Senate body deliberates on reforms in civil service

ISLAMABAD: Senate’s special committee on Tuesday examined the proposals for induction and promotion of civil servants to replace the obsolete mechanism and to ensure transparent and speedy procedures for a refined institution.

The decades-old civil services system is required to be taken seriously and it is imperative to find out and remove lacunas affecting the working of the commission, the meeting noted.

The meeting discussed the mandate of Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC), required structural changes in the ordinance, the procedure for holding competitive exams, the relevance of the curriculum to groups and policies for qualitative changes in country’s premier institution.

The meeting was unanimous to ensure the screening process that would speed up initiatives and avoid lengthy procedures being faced by the applicants coming for CSS exams.

FPSC Additional Secretary Qamar Zaman stressed the use of technology for smooth working right from the induction of the candidates to their promotions and above.

“The FPSC made a proposal for an MCQ-based paper of 200 marks for CSS exams which was moved to the cabinet and was put on the ice burner,” he added. The FPSC also placed this proposal before the committee and said that candidates securing 40 per cent marks may be considered eligible.

He also suggested keeping the candidates in the same group in which they were specialised. The substandard private colleges, giving masters level degrees, were also a matter of concern to be taken up by the relevant authorities, he said.

Senator Saud Majeed asked FPSC officials for considering the top 1,200 distinctive candidates for merit who pass the screening test. He added that unfortunately in India and Pakistan, civil servants were hired on short-term ability rather than knowledge.

Senator Taj Haider said, “There must be the right person for right job. If we really want to achieve the desired goals, we must discuss the solution here not the problems.”

The convener of the committee Syed Muzaffar Shah sought a solution to the issue of managerial capacity raised by the secretary of the commission.

The team in its final note asked for submission of a framework regarding promotions and ascertains reasons for not attaining desired results.