Focus on reforms in civil services exams

The Hindu GEARING UP: Participants at a seminar on civil services examination reforms organised by the Centre for Career Development Studies in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday. Photo: C. Ratheesh Kumar

The government is planning major changes in the recruitment process for the civil services. So, the aspirants have to be prepared for it.

The Centre for Career Development Studies organised a seminar on civil services examination reforms titled ‘Strategies and Challenges' in the city on Wednesday.

The seminar focussed on the “recommended significant changes” that were made in the preliminary paper and the possible changes that may be incorporated in the main paper.

Until last year, the examination was conducted on the sequential three-stage process consisting of a preliminary, mains and a personal interview.

‘Need for State service'

However, in 2011, an aptitude test was introduced. There were speculations about dropping optional papers in the main examinations and introducing multiple levels of interview and group discussion before the final selection of the candidates, said Jojo T. Mathew, editor, Competition Wizard.

District Collector K.N. Satheesh stressed the need for introducing a State Civil Service in Kerala, which was being implemented in many other States. He advised the aspirants to thoroughly understand the nature of civil services before opting for them.

Training

The need for training the aspirants at the academic level was stressed by former diplomat T.P. Sreenivasan.

They should be trained in subjects relevant to administration so that they need not have to waste time in unlearning what they had learnt to suit the needs of the civil service examination pattern. A serious thought should be given to the time factor.

Now an aspirant spent a year preparing for various stages of the recruitment. If the time was reduced considerably, it could save on their productive years, he felt.