UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination is next on the reforms agenda

New Delhi, Dec, 10: The UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination is next on the reforms agenda to execute it UPSC has constituted an expert committee to suggest changes in the pattern of Civil Services (Main) examination.

The decision comes after the change in Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2011.

The alteration in the preliminary exam pattern weren’t as drastic as commission had originally hoped. This was the reason why the Union government was reluctant to change the name the preliminary test as the civil services aptitude test.

At the 3rd UPSC foundation day function, UPSC chairman said the changes had been well received as they provided the candidates a level playing field leading to improved quality of selection.

Chairman — who has been pushing reforms at the commission — went on to announce that the UPSC was looking at changes that needed to be made in the Civil Services (Main) examination as well as other exams.

“Consistent with the need for selecting the right kind of person from a huge pool consisting of multiple languages, creeds, culture and communities, the commission has now constituted a high-power committee to suggest possible changes in the pattern of Civil Services (Main) Examination,” he said.

Chairman also said that the commission’s endeavor was to ensure that “candidates are judged on the basis of in-depth knowledge and understanding rather than information gathered at the last moment.”

In six decades, UPSC has selected nearly 5 lakh candidates after examining over 46 million applicants which is equal to the population of South Africa or England.

Minister of State for Personnel and PMO V. Narayanasmay supportrd that the recruitment policies of the commission needed to be reviewed and revised to make recruitment faster and also to ensure induction of the civil servants with the right aptitude.

Chairman agreed, pointing that the UPSC was looking at other examinations to bring them in tune with the present scenario of country’s development and aspirations.

Similarly, he said, the UPSC had recommended an alternative system to the government to improve the process of induction of civil service officers from different streams into the All India Service.