Change is a bliss

For a very long time the speculations about the changes in the pattern of Civil Services Examination in India have existed. However, the assumptions about changes never existed in black or white. These long time suppositions saw an end when Prof. D.P. Aggarwal, Chairman UPSC said that UPSC is considering changes as an integral part in the methods of recruitment of civil servants to make the bureaucracy work in an efficient and effective manner.

The Commission recommended the government to replace the existing Civil Services (Preliminary Examination) with Civil Services Aptitude Test or CSAT. The CSAT is anticipated to come into effect from 2011. This new model of Preliminary examination will include two papers with equal weightage. The objective of this examination would be to test the aptitude of the applicants required to meet the hardships of a civil servants and also to understand the ethical and moral aspects of decision making. This examination would be common to all candidates.

It has been a recognized fact that Central services examinations have enabled the stability of the country and contributed positively to the governance system. These civil services have carefully drafted the policies to maintain the unity and integrity of the country and at the same time worked towards the welfare of the people. Therefore, it is very essential to have intelligent and wise civil servants. The committee under Prof. S.K. Khanna, former Vice Chairman, University Grants Commission is carefully drafting the guidelines and details of the syllabus for this new format of examination.

The new CSAT syllabus structure might include areas like basic awareness; the intention here will be to test the awareness of current affairs surrounding the globe and having an effect on India. The other aspect would be to test the problem solving, analytical skills and arithmetic capabilities. The reason could be to check the logical reasoning and decision making skills along with data interpretations and analysis. These are however proposals to UPSC, the final syllabus would be determined after committee’s report.

For now, the changes would be restricted to the first stage of the examination. The patterns of other stages of Civil Services Examination will remain as they are. The flair in aptitude in candidates of civil services examination have been argued from time to time by various committees and commissions as it has been pointed out that a person well versed with one subject might not be a fine civil servant. CSAT is the first light of change.

With the new changes on the block, a lot of aspirants are concerned and anxious about the fresh look of the syllabus and the impact on them. As an advise, students should not be apprehensive about this new method as it is a test to judge the mental and moral awareness and if you succeed an elite life is waiting for you.

These changes would offer a fresh look to the Indian bureaucracy as the new civil servants would not be masters of any one field but intellectuals with eminent aptitude. This will definitely make the whole system of selecting a candidate more objective and transparent.