New PPSC amendment annoys candidates

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New PPSC amendment annoys candidates

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By Khalid Khattak
Saturday, January 11, 2014
The News

PUNJAB Public Service Commission (PPSC) has once again amended its recently revised criteria for short-listing of candidates, on the basis of their academic record, in order to allow them for written examination.

The PPSC through partial modification on December 15, 2013, published in the newspapers, had announced that only short-listed candidates as per post-to-candidate ratio of 1:30 would be called for the written test.

The move had attracted severe criticism from the candidates who termed the same unfair and denial of the basic right to compete to all those applied for various posts of different departments, including School Education Department, Excise & Taxation Department, Home Department, Population Welfare Department and Board of Revenue (BoR). It is learnt that the PPSC in its meeting held on Jan 8, 2014 enhanced per post-to-candidate ratio to 1:50 besides allowing all candidates with higher qualifications to appear in the exams.

Explaining the same a PPSC official, seeking anonymity, said in case required qualification for any given post was graduation, the ratio of 1:50 would be applied on all those having Bachelor’s degree but all of those having higher qualifications, including MA/MSc etc would be called for the written test.

Sources in the PPSC said it had also been decided that in case less than 10,000 candidates applied for a particular examination, per post-to-candidate ratio would be further enhanced to 1:100. They added the Commission, have yet to finalise as to how fee of all those candidates who would not be called for written test would be refunded.

The sources said the recent initiatives were proposals of the PPSC Chairman Zafar Mahmood and the same were approved by the Commission members. They added the reason behind all this was stated to be an attempt to discourage the non-serious candidates and ease the problems PPSC faced on regular basis to conduct examination on a large scale.

On the other hand, the candidates are not ready to accept even the amended criteria. A number of candidates talking to The News said it was a sheer injustice on part of PPSC to shortlist the candidates on the basis of academic record. They question as to how the Commission can deny any of the two candidates to appear in the written test when both have equal qualification and meet the eligible qualification requirement but different marks? “This is against the spirit of open competition and fair play”, said a dejected candidate Abid adding “everyone who meets the required qualification should be allowed to compete.” He also said those at the helm should avoid taking such decisions keeping in mind ever growing unemployment in the country.

There is also a concern among the stakeholders about the qualification obtained by candidates under annual and semester systems. They argue that both the system follow different pattern of marking and examinations. They are concerned about standard of education and disparity in the education system. There is also general perception that in the semester system, candidates get good percentage but not in the annual system.

Another candidate claimed PPSC was already giving weightage to marks obtained by a candidate in interview after passing the written exam, so there was no need to do the same before the exam.

When contacted, PPSC Secretary Nayyer Iqbal confirmed that the Commission in its recent meeting reviewed the 1:30 per post-to-candidate ratio and decided to enhance the same. He also said there has to have some mechanism to shortlist the candidates for written examination adding thousands of candidates use to apply for various posts.
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