or information acquired during the assignment may be disclosed, published or parted with without prior written approval of the Ministry or CEPI. All records and files must be handed over before the end of the contract or final payment. A Non-Disclosure Undertaking (Annexure-II) must be signed prior to joining.

CEPI's reserved rights

The office reserves the right to cancel the circular at any time, or not to engage any candidate, without assigning any reason.

7. How to Apply

The address and the e-mail IDs

The duly completed application must reach, before the last date:

The Deputy Secretary
Office of the Custodian of Enemy Property for India
1st Floor, Shivaji Stadium
Connaught Place, New Delhi – 110001

Or by e-mail to:
dclakra.edu@gov.in  |  bikram.munda@gov.in  |  ansul.kumar90@gov.in

The five rules

1. Use the prescribed format at Annexure-I to the circular. Nothing else will do.
2. Attach self-attested copies of all supporting documents — educational qualifications, experience, ID proof and the rest.
3. Sign the application. Incomplete or unsigned applications are summarily rejected without any further communication.
4. Submit separate applications for each post if you are applying for more than one station.
5. Get it there in time. Applications received after the last date will not be accepted. With the deadline at 5:00 PM on 28 August 2026, e-mail is plainly the safer channel.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interview, and no TA/DA is paid for appearing.

8. The Application Form, Field by Field

Annexure-I is short but exacting. Note which parts each category of candidate must fill.

Part	What it asks
Header	Post applied for; preferred station (Delhi / Lucknow / Kolkata)
1. Personal Information (both categories)	Full name in block letters; father's or husband's name; date of birth; age as on date; category (UR / SC / ST / OBC / EWS / PwBD, with sub-category for PwBD); gender; contact number; e-mail ID; correspondence address and PIN code
2. Government Service Details (retired officials only)	Date of joining government service; date of retirement; post from which retired; Ministry or Department last served; pay level and last pay drawn (attach copy); PPO number (attach copy)
3. Educational Qualifications (both categories)	10+2, graduation, post-graduation and technical or other — with institution, board or university, NIRF ranking / NAAC accreditation where applicable, year of passing, main subjects, and percentage or grade
4(a). Experience	Computer proficiency / IT skills and special qualifications or training, with years and brief details. A separate sheet must be attached detailing assignment-wise experience, including duration and specific responsibilities.
4(b). Professional Status	Do you hold a valid membership of the Bar Council? Experience in the legal profession, and number of years.
4(c). Statutory & Disciplinary Status	Whether any criminal cases or disciplinary proceedings are currently pending against you, or any punishment awarded.
Declaration	That the information is true and correct, and that any false, incorrect or misleading information or ineligibility detected at any stage will result in cancellation of candidature. Place, date and signature.

Do not skip 4(a)'s separate sheet. The form's own experience table is minimal; the assignment-wise annexure is where you actually demonstrate five years of property, revenue and litigation work. For a shortlisting exercise this small, that sheet is your application.

9. The Non-Disclosure Undertaking

Annexure-II must be signed before joining. Its nine clauses are worth knowing in advance, because two of them have consequences beyond the term:

• All information coming to your knowledge during the engagement is to be treated as strictly confidential, and not disclosed, shared or disseminated to any unauthorised person or entity.
• No selling, trading, publishing, reproducing or disclosing of confidential information in any format — physical, hardcopy, electronic or digital.
• Confidential information is held in trust and confidence, both during the engagement and thereafter, and used solely for assigned official duties.
• No other employment, consultancy or activity that may conflict with obligations to CEPI or the MHA during the tenure.
• Strict adherence to data security policies and confidentiality guidelines.
• No involvement in corrupt practices at any stage.
• On cessation or termination for any reason, immediate return of all records, materials, documents, devices and data.
• CEPI and MHA to be kept informed of any change of address or contact information.
• Breach makes the signatory liable to disciplinary action, immediate termination and legal proceedings under applicable laws.

"Confidential information" is defined broadly — any official information received, generated or accessed during the engagement, in any format.

10. An Honest Assessment

What's Good

• A genuinely rare specialisation. Enemy property law sits at the junction of property, revenue, constitutional and administrative law, and very few practitioners have institutional experience of it. Three years inside the Custodian's office is a credential almost nobody else will hold.
• ₹72,000 a month, fixed, for a five-year-experience role — competitive against most in-house and government consultancy engagements at that stage.
• Three years, not one. Longer than the typical government consultancy, with extension possible thereafter.
• Three stations — Delhi, Lucknow and Kolkata — which widens the field considerably for candidates outside the capital.
• No application fee, and e-mail submission is accepted.
• Serious substantive work — title, mutation, revenue records, encroachment, disposal and the litigation that follows all of it.

