Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, July 26: Jammu & Kashmir is among the few States which are yet to abolish the practice of conducting interview for jobs and recruitment to lower level posts.
This was stated here today in a reply in Lok Sabha by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh, in response to a question by BJP MP Naranbhai Kachhadia.
In a detailed reply, Dr Jitendra Singh stated that till date, 18 States and 7 Union Territories of the country have abolished or discontinued the practice of holding interview for recruitment to lower level posts. Among the States which are yet to decide about abolition or discontinuation of interview for lower level jobs include Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, he said. Similarly, the States of Sikkim and Meghalaya have not yet initiated the process of discontinuation of interview for lower level posts,the reply stated.
In his reply Dr Jitendra Singh further disclosed that the State Government of Odisha has conveyed that steps have already been initiated to abolish the interview system or the practice of interview for junior level posts (Group B & C) of all State Departments. Nagaland, however, the reply stated, is a State which is yet to furnish the current status on this issue.
Pertinent to mention that the suggestion to abolish interviews for lower level posts was first made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself during his Independence Day address to nation from the ramparts of Red Fort on 15th August 2015. As a follow-up, the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), Government of India moved ahead on fast track and in just four months, on 1st January 2016, DoPT announced the abolition of interview for lower level posts in all the Ministries and Departments of Government of India. Not only this, to make the reform more effective, even the posts requiring a special skill like, for example, appointment as a cook etc, the skill test was made only qualifying without granting any marks in order to ensure absolute transparency without any scope for favoritism or nepotism. At the same time, during the last one-and-a-half year, repeated communications have been sent by DoPT to the different State Governments and the Minister in-charge DoPT Dr Jitendra Singh has himself also sent DO letters and reminders to different Chief Ministers on the issue.
The reply furnished by Dr Jitendra Singh in the Lok Sabha today specifically mentioned that the objective of discontinuation of interviews for recruitment at lower level posts is to curb corruption with more objective selection in a transparent manner and to substantially ease the problems of aspirants from a poor economic background.
Dr Jitendra Singh, in his reply, noted that the Union Territory Administration of Daman and Diu has informed that abolition of interview for recruitment at lower level posts has benefited the government economically also by way of savings on account of non-application of Travelling Allowance (TA) and Daily Allow-ance (DA) in calling candidates for interview. Further, the UT Administration of Lakshadweep, he said, has also informed that local aspirants also find themselves economically benefited from this initiative of the government.
Meanwhile, a delegation of Central Government Doctors, including those from the Dental Services and the Department of AYUSH held a meeting with Dr Jitendra Singh and urged upon him to take up with the Government their demand for enhancement in the age of retirement, on the same pattern as for doctors from Central Government Health Services (CGHS). Dr Jitendra Singh told them that he would forward their case to Health Ministry to examine the feasibility of their demand.
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