Govt issues gazette to recruit from merit list if quotas remain vacant

FT ONLINE

The government has decided to call in job seekers from the merit list in BCS recruitment exams if adequate number of qualified aspirants do not pass under the quota criteria.

A new gazette, signed by Senior Secretary of Public Administration Ministry, Mozammel Haque Khan, was issued on Wednesday which eased a previous directions issued by the ministry over government quotas in public exams.

“If any seats under the quota criteria are not filled due to lack of qualified aspirants in any government job exams, toppers from the merit list will be called in to fill for the post,” the gazette read.

The decision from the government comes amid mass protests of students and job aspirants demanding modification of the existing quota criteria in government job entry.

As of now, the total quota provision stands at 56 percent, with 30% for children of Freedom Fighters, 10% each for women and district based aspirants, 5% for minorities and the rest 1% for disabled persons.

The gazette further states that the government quota criteria to hire 4 thousand nurses and 600 midwives, published back in February 16, 2010, has to be eased and the vacant posts have to be filled by aspirants from the merit list. It added that the order stands for any further government recruitments.

The copy of the gazette has been issued to secretaries of the Cabinet Division, PMO, all ministries, Public Services Commission, Chief Comptroller and senior secretaries.

According to the latest data of Public Administration Ministry’s Statistics and Research Cell, published in 2016 last, states that the number of vacant jobs in the government services is 3,59,261.