Trackback URL
Download PDF The circular for the 28th BCS examinations has disappointed jobseekers as it retained the 55 percent non-merit quota but did not relax the age limit for appearing in the examinations despite delaying the publication by two and a half years.
The latest circular of the Public Service Commission (PSC) published yesterday in different dailies mentioned that only graduates aged 30 years or below as of January 1 this year can apply for the 28th BCS examinations.
This has left thousands of jobseekers, who have crossed the age limit, deprived of the opportunity as the PSC did not publish any circular for the BCS examinations since June 28, 2005.
The PSC usually publishes the circular every year and relaxed the age limit by at least six months for most of the previous BCS examinations.
Talking to The Daily Star, many such unfortunate candidates demanded that the PSC relax the age limit for the 28th BCS examinations by at least one year.
“The PSC usually issues at least one circular a year for the BCS examinations. It issued four such circulars during the five-year tenure of the last BNP-Jamaat alliance government. The government tried to issue another circular but failed because of various irregularities in the 27th BCS examinations,” a PSC director said, seeking anonymity.
The PSC circular for the 27th BCS examinations dated June 28, 2005 sought applications for 1,776 posts, the 26th special BCS examinations dated August 29, 2004 asked for 1,034 posts of lecturer, and the circular for the 25th BCS examinations published on February 28, 2004 sought applications for 1,524 posts.
“I will not be able to apply for the 28th BCS exams as I have crossed the age limit. I would be able to apply for at least two BCS exams if the PSC had issued one circular each year,” Anwar Hossain, a former DU student who is now 31, told The Daily Star.
The jobseekers were also disappointed hearing the news that the quota would remain in the 28th BCS to be held under the new BCS recruitment rule.
According to the new rule, pass course graduates are not eligible for the competitive exams, marks will be deducted in the preliminary test for wrong answers, candidates must obtain 50 percent marks on an average in the written tests, and editors of national dailies may be included in the viva voce committees.
However, while the 28th BCS boasts of these changes, it retains the 55 percent non-merit quota, which has long been considered a bar to recruiting meritorious officers in the civil service.
Under this quota system, only 45 percent public servants are selected on merit. The rest in both the cadre and non-cadre services include 30 percent freedom fighters or their offspring, 10 percent women, 10 percent under districts quotas and five percent indigenous people.
There have been demands for its abolition from different quarters.
Academics, former and present PSC members and jobseekers have always pointed out that “unskilled” or “semi-skilled” candidates often pass the BCS exams because of this quota system.
Leaders of Fair BCS Movement, a platform of students, demanded that the PSC abolish the quota system and relax the age limit by one year for the 28th BCS exams.
Abu Tareq, president of the platform, said he hopes that the PSC will relax the age limit, considering the fact that its delay in issuing the BCS circular by two and a half years has left many candidates ineligible for the exams.
He also said all quotas should be abolished so that meritorious candidates can enter the civil service.
“The quota system is also degrading the quality of the civil service,” said former PSC member Prof Mohammad Mohabbat Khan.
PSC Member M Abdur Rauf also admitted that the age limit should be relaxed and the quota system should be curtailed at 25 percent.
“I will personally discuss these two issues with PSC Chairman Saadat Hussain and 28th BCS Chairman M Muhammad Ashraf,” Rauf told The Daily Star yesterday.
The circular for the 28th BCS examinations sought applications for 1,720 posts in 14 general and 13 technical-professional cadres.
Candidates can collect the application forms from the branches of Sonali Bank from March 3 and will have to submit them by May 15.
August 13th, 2008 at 11:04 am
Dear Concern,
Thanks to BangladeshNews.com.bd
I have a query about exam date.
could u inform me the probable date of 28 th BCS Preliminary exam.
Best Regards,
shakil
August 16th, 2008 at 2:16 am
when will the BCS priliminary exam will held