ISLAMABAD: The decades-old CSS competitive examination system is being overhauled to modernise the procedure for fresh induction into top civil services, declared outgoing Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) Chairman Lt-Gen (retd) Jamshed Gulzar.

Giving an overview of the FPSC’s performance during his three-year tenure at a press conference here on Wednesday, the chairman said that with the World Bank assistance, the commission had already finalised the terms of reference for the revamping of the CSS induction system.

The overhauling, he said, would include updating the syllabi for CSS examinations, the review of the subjects offered, the type of assessment and modernisation of the examinations (objective or subjective types) and the reexamination of the existing occupational groups and services vis-‡-vis the requirement of the government.

The chairman took the credit for streamlining the CSS examination system during his tenure. Contrary to the past where the CSS examination cycle used to be completed in a year’s time, he said now the whole process takes just five to six months. As a result of the CSS examination’s streamlining, he said, now the whole process would be completed in the same calendar year.

As against only five examination centres, one each in the provincial and federal capitals, he disclosed that the commission has increased the number of these centres to 13. The eight additional centres have been established in Abbottabad, DI Khan, Faisalabad, Multan, Gujranwala, Sukkur, Hyderabad and Larkana. This initiative of the commission, he said, has facilitated a great number of competitors from farther areas.

Because of these measures, he disclosed, the enrolment of candidates has shown an increasing trend for the CSS examinations. This increase, he noted, has been almost 100 per cent for the last five years.

Referring to yet another hallmark the commission has achieved during his tenure as chairman, Gulzar said that for the first time in the history of Pakistan disabled candidates, including those physically handicapped, visually impaired, deaf and dumb, were allowed to appear for the CSS examinations on an open merit basis.

Besides the CSS appointments, the chairman said, the general recruitment system for non-CSS government posts is also being overhauled. The commission continues its business throughout the year for recruitment to general, technical and professional jobs, which include jobs for doctors, engineers, teachers, professors, researchers and officer administrators.

To revamp the general recruitment system, the term of reference (ToR) has already been finalized, he noted, adding that expressions of interest were advertised, and out of 13 firms which showed interest in the process, six were shortlisted for further competition.

The ToR for the overhauling of the general recruitment system include the revision of the outdated recruitment rules (not revised for the last 30 years) for the selection of right person for the right job, the description of job specification for all posts/cadres in the government, the grouping of posts in various ministries/divisions/departments demanding similar nature of jobs and the qualification/experience and computerisation of the whole recruitment process.

Though Gulzar was satisfied with the existing psychological assessment system, he said it is too being reviewed to make it the best and at par with international standards.

The retired general told the newsmen that the commission has also launched an e-government project that envisages an "online recruitment system for the FSPC". The key components of this project are: to restructure the establishment of the FPSC according to the contemporary and futuristic requirements; to install a facility for conducting online interviews by video- conferencing; to develop a system for scanning the application forms by computers, to develop a computer network for the FPSC headquarters branch officers for conducting the recruitment tests through the computer; to rationalise the recruitment system of the commission according to the international standards; and to provide information and out-reach career counselling at all universities and postgraduate colleges.