Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Mar 1: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh has strongly asked the State Governments to expedite the process of abolition of interview for selection to such posts where it is not required.
In a D.O. letter, the fourth on the subject over the last one year, addressed by him to the Chief Ministers of different States, he has also asked the State Governments to communicate to the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), Government of India, the progress made by them in this direction.
Addressing an interactive programme with students of journalism here today, Dr Jitendra Singh said, as budding journalists, these young boys and girls are the massengers of revolutionary new initiatives introduced by the Modi Government for the youth and therefore, it is for these young members of journalistic fraternity not only to carry forward the message of these new initiatives but also to ensure that the same are implemented in true letter and spirit in every part of the country.
Dr Jitendra Singh cautioned that those of the States which appear to be dilly-dallying or delaying or avoiding the move to abolish the interview for selection will be open to accusation that there is some vested interest in continuing with the practice of interview with a clandestine motive to give benefit to such candidates who do not fall in merit, but manage to gain entry through unscrupulously obtained marks in the interview.
Lauding the efforts of States like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Assam which had made considerable headway in this initiative, Dr Jitendra Singh called for this example to be followed by other States like Jammu & Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura which were yet to report back with progress, if any, on the subject.
Dr Jitendra Singh recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had suggested the abolition of interviews during his Independence Day address from the ramparts of Red Fort on 15th August 2015 and the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) promptly followed it up by completing the exercise before the year-end and ensuring that beginning from 1st January 2016, the practice of conducting of interview was discontinued for selection to non-gazetted, junior posts, including C & D Group in the Central Ministries and Departments. However, the provision of skill test was allowed for such posts where a certain special skill was required, but this skill test was also of qualifying nature, he said.
It is highly regrettable, Dr Jitendra Singh said, that in spite of repeated meetings between Secretary DoPT and GAD Secretaries from different States and number of communications sent to the State Governments at different levels, including four DO letters sent to him personally to the Chief Ministers of some of the States. The PM’s decision to abolish interviews had not been followed seriously.
It is notable he said that the President’s address delivered to the joint Houses of Parliament on 31st January 2017 had also made a complimentary reference to the Modi government’s decision to abolish interviews for recruitments to non-gazetted posts. It is in the interest of the State Governments to immediately abolish interviews for jobs in order to establish the credibility, impartiality and transparency in appointments to various Government jobs.
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