Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 8: The Central Government has ordered review of syllabus and examination pattern for civil services conducted by the Union Public Services Commission (UPSC) following reports that existing system of examinations favoured medical and engineering students due to which other candidates with higher qualifications were unable to make it to prestigious services.
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Government of India, has directed the UPSC to set up high level committee comprising academicians, technocrats, retired bureaucrats and other experts to review the syllabus for Civil Services examinations and ensure level playing field for all categories of candidates from the next examinations.
Official sources told the Excelsior that review of the existing examination pattern for civil services examinations was necessitated following reports that current syllabus clearly favoured the students of medical and engineering and didn’t provide equal opportunities to students pursuing Graduation, Post Graduation or higher studies in other subjects, making preparation right from the beginning for civil services examinations.
The Union Government has directed the UPSC to include academicians, technocrats, former bureaucrats and experts of various subjects of high repute in the committee, which will go through the existing syllabus and revise it in such a manner that all categories of candidates get equal opportunities for selections and that examination was not biased towards students of particular streams.
When contacted, Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Officer (PMO), Incharge DoPT, Dr Jitendra Singh confirmed to the Excelsior that the Government of India has ordered review of the syllabus for the civil services examinations.
“The exercise is aimed at providing level playing field to candidates pursuing higher studies in every field—be they medicos, engineers or general students with Graduation, Post Graduation etc. The examination shouldn’t be biased towards anyone,’’ Dr Singh said
He added that the UPSC has been asked to set up committee of reputed persons from various fields and mandate them to overhaul the syllabus for civil services examinations and implement it as early as possible, most likely from the next examinations.
“The UPSC has been told that they should select bureaucrats suitable for 21st century and it was in this context that they had to direct the expert committee to bring changes in the syllabus,’’ Dr Jitendra Singh said.
Sources said the DoPT carried out serious analysis of this year’s results of civil services examinations, which were declared recently. The Department gathered that out of 180 candidates selected for Indian Administrative Services (IAS) (90 in open category and 90 in reserved category), there were 40 engineers including some of them IIT Graduates and 20 Medical Graduates. A girl from Kerala, who stood second in the list, was also a Medical Graduate, sources pointed out.
It may be mentioned here that only in August last year, the DoPT had abolished 22 marks English comprehension portion in Prelims of civil services examination to ensure that the students of Hindi didn’t feel discriminated.
“It was in view of abolition of 22 marks English comprehension portion of the examination that Hindi has become Medium No. 7 in the civil services examinations this time,’’ sources said.
Meanwhile, sources expressed confidence that the Public Service Commissions (PSCs) in the States, which were responsible for selection of candidates for State civil services, would also undertake revision in the syllabus as per changing pattern of examinations to ensure that genuine and deserving candidates get selected.
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