Chandigarh, July 15
It's Haryana all over again in Punjab! Mandated the task of selecting
63 candidates for filling the 63 available vacancies in the judicial
set-up of Punjab, the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) could
not do so.
In the end, the PPSC yesterday forwarded a list of just 36 names to
the Punjab government for appointment as judicial officers. However,
the failure of the PPSC to find 63 suitable candidates, fit enough to
make it to the Punjab Civil Service (PCS), Judicial, is not due to any
lack of effort or intent.
There just weren't enough suitable candidates who could clear the
benchmark!
Of the over 2500 candidates who had applied, only 39 actually
cleared the written test.
Incidentally, of the over 2500 candidates, only 1958 actually
appeared in the written test. Out of these 1958, only 39 candidates
cleared the written test and were asked to come for the interview.
For a general category candidate to clear the written test, he
should have aggregated at least 50 per cent in the five papers that he
took. As for the candidate who had applied for selection on the basis
of his reserved category status, the minimum pass percentage was 45.
"It is a poor reflection on the standard of law graduates
being churned out every year by various universities. Just imagine,
out of the total of 1958 candidates, only 39 could score more than 50
per cent marks! We couldn't even find 63 competent candidates to call
for the interview," rued a Member of the PPSC, who did not wish
to be quoted.
It may be recalled that in neighbouring Haryana too, just 39 out of
the total of over 3800 persons who had applied for selection to the
Haryana Civil Service (Judicial), only 2450-odd had appeared for the
written test. Of these 2450 candidates, only 39 actually secured more
than 50 per cent marks to become eligible for the interview.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court, which had been requested by the
Haryana Government to conduct the examination for making selection of
prospective judicial officers for the state of Haryana, had also faced
the piquant task of selecting 31 candidates from among the 39
candidates who had cleared the written test. Its task became all the
more difficult because of the 39 candidates who had cleared the
written test, 35 belonged to the general category while four belonged
to the reserved categories.
However, out of the 31 posts that were to be filled, only 15 were
meant for general category candidates. In the end, the High Court had
just four candidates for the remaining 16 posts reserved for various
categories.
In Punjab, sources said, the PPSC had originally planned to call at
least 189 candidates (three times the number of vacancies) for the
interviews. The interviews were to be held over three days, with two
panels being formed for the purpose.
Apart from the Members of the PPSC, a sitting Judge of the Punjab
and Haryana High Court also formed part of each interview panel.
"But, all our planning came to a naught as just 39 candidates
cleared the written test," rued a PPSC official.
Observes Ms Mai Roop Kaur, Member, PPSC, "It is a very
disappointing situation. The candidates who hailed from rural areas of
Punjab performed very badly in the exam. But, what is surprising is
that even candidates from the urban areas did not excel."
According to sources, with the PPSC being unable to find suitable
candidates for all the 63 posts that had been referred to it, the
vacant posts would be sent back to the government for further action.
"The government may ask us to hold a fresh test to fill the
remaining 27 posts. But, this process could take time," said a
PPSC officer.
