Public Service Commission is the channel which provides gazetted cadres to the State services. The concept of selection essentially stems from raising cadres of eminent brains that provide good governance to a state. The institution of PSC, like many other institutions, has been borrowed from British administrative system. Rules and procedures set for the selection are also almost identical with what the British have. Things have come to a pass when the very institution that is expected to be the lighthouse of the rule of law, adherence to procedure and model of honesty and efficiency is crying foul of the administration which seemingly is out to destroy it.
PSC is one institution that should not have become the source of perennial litigation owing to alleged injustice, generally reported by those who are left with no forum but the court of law to seek redress of their grievances. However, after dispassionate reading of the report of the State PSC presented to the Legislative Assembly, there appears the picture of a beleaguered and trivialized PSC whose wings are clipped and whose mouth is sealed. In its statement, the PSC has drawn a litany of complaints and debilities against the administrative and other departments who feel pride in undermining the procedures and sidelining the PSC not only in matters of propriety but also in mandated matters. The sum and substance of the woes of PSC is that the departments are adamant not to surrender to the authority of the PSC if and when they choose to conduct themselves arbitrarily. Evidently motives are behind such behavior. Actually employment in Government service has been woefully politicized in our state. And remember that in absence of industrialization and corporate houses in the State for whatever reasons, the Government remains the biggest employer. As such, it wields enormous power and influence that overshadow not only the PSC or the SSB but many more public institutions with some capacity of providing employment to the youth. This culture trickles down to departments and their managers who find ways and means of circumventing the PSC. Making ad hoc employments or employments under special circumstances, confusing and mystifying rules and procedures of selection, promotion, employments in relaxation of rules, relaxing qualifications and expertise etc. are the ways how the departments subvert the authority and status of the PSC. What is more, though the PSC advertises the vacancies and calls for applications, the departments that fill some of the vacancies through back door entry do not even inform the PSC of such actions thereby leaving the PSC face embarrassing situation besides suffering the qualms of conscience because deserving candidates are done injustice. We agree that there are exigencies in which the departments are constrained to take extraordinary steps to fill the vacancy or vacancies without waiting for the regular appointment through a procrastinated process. But then certain norms have to be adhered to as a matter of probity and integrity. The rules categorically lay down that the shortcut taken to meet the exigency has to be conveyed to the PSC. Furthermore, the PSC has said in unambiguous terms that there are many obsolete and redundant rules and procedures that do not fit the changed conditions. The Government should appoint a reform committee with the mandate of suggesting modernization and streamlining of most of the rules of selection.
These must carry the strong element of modernity
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