The recommendations given by administrative reforms commission (ARC)regarding the recruitment process for civil service suggested that the age of recruitment to be reduced to a band of 21-25 years.
Keeping in view that the best talent should come to civil services; the above recommendations are ill conceived.
The average age at which one finishes their post graduation is about 24 years. The average age at one finishes his or her medicine is 24 years. The above recommendations completely bars post graduates and doctors from entering civil services.
Many people would like to join the civil services after they realize that corporate sector though more lucrative will not fulfill their aspirations of serving their country. There are many examples of people who were gainfully employed in the private sector after their MBA from IIMs who quit their corporate jobs to serve their country. The recommendations of civil service reforms would bar them also and the country will also loose talent who are coming from prestigious IIMs with rich experience in corporate world.
Further, the recommendations if accepted will act as a deterrent for people in group C and D posts who are motivated to go up the hierarchy very quickly seeing the apathy in their organizations.
Semi urban and rural people will be hit the hardest who for various reasons cannot complete their graduation by 24.
Civil services being a generalist domain must give opportunity to everyone. Post graduates and medical students will miss the bus forever if such ill conceived recommendations are accepted.
ARC must on the other and must take a serious look at working of UPSC.
UPSC must look at making the process of recruitment more scientific by cutting number of optional subjects, giving more weightage to general studies and testing candidates to reason, argue, defend and analyze the burning subjects rather than testing a candidate's mere memory.
ARC must question the UPSC about the rationale for evaluation. How is that the UPSC is evaluating mathematics, physics one one hand and philosophy and sociology on the other hand for the same marks. How can this be done scientifically? how can philosophy be weighed with mathematics?
UPSC being a constitutional body cannot be questioned. But a time frame of one year to complete the recruitment process for coveted IAS,IPS and other group A posts is truly obnoxious and unthinkable.One year is too long a time and too precious. UPSC should first cut the duration it takes to recuit personnel to coveted posts.
Age must never be a constraint for talented individuals for entering civil services. The criteria must be the depth of understanding, width of knowledge and sharpness in logic and reason.
