QUETTA:
In Balochistan, a growing number of young men and women are taking up Central Superior Services (CSS) examinations and appear to be far more interested in climbing the ladder to government jobs, according to sources.
The CSS examination is held in February each year by the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC), and is the entry route into the powerful Civil Services of Pakistan.
The exams are conducted simultaneously in 12 cities across the country and require candidates to appear for 12 written subject tests, an interview, a medical and a psychological exam before they are formally admitted to the civil service.
In 2013, the number of registered candidates from Balochistan went up by 11.4% to 537 compared to 2011.
The number of candidates who showed up to tests rose by 39% to 409 candidates, compared to 2011.
The rising trend in interest in the CSS exams, and a career in the civil service, appears to run counter to the two perceptions of Balochistan most common among people outside the nation’s smallest province: that it is filled with uneducated people, most of whom want to break away from Pakistan.
