This is not the first time such a proposal has been made. The recommendation was initially put forth by UPSC three years ago and was cleared by the Cabinet.
Every year, lakhs of men and women from across the country appear for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams and after trudging through an intensive year-long recruitment process, only a mere 0.06 per cent finally make it as civil servants.
It should come as no surprise then, that the UPSC exams are considered to be one of the toughest ones in the world.
The power and glamour of the civil services is such that these aspirants don’t give up if they fail at the first attempt. There are several success stories of individuals emerging victorious; some even top the exam.
However, persistence is not everyone’s cup of tea, and more often than not, people end up forsaking the UPSC dream after failing to qualify beyond the interview stage of the recruitment process.
Well, all hope is not lost as the UPSC has recommended that the government recruit such candidates in other posts.
“We have proposed to the central government and the ministries to recruit people from the list of candidates who make it to the interview stage in civil services and other exams, but fail to get picked up,” UPSC chairperson Arvind Saxena said during the 21st national conference of chairpersons of state public commissions in Bhubaneswar, reports The New Indian Express.
He further added that since those who make it to the interview stage have already gone through the grind of two stages of elimination, they could be utilised by the government for posts outside of the civil services.
Interestingly, this is not the first time such a proposal has been made. Speaking to The Print, a senior official of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said that the recommendation was initially put forth three years ago, and was cleared by the Cabinet.
“The idea is that the candidates can be considered by a number of government employers since they already have their UPSC marks and ranking. It would take the load off other recruitment agencies, as well as ensure that those who reach the final stage, but do not make it to the civil service even after several attempts, are not left stranded,” he added.
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An important point to note here is that similar provisions are already in place in recruitment agencies like the SSC (Staff Selection Commission) and the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB).
So, how will this move, once approved, benefit the scores of aspirants who have lost out in the race for the most prestigious and coveted government jobs in India?
Well, the competition is extremely stiff by the final round of the selection process, and candidates often get eliminated in the interview round by a point or two.
However, it would be unjust to conclude that this shortcoming proves they aren’t cut out for the job or are incapable of holding other government posts.
Because these candidates have a good understanding of governance by the time they reach the interview round, it would make sense to put their talent to good use and give them a chance to secure a government job.
Additionally, if the recommendation gets approved, it would undoubtedly help to reduce the insurmountable pressure upon the aspirants.
While there are no details about how the new proposal is different from the earlier one, what we do know is that the current proposal is yet to be formalised by UPSC.
(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)
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