The Centre today eased norms to allow officers to stay on foreign posting and central deputation for a maximum period of seven years from the existing five years. This shall be done with the approval of the minister of the borrowing ministry or department concerned with which the officers are administratively concerned, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said.<br/><br/>The move comes after various ministries and organisations approached DoPT for relaxation of the five-year deputation tenure condition citing exigencies. DoPT had last year issued a directive and warned officers that they may lose their job for overstaying on foreign posting.