*Communiques of DoPT too fall on deaf ears
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 7: Notwithstanding its immense importance in making selections in transparent manner and root out chances of corruption, there is no taker of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s suggestion regarding abolition of interview for the non-technical and non-gazetted posts in Jammu and Kashmir. In the absence of any directive from the PDP-BJP Government, the main recruiting agency is finding it difficult to adopt the system despite finding the same as highly beneficial from transparency point of view.
The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi during his Independence Day address this year had called upon State Governments to avoid practice of interviews for junior level posts on the ground that sometimes candidates in high on merit list for a job are rejected in the interviews.
While pointing out that interviews for junior level posts was also leading to corrupt practices, Mr Modi had explicitly mentioned in his speech that abolition of interview system for non-technical and non-gazetted posts would curb corruption, ensure more objective selection in a transparent manner and substantially ease the problems of the poor and resource-less aspirants.
“Though many States in the country have already started exercise to implement the suggestion of the Prime Minister, there is no taker of the same in Jammu and Kashmir and the recruitment at lower level posts are still being conducted after taking interviews”, official sources said, adding “the non-serious approach towards abolition of interview system for non-gazetted and non-technical posts is notwithstanding the fact that numerous complaints are received about rejection of meritorious aspirants at this stage after performing better in written tests”.
What to talk of taking decision to abolish the interview system, the State Government has yet not started exercise to identify the posts which can be exempted from the interviews in consultation with the recruiting agencies like Services Selection Board and Public Service Commission, sources said.
“This is a policy decision and has to be taken by the Government”, remarked Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board, Dev Lata, adding “from my point of view the suggestion of Prime Minister can play vital role in making appointments in most transparent way”.
When specifically asked about any communication from State Government for abolition of interview system for non-gazetted and non-technical posts, she said, “I have not received any direction/order till date. May be some internal discussion is going on”.
According to the information available with EXCELSIOR, the Services Selection Board is still conducting interviews for all sorts of posts referred to it by different departments till date. “Even for the posts referred for fast track recruitment, interviews will have to be conducted in the absence of any decision on abolition of this system”, sources said while disclosing that in the order relating to fast track recruitment the Government has only laid thrust on fair and transparent selection but nothing has been mentioned about interview process.
“The abolition of interview system for selected posts would not only curb the chances of corruption and un-due favour to the non-deserving candidates at the cost of deserving candidates but would also help in speedy recruitment as the Services Selection Board would have to issue final selection list on the basis of merits obtained in the written test”, sources said.
When contacted, Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission, Abdul Latief Deva said, “though the suggestion of the Prime Minister is not applicable to us because of nature of appointments/selections being made by the Public Service Commission but the same is of immense importance for transparent selections”.
“J&K Government has adopted non-serious approach towards the suggestion of Prime Minister despite the fact that Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) had written in this regard to the Chief Secretary of J&K on September 4 followed by a discussion on the subject with the Secretary of General Administration Department during two-day workshop held in the Union Capital on September 8 and 9”, sources said.
It is pertinent to mention here that even Union Minister of State for PMO and DoPT, Dr Jitendra Singh has even written individual DO letter to the Chief Minister of the State for carrying forward this initiative, which will curb corruption, ensure more objective selection in a transparent manner and substantially ease the problems of the poor and resource-less aspirants.
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