DT report on suitability

[mahmood]

47 candidates declared unsuitable


Suitability’ rule likely to bar 47 candidates from depts of choice

* Candidates say they will challenge the measure in court

By Abdul Manan

LAHORE: Forty-seven of the 190 candidates who passed the 2007 Central Superior Services (CSS) exams are likely to be sent to departments other than the ones they had chosen, because of the “suitability” rule, officials told Daily Times.

Sections 7-A and 10 of the Federal Public Service Commission (FPCS) Ordinance of 1977 authorise the FPSC chairman to send a candidate to any department irrespective of his or her preferences, after assessing his or her suitability.

A senior FPCS official said the number of candidates being subjected to the rule this year was very high, compared with the usual six or seven candidates in normal years. He asked not to be named because he was not authorised to talk to the media. He said candidates were usually given a lower score if they were not suitable for the departments they had chosen.

FPCS Assistant Director Amin Tahir said the provision was part of law and the commission had a right to use it. He declined to say how many candidates would be subjected to it. Sources in the FPCS said the candidates who might be affected by the provision include the following:

Falak Sher (Punjab, merit number 57) is likely to be declared unsuitable for the Police Services of Pakistan (PSP) and the District Management Group (DMG) and might be sent to Customs. Mahmodur Rehman Khattak (NWFP, merit number 37) is likely to be declared unsuitable for the DMG and sent to Customs. Syed Nabeel Haider (Sindh, merit number 78) is likely to be sent to the DMG instead of the PSP. Abdul Shakoor (Sindh, merit number 114) is likely to be sent to Customs instead of the PSP. Fuad Ghaffar Soomro (Sindh, merit number 116) is likely to be declared unsuitable for the PSP and suitable for the DMG. Shoaib Anwar (Balochistan, merit number 119) is likely to be sent to Customs instead of the PSP. Shaukat Ali (Balochistan, merit number 143) is likely to be sent to Customs instead of the DMG. Ajmal Khan (FATA, merit number 147) is likely to be declared unsuitable for the PSP and sent to Pakistan Audit and Accounts (PAAS). Dr Junaid (Balchoistan, merit number 154) is likely to be declared unsuitable for seven departments and sent to Pakistan Railways. Jahanzaib Abbasi (Sindh rural, merit number 155) is likely to be sent to Customs instead of the DMG. Syed Mashkoor Ali (Sindh, merit number 179) is likely to be declared suitable for the Income Tax department and unsuitable for Customs.

Court: Several candidates that Daily Times talked to said they would challenge the measure in court. However, none of the candidates have received an acceptance letter so far.

[Omer]

These type of things will discourage the candidates from other professions to opt for CE................There is already a declining trend in the number of people taking the exam.............The situation is desperate for the candidates..............Imagine the situation of mind if you can't get the group for which you worked dexterously and left your profession..............FPSC should give a thought to it or at least present the criteria on the basis of what they have decided so.........!!

It clearly gives an idea that even working so hard and going through much of the mental exercise............u can't hope to get your desired group..........At least to me,,its an issue worth noticing!

[Bird Flu]

I dont think the news has weightage. The candidates are given departments on the basis of the number of jobs available as per quota with respect to their merit.

If a candidate fails to impress the interviewers, he is given poor marks, therefore, other candidates supersede him. This way the merit of the candidates is decided.

Then comes the application of quota. For instance, there are five DMG seats in a province and the candidate finishes at sixth place in that province. If all the first five candidates choose DMG, the sixth candidate will be given the second department of his choice.

The FPSC chairman's power is limited to decide the interview marks of the candidate and not his department. The candidate automatically gets the department on the basis of his merit and the number of posts available as per quota.

Even the above news has clear examples, that Falak Sher (Punjab, merit number 57) would be considered for Customs as his first two choices PSP and DMG would be occupied by the candidates better in merit than Falak Sher. Similarly Syed Nabeel Haider (Sindh (U), merit number 78) is likely to be sent to the DMG instead of the PSP because there are four candidates who are superseding Nabeel Haider in Sindh. If there are four seats of PSP and all the above four candidates opt for it, then obviously Nabeel will be considered for his second choice which is DMG.

[zahid khattak]

@ bird flu

well i think u have not read the whole report and thts why defending fpsc more than chairman ...let me explain this ..the report says 47 candidates are under suitability clause ...and i am sure u dont know what suitibility clasue is ..its the personal opinion of the psychologist to unfit any candidate from any group in view of his assessment of the candidate..
now lets come to ur point ..
let me give u an example of my friend mahmood from NWFP ..he is 7th from nwfp and 35th over all. his top choice was DMG and there are only three candidates higier in merit,in nwfp, from mahmood who opted for DMG ..now mahmood ought to to be given DMG as there are 4 seats of DMG this year for nwfp, but he has been given customes ...and another candidates who is 57th in over all merit , he has been given DMG from NWFP...now i hope have got the whole thing in ur mind ..now what u say is this a fair decision ...i wont comment on the decision i just wanted to make the picture more clear for u ..
thanks

[mahmood]

zahid is right. there are a couple of corrections that i would like to make. first, my merit number is 37th, not 35th. and second, the guy who has been given dmg seat is on merit#88.