Submission for Annual Performance Assessment Report (APAR) for the year 2024-25 through SPARROW: EPFO order dated 26-08-2025
Employees Provident Fund Organisation
MINISTRY OF LABOUR & EMPLOYMENT, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
HEAD OFFICE
NBCC Centre, Block-2, Ground Floor- 4th Floor, East Kidwai Nagar,
New Delhi-110023
Website: www.epfindia.gov.in, www.epfindia.nic.in
File No.HRD-11/65/2025/APAR/2024-25 / 1407
Dated 26 AUG 2025
To,
All Additional CPFCs (HQ)/ Director (PDNASS)
All Addl CPFCs (Zones)
All RPFCs/OIC in charge of ROs/ASD-HO/ZTIs/DOs
Subject: Submission for Annual Performance Assessment Report (APAR) for the year 2024-25 through SPARROW-reg.
Madam/Sir,
With reference to the subject cited above, it is to inform that APARs for the year 2024-25 for all cadres are to be mandatorily filed through Smart Performance Appraisal Report Recording Online Window (SPARROW). The SPARROW module can be accessed through URL https://sconnect.railtel.in/ and the login details to be used for https://sconnect.railtel.in/ are the same as being currently used for the Virtual Private Network (VPN) being used for accessing e-office i.e., https://epfo-vpn.rcil.gov.in.
2. In this connection, the timelines for completion of various APAR activities for the year 2024-25 are as under: –
| S. No. | Activities | Timeline (Date on or before to be completed) | Auto Forward |
| 1 | Mapping of Reporting and Reviewing Officers | 31st August, 2025 | – |
| 2 | Submission of resume/ self-appraisal by the officer reported upon to the Reporting Officer | 20th September, 2025 | 21st September, 2025 |
| 3 | Submission of report by Reporting Officer to Reviewing Officer | 10th October, 2025 | 11th October, 2025 |
| 4 | APAR to be completed by Reviewing Officer and to be sent to Administration or CR Section / Cell | 31st October, 2025 | 01st November, 2025 |
| 5 | Disclosure of APAR to the officer reported upon | 07th November, 2025 | – |
| 6 | Submission of representation, if any, on APAR the reported upon | Within 15 days from the date of disclosure i.e. 22nd November, 2025 | |
| 7 | Forwarding of representation by the APAR Custodian to the Competent Authority | 28th November, 2025 | |
| 8 |
Disposal of representation by the Competent Authority and forwarding it to APAR Custodian |
17th December, 2025 | |
| 9 | Communication of the decision of the Competent Authority by the APAR | Within 10 days from the finalization of decision by the Competent Authority | |
| 10 |
End of APAR process after which the APAR will be finally taken on record |
31st December, 2025 | |
3. It is informed that the submission of Self appraisal by the Officer Reported Upon (ORU) will begin with effect from 1st September, 2025. In this regard it has been observed in the past that there have been lapses in filing of APARs causing delays in holding DPCs. Therefore, it should be ensured by the concerned ACCs that the above timelines for APAR activities are strictly adhered to.
4. The ACC HQ/ ACC (Zones) are assigned the role of Service Admin and they have to assign the roles of PAR Central Custodian (Primary) and Employee Manager Details (EMD) Administrator to OIC/RPFC (Adm)/APFC (Adm) in the Regional Offices under their jurisdiction, using the “Role Mapping” tab available on their sparrow homepage. Both roles may be assigned either to the same or to different officials. Similarly, ACC-HQ PDUNASS and ACC ZTIs/Sub-ZTIs, shall be assigned the role of Service Admin and they have to further assign the roles of Central PAR Custodian and EMD Administrator to the RPFC (Adm) in the said offices. For Head Office, the role of Service Admin shall be assigned to ACC (ASD) and the roles of Central PAR Custodian and EMD Administrator has to be further assigned to the RPFC ASD, Head Office (Flow chart-1 attached).
5. PAR Central Custodian (Primary) role is responsible for creation of the APAR
workflow i.e. the APAR mapping and also generation of APAR. APAR workflow can be created using the “Workflow” role available on the left-hand side panel of the sparrow homepage of the user having the PAR Central Custodian (Primary) role. Similarly, APAR generation can be done using the “Generation” button under the PAR tab take available on the sparrow homepage of the user having the said role.
6. EMD administrator role is responsible for making any modifications or adding any missing details in the service data shown on sparrow in respect of any user under that office. ACC HQ/ACC Zones, ACC HQ/ACC, PDNASS & ZTis, ACC ASD (HO) shall send a list of all officers who are assigned the role of EMD administrator under their jurisdictions, to Head Office mentioning their name, designation, name of office, email id, mobile number and employee ID on email ID [email protected]
7. The correctness of APAR mapping in respect of all the officials under the jurisdiction of an RO shall be certified by respective OIC of the ROs. The correctness of APAR mapping in respect of OICs of ROs and the officials of Zonal office shall be certified by the concerned ACC Zone. Similarly, the correctness of APAR mapping in respect of all the officials under the jurisdiction of a ZTI shall be certified by the ACC ZTI and that in respect of ACC ZTIs and the officials of PDUNASS, the same shall be certified by the ACC HQ PDUNASS. Further, the correctness of APAR mapping in respect of all the ACC HQ / ACC, Zones, ACC HQ PDNASS and the Officials at HO shall be certified by ACC, ASD (Flow chart-2 attached).
8. It must be ensured that data in respect of all the officials in SPARROW is complete in all respect and duly filled up. Any modifications in this regard can only be carried out by the EMD Administrator.
9. A copy of the user manual for SPARROW is attached herewith for your ready reference. The video tutorials for creation of workflow, generation of APAR and other such activities available on the YouTube channel of sparrow team (www.youtube.com/@sparroweoffice6575/videos). However, in case of any issue in this regard, reference may be sent to [email protected] by the concerned office.
(Issues with the approval of the Competent Authority)
(Uday Gupta)
Regional P.F. Commissioner-II (HRD-II)
COMMENTS