FPSC with due approval of the government has revised scheme and syllabi for written CSS Competitive Examinations to be held in 2016 and onward. Last revision of syllabi took place in 1981. In this way, earnest effort has been made to cope with challenges of changing times and globalisation. One can hope that with the revision of the current scheme and syllabi, the most suitable and the most talented individuals would be sieved out for Civil Service. However, the revised scheme and syllabi need some pertinent modifications to attract the talented aspirants.
In the revised scheme, optional subjects have been bracketed into seven groups. In Group Seven, languages have been placed with other subjects. There should be Group Eight for the regional and oriental languages to facilitate the CSS aspirants.
Further, modern subjects like Criminology and Security should also be included in the new scheme.
Comparative Study of Major Religions (For Non Muslims) as a compulsory paper in lieu of Islamiyat has been included in the revised scheme. The idea though seems apt, one fears that irreparable loss may fall on either the Muslim CSS aspirants having less marks or to the non Muslim vice versa when one sees that a single mark has great credence in allocations and falling into groups. There should be some other scheme between the two extremes.
In the revised scheme, pass marks in each compulsory subject have been retained 40 percent as they were in the previous scheme. It has been observed with great concern that large number of high talented candidates fail in English Essay and or English Composition merely by a single mark. Overall performance of them is found exceptional in the CSS exam. In this way both the candidates and the Civil Service have to bear the loss. There should be up to 5 grace marks in compulsory and optional papers for the candidates whose aggregated score is 60 percent or more.
MUHAMMAD SALEEM SHAHID
Shehr Sultan, Muzaffargarh
