From March 31, 2026, the completion of mandatory iGOT Karmayogi courses will determine whether your Annual Performance Appraisal Report (APAR) is marked as “Completed” for the training column, as per the latest DoPT instructions. The Department of Personnel and Training has issued an Office Memorandum dated February 18, 2026, linking the digital learning record directly to the APAR assessment cycle for 2025-26.

DoPT Order Feb 2026: iGOT Linkage with SPARROW

The DoPT Office Memorandum (O.M.) clarifies that the “Self-Appraisal” section of the APAR now requires a verified certificate of course completion. Merely attending offline training is no longer sufficient for the digital service record. The order specifically targets Group A, B, and C employees to ensure the “Mission Karmayogi” mandate is reflected in annual assessments.

In practice, many Reporting Officers are now instructed to downgrade the “Attributes” score if the officer has not shown interest in capacity building. This is a shift from previous years where training was often treated as a formality. The integration of iGOT with SPARROW means the system can now auto-fetch your progress, leaving no room for manual overrides by the Administration Section.

List of Mandatory Courses for APAR 2025-26

While different ministries may add domain-specific modules, the DoPT has flagged the following core courses as universal requirements for Central Government employees. These courses are designed to address common administrative gaps observed by the Capacity Building Commission (CBC).

Exclusions and Special Cases

Not every employee is bound by this digital mandate. The accounts and administration sections have specific instructions to exempt certain categories to prevent unnecessary audit objections during the APAR generation process.

Note for Deputationists: If you are on deputation to a PSU or Autonomous Body that does not use SPARROW, you must physically attach the iGOT certificates to your APAR form before sending it to your parent cadre.

Common Technical Issues & Solutions

DDOs and dealing hands often reject APAR self-appraisals because the training hours do not tally. The “Course Duration” mentioned on the certificate is final. If you watched a 45-minute video in 10 minutes by skipping, the system may record progress as “Incomplete” even if the quiz is passed.

Furthermore, the Parichay authentication often fails if your profile details (Designation, Ministry) on iGOT do not match your current posting. Before starting any course, verify your profile data. Correcting it after certificate generation is a tedious process involving the CBC helpdesk, which may not resolve before the March 31 deadline.