NEW DELHI, Oct 25:
From January 1 next year, there will be no requirement of interview for Group D,C and B non-gazetted posts in Central Government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced today as part of efforts to put an end to the menace of corruption in jobs.
In his monthly radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’, he recalled that he had suggested in his Independence Day address that the practice of holding interviews for recruitment at lower levels in Governments could be done away with.
“The Government has completed the entire process to do away with interviews for lower rank jobs. There will be no requirement of interview for Group D,C and B non-gazatted posts in Central Government. It will come into effect from January 1, 2016,” Modi said.
He said the practice was being abolished since it bred corruption and the poor people were being looted by ‘dalals’.
“People were getting robbed for getting employment and even when they could not get a job. It often crossed my mind as to why there was the need for an interview for small jobs. I have never heard of a physcologist who can evaluate a person during an interview of one to two minutes,” Modi said.
He said abolition of the practice will particularly help the poor who would have to resort to “recommendations” or fall prey to brokers who made way with their money.
In his Independence Day speech, Modi had said he had seen youth often looking for ‘sifarish’ (recommendation) after getting an interview call. “Even poor widows are compelled to look for recommendations for interview of their children,” he had said then.
Recently, Minister for Personnel Jitendra Singh had written a letter to all Chief Ministers asking them to identify such posts which could be exempted from interviews.
“The Governments view is that the interviews should be discontinued for recruitment to junior level posts where personality or skill assessment is not absolutely required.
“The objective behind abolition of interviews for such posts is that it will curb corruption, ensure more objective selection in a transparent manner and substantially ease the problems of the poor and resourceless aspirants,” he had said in his communication to the CMs.
Against the backdrop of incidents of violence with communal and casteist overtones, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said diversity of religions and castes is the beauty of India and that the ‘mantra’ of unity should be carried forward through thinking and expressions.
Invoking Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel ahead of his birth anniversary, he strongly batted for ‘unity in diversity’ while asserting that peace, harmony and unity are the key to progress.
“The mantra of unity should always be the medium of our thinking, our behaviour and expression,” Modi said.
“India is full of diversity. It has different sects, different religions, different languages and different castes. There are so many diversities in our India and this diversity is our beauty,” the Prime Minister said in his 35-minute programme.
He said if this diversity was not there, “we would not have been able to feel proud. Therefore, diversity is the mantra of unity.”
Mentioning the upcoming birth anniversary of Patel on October 31, Modi said, “Let us pay tribute to Sardar (Patel) Sahab. Take the unity mantra forward.”
His comments assume significance as recently there have been incidents of violence lynching of a man over beef-eating rumours in Uttar Pradesh and burning of a Dalit’s house in Haryana, which had communal and casteist overtones.
Referring to the ‘Run for Unity’ organised every year on Patel’s birth anniversary, Modi said these are actually the ‘run for progress’.
“In other words, the run for unity is the guarantee for run for progress,” he said, while noting that earlier he used to get a chance to participate in this event.
In an effort to reach out to Dalits, the Prime Minister invoked B R Ambedkar, saying he was feeling excited about his upcoming visit to the UK where he will visit the ‘Ambedkar House’, where the architect of the Constitution lived. The property was recently acquired by India from the British Government.
“A day after Diwali, I am going to Britain. This time, I am excited about my visit to Britain and the reason for it is special. A few weeks back, I had gone to Mumbai to lay foundation stone for a big memorial for Ambedkar…
“Now, in London, I will formally inaugurate the house where Dr Baba Sahab Ambedkar lived, which recently became Indian Government’s property and a place of inspiration for 125 crore Indians,” he said.
He noted that the issue related to acquisition of this complex had been entangled for several years and now it is the property of 125 crore Indians.
“When Ambedkar’s name is associated, you can imagine how much happiness people like me have,” Modi said.
He said Ambedkar was an inspiration for the dalits, the oppressed, the deprived, the backwards and all other Indians who live a difficult life that if there is will power, one can make progress in life and get educated. “This is the place (in London) where Ambedkar did his devotion.” (PTI)
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