What to Weigh

• The NIRF top-50 requirement disqualifies the large majority of law graduates before anything else is considered.
• Full-time and exclusive. You cannot keep a practice running alongside. For an independent advocate, that is a three-year interruption to be weighed carefully.
• 12 days' leave a year, with no medical or casual leave at all, and no encashment or carry-forward.
• No allowances of any kind — no accommodation, no CGHS, no medical reimbursement.
• Fifteen days' notice, and termination at discretion without reasons. This is a consultancy, not a post.
• No right to regularisation, stated expressly.
• One post per station, each reserved to a different category — check that the station you want matches your category before applying.
• Two days to apply.

Who Should Apply

Advocates aged under 45 with five or more years in property, revenue or land litigation, holding an LL.B. from a NIRF top-50 institution and a Bar Council membership — particularly those with a land laws qualification, and those willing to pause independent practice for a specialised government engagement. Separately, retired Deputy Secretary-level officials from the Ministry of Law & Justice or the JAG branch, up to 64, including those superannuating within the next three months.

11. Frequently Asked Questions

What is the last date to apply?

28 August 2026, by 5:00 PM. The application must reach CEPI by then. Applications received after the last date will not be accepted.

How many posts are there and where?

Three — one each at Delhi (OBC), Lucknow (Unreserved) and Kolkata (SC). Separate applications must be submitted for each post if you are applying for more than one.

What is the salary?

₹72,000 per month for other candidates, equivalent to Pay Level 10. Retired Government officials are paid last pay drawn minus pension, per DoPT guidelines. Retired PSU and autonomous body officials are treated as other candidates.

Do I need a degree from a top-ranked institution?

Yes, for the non-retired track. The LL.B. must be from a NIRF top 50 ranked University or Institute, and the application form has a dedicated column for NIRF ranking.

What is the age limit?

45 years for all other candidates and 64 years for retired Government officials, as on the application closing date.

Can I continue my own practice alongside?

No. The engagement is on a full-time basis and no other assignments or engagements are permitted during the contractual term, and the Non-Disclosure Undertaking separately bars conflicting employment, consultancy or activity.

Can I apply by e-mail?

Yes. The completed application may be sent by e-mail or hard copy, so long as it reaches before the last date. Given a 5:00 PM deadline, e-mail is the safer route.

Is there an application fee?

The circular does not mention any application fee.

Will this become a permanent government job?

No. The engagement is stated to be temporary and purely contractual and does not confer any right to regular appointment.

How long is the engagement?

Three years initially, subject to annual performance review. After the initial term it may be extended, based on the requirement of the office and performance, with the approval of Secretary, MHA, for a maximum of one year at a time.

Conclusion

Three posts, two days, and an eligibility clause that will disqualify most people who read it. But for the small number who clear the NIRF bar and have real property and revenue litigation behind them, this is an unusually interesting engagement — administering a statutory regime that almost no practitioner has worked inside, in an office that recruits at intervals of years rather than months.

The trade-offs are stated openly in the circular and should be taken at face value: full-time and exclusive, twelve days' leave, no allowances, fifteen days' notice either way, and no path to regularisation. Weigh them honestly against three years of a specialisation you cannot acquire anywhere else.

If the answer is yes, the work tonight is the Annexure-I form, the self-attested documents, and above all the separate sheet setting out your assignment-wise experience. Then e-mail it — well before 5:00 PM on 28 August.

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Disclaimer: This post summarises the Vacancy Circular bearing File No. CEPI/DEL36/25/2025/1066 dated 12 August 2026 issued by the Office of the Custodian of Enemy Property for India, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, and is published for information purposes only. Lawizard is not affiliated with CEPI or the Ministry of Home Affairs and plays no role in the selection process. The outline of the Enemy Property Act, 1968 and the Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2017 in Part 1 is background context stated in summary form and is not a statement of the current legal position on any question; readers must consult the bare Acts and the case law. While care has been taken to reproduce the circular accurately, candidates must rely upon the official circular and its Annexures alone, and should verify eligibility, terms, remuneration and dates from it before applying. CEPI has expressly reserved the right to cancel the circular at any time or not to engage any candidate without assigning reasons. Lawizard does not charge any fee for job updates.