The announcement had been made right while presenting the Union Budget for the year 2020-21 in February by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman about the National Recruitment Agency (NRA) and later, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh announced in June that it was in an advanced stage and will be established soon officially and finally, it was on August 19 when Union Cabinet which was chaired by the Prime Minister, gave approval to conducting computer based Common Eligibility Test (CET) for all central government jobs by the National Recruitment Agency. This is an innovative and candidates’ friendly much awaited decision which comes on close heels of the dynamic Education Policy recently announced by the Government. What we learn about it is that the test would be completely hassles free and was aimed at cross cutting unnecessary expenses and inconvenience both of the candidates as well as of the government. Any policy, any improvement over the existing set up and structure and any changes to cut at time, expenses, botheration and inconveniences are not only the characteristics of a governing system feeling the pulse of the people right but the expectations of the people from the system too demand changes. One important aspect that of lending due importance to NRA would be similar to the Agency conducting examinations for admission on Medical and Engineering courses in the country.
In other words, what shall follow with the new changes is that only a single online Common Eligibility Test (CET) will be conducted by the National Recruitment Agency for recruitment in non -gazetted posts in Government departments as well as in public sector banks. Previously, candidates eligible under rules, had to take test separately for these posts and the biggest improvement in the new devised system is that the validity period for the grades or scores secured will remain current for three years, again a much desired reform in the sense that two additional years otherwise required for reappearing would altogether be saved. To have a leverage and to provide a chance to improve upon one’s scores, desirous candidates can avail of two additional chances in the CET and the best score out of the three will be considered for recruitment chances. We feel this relaxation would be found by the prospective candidates as the best out of the ”new lot” announced by the Government. Not only this, in respect of number of attempts too relaxations are given commensurate with the age limit. As hitherto, the candidates belonging to the SC/ST/OBC categories shall have the relaxation to the upper age limit. Needless to add, there is a provision that on time saving and cost sharing basis, the NRA will be sharing the CET merit list on the state-level, UTs, PSUs and private sector for recruitment process. The idea much more than the consideration of cost and other factors behind it is to eliminate the avoidable “business” of conducting multiple examinations to the detriment of all stake holders. That sounds really a reform in as much as an innovative practice.
It may be noted that due care has been given towards difficulties faced by aspiring candidates from the rural areas, women and specially abled in that CET shall be conducted almost in all districts and they can easily participate. Segregation, however, has been made for such tests as they will be conducted separately for Graduate, Higher Secondary and Matriculate levels. Flexibility, uniformity , elements of convenience and nature of the fixed rules either done away with or improved upon, examinations in multiple languages, among other things, are the salient features of the setting up of National Recruitment Agency and the nature of its functions. Why not to have a Single Entrance Test and to centralise all Government job examinations including for Public Sector Banks as proposed and decided about now should have attracted special attention of the authorities in the Government all these years. However, better late than never as the adage goes, the new system as aforesaid will prove nothing less than a boon for the aspiring candidates.
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