Recruitment Of Civil Servants PSC Changes Curriculum

By Dr. Niranjan Prasad Upadhyay

PUBLIC Service Commission (PSC) in an independent institution. The need and importance of the Public Service Commission was first recognised immediately after the advent of democratic Government on February 18,1951. It was entrusted with the task of conducting examinations for recruitment to Government posts.

In the years preceding the revolution of 1951 or, more specifically, in the first half of the Rana regime, the desirability of having a Public Service Commission did not intrude into the consciousness of anybody. In those days the top echelon of the civil service was filled with the kith and kin of the then rulers leaving only the petty clerical posts such as Mukhiya, Nausinda and the alike for the recruitment of the people at large (The Public Service Commission: A brief introduction, 1995). Entry to even such positions was limited to the close relatives of the incumbents who had proved their loyalty from generation to generation, or to those fortunate few who had won the favour of the ruling family through sycophancy and toadyism. There were no rules or fixed criteria to govern the recruitment process . At the same time, there was nothing to guarantee the security of tenure. The entire civil service was reviewed from time to time, and each civil servant was reconfirmed, transferred, promoted, or sacked.

In the later years of the autocratic family rule, the need for trained personnel to carry out the administrative functions of the day was felt. This situation pressed them to manage the recruitment procedure. The process of recruitment consisted of four subjects: Accountancy, Laws of the realm, Mathematics and Geography. This system of recruitment was popularly known as Four Tests (Char pass). There was no guarantee, however, that a candidate passing those Four Tests would be automatically taken into the service. Sometime latter, a candidate was required to go through another examination before sitting for the Four Tests, which was officially designated as First Test (Parikshya) and the Four Tests as Secondary Test.

One of the important aspects of personnel management relates to the selection and placement of the candidates who filled up applications on the basis of advertisement. The field of personnel selection probably has received more attention from organisatioal experts. In the administration of the personnel programme, an important function is the matching of individuals to jobs for which they are qualified.

In this course of action the Public Service Commission changed the previous curriculum on the basis of job description. Selecting a candidate effectively requires clear understanding of the nature and the purpose of the position, which is to be filled. An objective analysis of position requirement must be made, and, as far as possible, the job must be designed to meet organisational or individual needs. Having those practical and applied fields of knowledge, the Public Service Commission of Nepal has used job analysis procedure for the new curriculum design. In this connection, the Public Service Commission uses valid and objective types of job description format for collecting various types of information i.e. Job title, purpose, service, location, responsible to, responsible for, key duties, key results area, competencies required for the post, qualification required for the post, tools, working environments, hazards etc.

The Public Service Commission follows basic principles and procedures for recruiting the required numbers of officials to the concerned Ministry. In this regard, it holds three procedures open competition, internal competition and promotion on the basis of performance evaluation. Basically, the Public Service Commission is always trying its best to give efficient and effective manpower to the Government through the process of merit-based selection. Certainly, merit-based selection imparts and helps the newly recruited personnel for delivering effective services to the general public. Merit system is a means for appropriate recruitment process. In the absence of on objective recruitment process, qualified and talented people can’t be tapped. In Nepal, most of the trainings are theoretical. Due to this, the newly recruited personnel fail to deliver effective service to the general public. The Government’s thrust in the Ninth Plan is to provide good governance to the general public. But this is only possible through the imparting of practical and applied field of training to the newly recruited personnel. Journal of the American Psychological Association (1990) has stressed that training can be a positive force for both the individual and the organisation. When the training succeeds, it prepares individuals to take responsibility and thereby insures smooth functioning of the organisation. Training brings hope for persons first entering the world of work or for individuals changing the world of work.

Madhukar, S.J.B. {2000) has stated that the bureaucratic machinery must be founded on merit, must remain free from policital patronage and must be driven by a sense of justice, fair play and efficiency.

The present syllabus is prepared on the basis of numerous exercises, mass communication through news, radio, television, workshop seminar and meetings, opinions sharing with different groups of personalities i.e. top-level Government officers and college students. Those figures have pinpointed various demerits in the prior curriculum i.e. lack of academic subjects, no clear-cut demarcation between general knowledge and social studies papers, lack of elementary test, absence of women’s participation in the examination etc.

