“CSS age limit”

Apropos letter by Ghulam Murtaza in your daily of Nov 19, I do not agree with the writer to enhance upper age limit for CSS exams. He has presented his case well but I do not agree with two of the arguments that he has given. One that engineers, doctors and other skilled people can also compete if the upper age is relaxed to 35 is not a valid argument in that we need these people with technical degrees in their respective fields and not in DMG, income tax, customs, police etc. As such it amuses me to find a medical doctor as an SP.
Secondly, Murtaza considers 21 as ‘not a fully matured age’. It is not right. I, however, do suggest an overall review of CSS examination system and recruitment of young blood in these administrative services. CSS should be renamed and called Pakistan Administrative Services (PAS). The age limits may be fixed at 23-27. Once selected, through written exams (which too needs revamping) and viva-voce, these qualified boys and girls should allocated to various departments according to merit and domicile. Once they are inducted in services, they ought to go through a three-year comprehensive coaching, teaching and counseling sessions at their respective academies.
Besides the laws, rules, procedure of administration and management of economic issues of the country, which they ought to know well, they should be imparted study of Islamic History, Islamiat, public services, ethics, discipline, social behaviour, and communication. These three years must be punctuated with several tests and in-house exams and inability for anyone to pass through the exams should lead to rejection at that stage and sent home. These officers will pass these three years and then given assignments in their respective departments. These people would become proper public servants and serve the masses in true spirit and dedication. The elements of supremacy and ‘mastery’ should be warded off their minds.
In short, what I am suggesting is that we should create a proper class of people who ought to serve the people and not just ‘rule’ them, the legacy British rulers have left us. This class of people will blend very well with local self-government, which too we should bring in now.
AMJAD H MIRZA
Lahore
(II)
This is apropos of the letter “CSS age limit” by Ghulam Murtaza. I wholeheartedly second the writer’s view that CSS exams are discriminated against by the government and the time is ripe that reforms must be brought to the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) as soon as possible. The age bracket should widen enough to accommodate the CSS aspirants who have been suffering at the hands of discriminatory age policy since the last decade.
The president and the prime minister were requested, Chairman FPSC was sought, the high courts were petitioned but all that seems to have been beating around the bush and nothing else. What course of action the CSS aspirants ought to take that will grant them their legitimate right? Those who can address people’s grievances are busy playing roles in political dramas. But every cloud has a silver lining, as they say, so CSS aspirants have pinned their last hope on the Chief Justice of Pakistan now. Hopefully, the overage CSS aspirants will reach the shore in this storm.
ASIF AMIN
Islamabad