Dimapur, Oct. 4 (EMN): A group of “public service aspirants” has written to the government seeking changes in the marking system of the Nagaland Public Service Commission (NSPC).
A copy of a representation addressed to the chief secretary of Nagaland on Wednesday from the Public Service Aspirants of Nagaland (PSAN), stated to have found that the current marking system for interviews is “prejudiced, unrealistic and does not reflect the (calibre) of the highest recruiting body.”
The group note what it called the "unethical and random marking system practiced by the NPSC” which it claimed was revealed by the NPSC Civil Service Examination for 2015. For stated reason, the PSAN set up a committee to “study the loopholes and find out areas of improvement in the NPSC examination system,” the representation declared.
“After thorough research and deliberation, the committee has found that the prevalent marking system in the NPSC Viva-voce examination is prejudiced, unrealistic and does not reflect the calibre (sic) of the highest recruiting body,” the press release stated.
The group listed out its ‘findings’ to the government for ‘immediate’ intervention: reduction of the total marks from interviews from the current 75 to 50; in line with the system practiced by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), the NPSC should also set maximum and minimum benchmarks in the viva voce examination.
Here the organisation mentioned that the UPSC maintains a minimum of 50 per cent and a maximum of 75 per cent in the “viva voce” with marks ranging from 140 to 206 out of the total 275 marks.
“In the UPSC civil service exam 2015 and 2016, the highest mark secured was 206 out of the total 275 marks, which is calculated as 75% of the total marks. Whereas, in the NPSC civil service examination 2015, many of the candidates scored more than 70 and some as high as 74.12 in the viva voce, and some as low as 28 which is calculated as maximum of 99% and minimum of 37% respectively,” the representation declared.
The current practice of awarding marks in the interview by the NPSC is “irrational, random and unbecoming of the highest recruiting body as this exam is not a high school mathematics examination but the highest examination in the state.”
The PSAN is of the proposition that NPSC should maintain a mark range of minimum 50% and a maximum of 75% in the viva voce examination.
Another point the organisation listed in its demands: As is the practice being followed by the UPSC, marks scored by candidates in all the examinations conducted by the NPSC (NCS, NPS,NSS & Allied Services, Combined Technical Exam, Common Educational Service Exam and any other examinations conducted by the NPSC) should be ‘declared on the day of result declaration.’
Likewise, the organisation stated that the “mains” marks should be kept out of the NPSC Board members' knowledge as a “precautionary measure against manipulation.”
“The secretary and the Controller of Examination, NPSC, should be held totally accountable in case of any discrepancies in this issue; and the government should device a mechanism to monitor it,” the PSAN stated.
The NPSC should also declare the waiting list in order-of-merit on the day of the results being declared, the presentation demanded.
“If any candidate does not accept the post, the commission should declare it in print media / NPSC website and accommodate the candidates in the waiting list in order of merit so that henceforth, absolute transparency may be maintained by NPSC in this regard.”
Further, the government should recommend NPSC members to the governor who are well-qualified, possess a good track record and “absolute integrity”. In this regard, the PSAN has proposed to the government setting up a screening committee headed by the chief secretary “so that it would select the best out of the available candidates and recommend to the governor for appointment.”
Another point of demand that organisation raised was that the NPSC should complete the entire process of examination in a calendar year unlike the 2016 and 2017 civil service examinations “in which the 2017 Preliminary exam was conducted on 23rd Sept 2017 before completing the 2016 exam.”
It has caused much inconvenience and “immense mental trauma to the candidates,” the group claimed.
The group then mentioned what it called the ‘ratio of selection’ to sit for the civil services’ main examinations. “The ratio of selection to sit for the civil services mains exam is very low as the number of candidates keeps increasing every year and as a result many deserving aspirants are kept out of the race in the mains exam,” the representation stated.
Here, the PSAN mentioned that the UPSC maintains a ratio of one post to 13/14; most of the state public service commissions maintain a ratio in the range of 1:9 to 1:13 irrespective of the number of posts advertised.
“Therefore, taking all the above mentioned points into consideration, the ratio of selection in the NPSC preliminary should be increased to at least 1:10 from the current ratio irrespective of the number of posts advertised,” the PSAN added.
