Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the first common eligibility test (CET) to hire non-technical group B and C government employees has been postponed and is unlikely to be held by the end of the year, according to a top Union minister. The CET will be conducted by the newly formed National Recruitment Agency (NRA) to screen/shortlist candidates for the above-mentioned government jobs, which were previously selected through the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs), and Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS), according to Jitendra Singh, the union minister for personnel, pensions, and grievances.
Common Eligibility Test to shortlist candidates for govt jobs
Speaking at the release of the IAS officers' e-Book Civil List-2021, he said, "This unique initiative undertaken with the personal intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to screen and shortlist candidates for recruitment to Central government jobs was scheduled to take off with the first such test before the end of this year but is likely to get delayed on account of the Covid pandemic."
The NRA, according to Jitendra Singh, will be a multi-agency group that will administer a common test to screen and select candidates for Group-'B' and 'C' (non-technical) positions. The most important aspect of this reform is that every district in the country will have at least one Examination Centre, which will considerably improve access for applicants in remote areas, he noted.
According to Singh, the historic reform will ensure that all candidates, regardless of their origin or socioeconomic condition, have an equal playing field. Women and Divyang applicants, as well as those who find it financially expensive to appear for several tests by travelling to multiple Centers, will benefit greatly.
He noted, "The dynamic list will help in selecting the right officer for the right assignment based on available profile and is a vital source of information on the officers manning various posts for the general public. He said that the e-book IAS Civil list is an effort by the Department to contribute towards the Digital India initiative of the Government of India. This effort will also ensure economic utilization of resources by reducing the burden on the government exchequer, he added."
E-Book Civil List-2021
This is the 66th edition of the Civil List and the first edition of an e-book in pdf format with unique search capabilities and content hyperlinking for quick access to information. DoPT has eliminated the printing of the large IAS Civil list by adopting the distribution of the e-Book IAS Civil list 2021. The IAS Civil List includes information on officers' batch, cadre, current posting, pay scale, qualification, and date of superannuation, as well as their overall cadre-wise strength, number of IAS officers retiring in the next five years, and number of IAS officers appointed on the basis of the Civil Services Examination from 1969 onwards.
Picture Credit: PTI