Public Service Commission has followed the merit principles for the recruitment of the needy candidates. Due to its own fair characteristics, the general people have good faith and first of all they try to appear the examination of Public Service Commission.

As having the extensive, sound and rigorous exercises, the Public Service Commission introduced open competitive elementary examination curriculum for gazetted third class, Section officer (non-technical) on April 27, 2001. The curriculum covers 4 hours examination time, 200 total marks, eight units and subjective and objective types of questions, and finally it carries 160 and 40 marks respectively. The curriculum covers diversified disciplines i.e. Geography, History and Culture, the Nepalese political system, Administrative system and International agencies, the Nepalese economic aspect, Current affairs and National/International personalities and their ideals.

On the whole, personnel selection through specific curriculum always follows merit and competitive environments. The competitive environment is gaining ground. Since it’s beginning, the Public Service Commission is always trying to review its recruitment systems on the basis of psychological researches. On the other hand, it is very essential to impart practical and applied field of knowledge to the newly recruited personnel at the time of training. Certainly, such types of training courses only meet and fulfill the targeted objectives of personnel selection system.

E-Governance - The Need Of The Hour?

By Nishchal Nath Pandey

C. UMASHANKAR, the Collector at Tiruvarur of Tamil Nadu in India performs all his government jobs through his computer using the DLL system. He does not preserve old files in old cupboards instead either stores them in his PC’s separate folders or deletes them without much ardor. A government civil servant saying no to files? A bureaucrat getting to the bottom of a public request within seconds? It sounds simply unbelievable. But, thanks to his bold initiative, the collectorate is not an average grimy office with lazy officers gossiping about a new film’s release. Instead, there are at least half a dozen programmers blending software packages. From land use and birth and death records to pension and other purposes-the office keeps all details in its computers and furthermore there is a strict notification that all senior officers of the office print their e-mail addresses in their visiting cards. The three dozen computers in his office possess bi-lingual software developed especially for the office.

‘Developments in electronic governance’ is also the British Council’s briefing document on the harnessing of new technologies and new media to the governance agenda, and current issues in ‘electronic governance’. They bring ‘a flavour of the various ways that citizens, together with local and central governments, are experimenting with information and communications technologies in order to build and sustain democratic and accountable civil societies’. The British Council too has been assisting in information and practical training for e-governance. A certain type of e-governance has in addition been experimented by vehicle riders in Kerala in South India that will soon be carrying their driving licences as plastic cards while registration and permits will go more hi-tech with the introduction of smart optical cards. The state’s motor vehicles’ department will float tenders for identifying a private sector firm for implementing the smart card project on a Boot (build-own-operate-and-transfer) basis for a period of five years. Kerala in fact will be the sixth state after Chandigarh, Gujarat, Delhi, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh to initiate induction of information technology in the road transport sector. The driving licences are to be issued as credit card-sized cards with a microprocessor capable of storing information in electronic form with controlling access and facility for modification of information.

A smart card reader would be required to access information from the card, which will have to be supplied in sufficient quantities by the private company entering into the BOOT agreement with the government. What is it all about?

E-governance or electronic governance may be defined as delivery of government services and information to the public using electronic means. Such means of delivering information is often referred to as information technology. Use of IT in government offices facilitates a well-organised, prompt and transparent process for disseminating information to the public and other agencies, and for performing government activities. It is clearly a viable alternate to the lazy, tedious, sometimes frustrating work at government ministries. Just as a modern bank has its applications worked out to facilitate its customers by letting him know his account’s last balance or draw his cheques in all its branches across the city or even country, a government office/department can also reduce the amount of its work-load and at the same time help busy public in getting their works done. Instead of running around in search of old files that is a regular sight in government offices of our country, one can simply save it in the computer. And, more interestingly, as a replacement for writing long applications and persuading peons to forward the letter quickly to the person concerned, the applicant can simply write an e-mail to the department chief. He/She can even send carbon copies of that letter to other concerned heads including the chief of the office himself. When the head of the department sees that a certain e-mail has been lying unattended for few hours, he can easily query regarding the request to his junior colleagues.

