Public Administration Reform Commission, Proposal to complete BCS exam and recruitment process within 1.5 years

Public Administration Reform Commission Proposes Completing BCS Exam and Recruitment in 1.5 Years

The recruitment process for the 41st Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) took nearly four and a half years, while the 43rd BCS took four years and two months. This lengthy process has persisted for years, prompting the Public Administration Reform Commission to recommend that the BCS exam and recruitment be completed within one and a half years.

Proposed Timeline for BCS Exams

The Commission suggests completing the BCS exam within a year, with the remaining six months allocated for finalizing recruitment. To achieve this, they propose implementing a fixed annual schedule for the preliminary, written, oral, and psychological exams.

Major Reforms Suggested

• Revamping the BCS syllabus with changes to subject distribution.
• Restructuring the Public Service Commission (PSC) into three separate commissions for better efficiency.
• Introducing a fixed timeline to eliminate delays and uncertainty in the recruitment process.

Challenges of the Current Process

Currently, it takes three to four years to complete the BCS exam and recruitment, leading many candidates to prepare for multiple exams simultaneously. Due to the prestige and benefits of BCS jobs, aspirants dedicate years of their lives to exam preparation, often facing uncertainty due to the lack of a structured timeline.

Comparative Study and Lessons from India

The report includes a detailed breakdown of the 41st BCS recruitment timeline, highlighting inefficiencies. It contrasts this with India’s civil service recruitment, which completes the entire process within a year. The Commission attributes the delays in Bangladesh to PSC’s inefficiencies, stating that it unnecessarily wastes time and resources.

Proposed Fixed Timeline for BCS Recruitment

The Commission recommends the following annual schedule for the BCS recruitment process:

• January (2nd week) – Recruitment notice issued
• April (1st week) – Preliminary exam
• May (1st week) – Preliminary results
• June (2nd half) – Written exam (10 days)
• December (2nd week) – Written exam results
• January - February – Viva and psychological tests
• April (3rd week) – Final results
• May (3rd week) – Medical checkups & police clearance
• June (2nd week) – Recruitment orders issued
• July (1st week) – Candidates join their posts

This structured timeline aims to reduce recruitment time to 1.5 years, ensuring a faster, more efficient process.

Police Verification and Recruitment Transparency

The report criticizes delays in police verification, which often prevent recommended candidates from being recruited. The Commission suggests limiting police reports to criminal record checks only, with additional checks (if needed) handled by the Anti-Corruption Commission. It also proposes eliminating police verification for passports, dual citizenship, and NGO registrations for individuals with valid national ID cards.

BCS Syllabus and Exam Changes

Currently, BCS candidates take a 900-mark written exam, with subjects varying between general and technical cadres. The Commission proposes a revised syllabus with six mandatory subjects and optional university-level subjects from disciplines like Arts, Social Science, Science, Commerce, and Law.

Key syllabus changes include:

• Mandatory Subjects (600 marks total)
  • Bengali (100)
  • English (100)
  • English Composition (100)
  • Bangladesh Constitution, History, & Culture (100)
  • International & Current Affairs (100)
  • Science, Society, Environment, & Geography (100)
• Optional Subjects – Candidates can select six subjects (100 marks each) but cannot choose more than two from the same discipline.

Additionally, the Commission proposes:

• Raising the pass mark to 60% for both the written and viva exams.
• Limiting candidates to three attempts, after which they would be barred from retaking the exam.

Restructuring the Public Service Commission (PSC)

Currently, one PSC oversees recruitment for both cadre and non-cadre positions. The Commission recommends splitting it into three separate PSCs:

1. PSC (General) – Responsible for most cadre services.
2. PSC (Education) – Focused on recruiting educators.
3. PSC (Health) – Managing recruitment in the health sector.

Each PSC would have eight members, including a chairperson, ensuring a more specialized and efficient recruitment process.

PSC Chairman’s Response

PSC Chairman Professor Mobasher Monem acknowledged that the current BCS recruitment process is too slow. He stated that if delays were eliminated, the entire process could be completed within 14 months. He also confirmed that the government is considering the proposed reforms, and the PSC is open to making necessary changes.

Conclusion

The Public Administration Reform Commission has laid out a comprehensive plan to reduce the BCS recruitment timeline to 1.5 years, introduce syllabus changes, and restructure the PSC for better efficiency. If implemented, these reforms could significantly improve Bangladesh’s civil service recruitment, reducing uncertainty for candidates and enhancing the overall process.