RULING Party Senator Faisal Javed has moved a Bill in the house envisaging introduction of digital evaluation of examinations of the Central Superior Services (CSS) of the Federal Public Service Commission with a view to ensuring merit and cutting down the period for induction of the candidates. The Bill seeks to add a new clause in the FPSC Ordinance 1977, stating that the FPSC shall make necessary arrangements and standard operating procedures for conducting digital evaluation of competitive exams and shall specify a date for the commencement of the operation of digitization.
The Senator deserves credit for initiating such an important move and it is hoped that his other colleagues would rise above party affiliation to support the Bill that aims at reforming the examination process of the FPSC. It is, however, puzzling that the FPSC needs legal cover to undertake a job that has become a must right from a small office to large and complex enterprises employing thousands of people. If universities, the degrees of which form the basis for candidates to apply for CSS examination, are holding online classes and examinations, then why the FPSC needs legislative cover for introduction of digitization. In fact, being needs of the hour, the process should have been introduced years back but it seems some people within the setup of the Commission are opposing the idea either because of understandable opposition to change and modernization or vested interests. The FPSC should be a model institution in every respect as it is assigned with the job of selection of those who run the country in different ways but regrettably it is sticking to decades-old system of selection that is sluggish in nature. The Commission takes so much time till final selection of candidates that many of them have to drop out as they find jobs elsewhere, depriving the country of fertile minds. The marking of the written papers is a cumbersome process and it has often been observed that even education boards declared results with more speed than the Commission. Same is true of the interviewing process that is also lethargic with complaints of biased attitude of the members in granting discretionary marks. More importantly, the contents of the question papers have nothing to do with the modern day requirements as the Commission attaches more importance to Shakespearean English than use of modern technology and assessment of the candidates on the basis of their understanding of the complexities of governance. Under these circumstances, apart from digitization, there is also need for drastic reforms in the entire working of the Commission and this should be done without further delay as it has repercussions for the state.
