Daily Times

There are many nations across the globe that have reached the acme of their national progress and development due to a plethora of reasons. But the factor that remained steadfast in all circumstances for ensuring that prosperity to be alive is the streamlined youth of that particular state. The state of Pakistan has done very little to promote its youth bulge in a constructive way due to which our nation is getting entangled into a web of numerous dilemmas.

In such a sorry state of affairs, the fragile and least integrated province of Pakistan is portraying an even worse picture of its youth. The outdated educational system, corrupt and callous political leadership and unfair recruitment criteria have put the future of its youth in a pit of obscurity.

Induction of youth in government organisations needs a meticulous framework to ensure merit and transparency. It also needs a declared criteria and well-defined rules and regulations to filter the deserving youth to hold public offices for serving the nation in the best possible way. If the recruitment system for civil bureaucracy and other provincial posts is not diaphanous it harbours waves of alienation and spreads a sense of despair among the youth. This is the flashpoint where the youth of Balochistan is standing today-hopeless and helpless.

Around 3,000 aspirants appeared for 66 posts of assistant commissioner and section officer but unfortunately only 78 could made it to the qualifying list

There is no denying the fact that the Balochistan Public Service Commission (BPSC) has maintained merit in the last couple of years, but unfortunately its examination conducting structure is entirely pathetic, outdated and superannuated. Questions designed in the papers are very inadequate. To unveil the travesty of merit, I will present some of the questions that appeared in the past papers of the BPSC:

What was the colour of the wedding dress of an ancient Roman bride?

Phobos and Deimos are the moons of Mars. What do the names mean?

How much does an average person walk in his life span?

Which food did Neil Armstrong carry to moon?

The first three questions are taken from the general knowledge paper of the 2018 BPCS examinations. Is this the way to check the credibility of an aspirant? What does an assistant commissioner or a section officer have to do with the wedding dress colour of an ancient roman bride? It is flabbergasting that the inefficient BPSC has made these silly questions a yardstick to measure the mental capabilities of candidates.

Not only this, the recent examination of BPCS-2018 has manifested its structural incompetency and flawed apparatus. The cancelling ofthe two papers of the competitive examinations on unspecified grounds is another factor that determines the unskillfulness of the BPSC.

After the cumbersome examination of the BPCS, the result has further exasperated the already dying hopes of candidates. It is reported that around 3,000 aspirants appeared for 66 posts of assistant commissioner and section officer but unfortunately only 78 could made it to the qualifying list. Now this is again an unfair result from the BPSC. Almost all the other provincial bodies of Pakistan conducting such an examination set a ratio of 1:4 or 1:5 to encourage and provide aspirants with a chance to show their strengths and compete in the interview. But the BPSC has deprived the competent and hardworking youth of the chance to contend in the competition.

One example for the afore-stated argument is that the Kalat zone had 10 seats, and only 10 candidates aredeclared to be passed in the written examination; they are certainly going to be allocated positions without facing any contending candidates.

Candidates of the BPSC who clear the written examinations have to face another awkward process of interview questions. Aspirants are needed to be evaluated on the merit of ideas, a multi-dimensional approach level and analytical skills on geo-politics and changing landscape of the Pakistan with reference to the world, but they are asked to tell the name of Alexander’s horse. Does that make any sense?

Therefore, it is high time that reforms were introduced in the BPSC on a war footing. The following points must be incorporated in the BPSC structure to safeguard the future of Balochistan’s youth.

* The BPSC should adopt a paper setting procedure that is used by other provinces conducting PMS. It should contain 30 marks MCQs (valid and appropriate), and the rest of the marks should be reserved to check an aspirant’s knowledge and approach of the said subject in an analytical way.

* The BPSC is required to make arrangements for conducting PCS examinations annually as the commissions of the three provinces do.

* Mark sheets are important for a candidate; they help him/her to evaluate his/her performance with reference to other aspirants in an examination. However, unfortunately, the BPSC has made this process a tool for earning as an aspirant has to payRs 200 at a bank, submit a form along with the receipt and wait a week to see his/her result. The BPSC should issue a list of all passed and failed candidates in all types of examinations for ensuring ease to candidates from this cumbersome process.

* The syllabus of almost all subjects is undefined and ambiguous. Therefore, the BPSC is strongly advised to incorporate a clear-cut syllabus of all subjects, especially in the general knowledge.

* Lastly, the interview session of the BPSC should be lenient and conducted to check the analytical ability and the critical analysis of an aspirant on various subjects, from current affairs to Pakistan history and from global issues to candidate’s respective optional subjects, instead of asking outmoded and frivolous questions.

The writer is a columnist, historian and an international political analyst