It sounds incredible and just as a solution of a long felt need in Nepal. In fact, Nepal does not lag behind any South Asian country as far as computer knowledge or software applications are concerned. We do have ample number of professionals educated and trained abroad but ready to render their services for the well being of their country. The government needs to tap these specialists and chalk out how and where these new methods can be applied. Of course, the general public may not be well versed with computers let alone the newest computerspeak. But, starting something new is never a waste.

We could start this technology in the most hectic sectors demanding consumer’s time and energy like the Telecommunications and the Electricity Authority. While offices begin at nine in the morning and close only at five, those that work in offices simply don’t have time to pay their telephone and electricity dues. If only we could introduce mechanisms so that the modern day consumer faces the least amount of hassle! The same can be said of driving licences, land tax receipts, income and house taxes etc. To begin with why don’t we make it compulsory for every government minister, M.P, civil servant etc to learn computer basics. Although there may be resentment from some quarters, one must inform them that learning about new technologies is always beneficial both personal and for the country at large. It must be recalled that a former shadow finance minister in Britain actually went for a session in economics in the London School of Economics ‘so as to gather the newest advancements after he left college’.

We, in our part of the region, must shun notions that debar us from understanding that there are many new ideas that are being brought out for the good of all humanity. We in fact relish in continuing what our forefathers had done decades ago but as we progress into the 21st century, this age-old concept must be eschewed.

Prominence Of Ganesh

ON every auspicious occasion the Hindus give first preference to the worship of Ganesh. On the top of every invitation card pertaining to marriage ceremony or any other auspicious one can find a tiny printed image of Ganesh and just below it there is a couplet dedicated to Vishnu.

Asoka Vinayak of Kathmandu in the vicinity of Kastamandap, Suryavinayak in Bhadgaon, Jalavinayaka at Chobar on the bank of the Bagmati and Karyavinayaka at Chabhail close to Pashupati’s townlet of Deopatan and regarded the prominent temples of Ganesh. Jalavinayaka and Suryavinayaka are situated on very specious spots.

The Suryavinayaka temple of Ganesh is unique as to its historical and religious importance. It is stated that the rays of the sun first fall over the temple and that is why it is called Suryavinayaka visiting the temple and its surroundings had double purposes. One is to fulfill the wish of the visitor and the other is to visit the temple of Ama Thaan dedicated to Goddess Parvati. If a child fails to speak at its normal speaking age of the child is taken there and let it leave alone so that it may cry and them he may start speaking in a normal manner. The surroundings of the temple are serene and that is why it is regarded as a picnic spot the spot looks more attractive than other temples of Ganesh.

Magh is a special month to worship Ganesh. Normassy the Hindu women visit these prominent four temples every Tuesday. There are other temples scattered here and there in the valley. Generally the four-headed image is common but hands differ in different images. The image of Siddhivinayaka has six hands but that of Ranipokhari has sixteen ones and twenty ones at Mahaboudha in Kathmandu.

The entire stone image of Ganesh is coloured with red pigment. Generally Ganesh is represented with the head of an elephant one a human body. It is bulky and weighty but of short stature.

The numerous temples that we see in the valley prove that Ganesh had become quite a powerful deity in the later Middle Age. Ganesh has been regarded as a guardian deity at the entrance of a monastery. The Buddhists believe that the worship of Ganesh removes all evils.

There are many features related to the inconography of Ganesh. There is no uniformity in the images of Ganesh.

There are unnumerable anecdotes related to the wisdom of Ganesh. His appetite is not to be satiated even though innumerable items of food offered. Besides Ganesh the god is also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, Ek danta and the like. According to some Purnas thirty two varieties of Ganapati have been mentioned.

When the civilisation of India spread far wide such as, Malaya. Bali, Java in particular the name of Ganesh became popular. However, posture of Ganesh is seen different in different places. We can see many images of Ganesh in Thailand. Kambodia and other far eastern countries. Fa-hien and Hieun-Tsang, the Chinese pilgrimes during their visit to India had carried away many images of Ganesh. Even in China and Japan different images of Ganesh were found. Thus Ganesh has been worshipped in many countries of Asian in different ways. In short Ganesh has carved a special position in the Asian countries.

In our country certain Shiva images carry on the pedestal sculptured relief the Ganas where Ganesh with his elephant head looks prominent. Another feature in our country is the animal sacrifice offered to Ganesh.