PFI against change in UPSC cadre allocation
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 27 2018:
Popular Front of India Chairman E Abubacker, in a statement, has condemned the Central Government's proposal to change the present UPSC cadre allocation system and make it on the basis of performance in a foundation course.
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has urged the Departments concerned to examine the feasibility of cadre allocation based on the performance in the foundation course, instead of the existing process of allocating cadre immediately after clearing the UPSC civil service examination.
Candidates who successfully cleared the three stages of UPSC civil services exam - preliminary, main and interview - have to go through a 15-week long foundation course at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie.
Currently, services like IAS, IPS, IFS and other Central services are allotted by the UPSC, based on the marks secured in the written test and interview, before the foundation course.
The existing system has proved transparent and credible since its formation.
It claimed that under the Modi Government, when many of the institutions have lost its credibility, the UPSC is the one among the few, whose integrity and impartiality has never been doubted.
It mentioned that if the selections to the services are to be done after the foundation course, then the UPSC examination would be reduced to just a qualifying examination.
Article 320 of the Constitution clearly entrusts the UPSC with the duty to conduct examinations for services of the union.
Allotment of cadre is a logical extension of the conduct of examinations.
Any move to dilute the role of such a prestigious institution should be resisted, it added.
The proposed change will encourage corruption, malpractices, favouritism and give chances to politicians and bureaucrats to influence selection, it alleged.
It continued that the proposed change will, in turn, bring down the quality of public administration over time.
It is very essential for public administration to remain non-political for the country to be truly democratic.
Also, it will pave the way for discrimination on the basis of caste, community, religion and region, which is a threat to inclusiveness and will favour majoritarianism.
Abubacker called upon all those believe in democracy to raise their voice against the undemocratic move of the Central Govt.