Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar with Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at the inauguration of the 25th National Conference of Chairpersons of All-State Public Service Commissions in Bengaluru on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar has disfavoured extensions given to those in government services, saying such a step affected the prospects of those next in line. He said there have been cases where employees, particularly those in premier services, never seem to retire and continued in service even after their superannuation, by getting some ad hoc positions.
Delivering the inaugural address at the 25th National Conference of Chairpersons of All-State Public Service Commissions (PSCs) in Bengaluru on Saturday, he said, “Extension of service defies the logical principle of expectation. We have a doctrine of expectation. People devote decades to be in a particular groove. Extension indicates that an individual is indispensable. Indispensability is a myth. Talent abounds in this country. No one is indispensable.”
‘Not wedded to any ideology’
The Rajya Sabha Chairman said appointments could not be driven by patronage or favouritism. “There are trends that are visible… We cannot have a PSC chairman or a member wedded to a particular ideology or an individual. That will be undoing the essence and spirit of the framework of the Constitution.”
Drawing attention towards post-retirement assignments, Mr. Dhankhar said employees have not been retiring, particularly those in premier services, and they have been provided ad hoc positions.
Paper leak menace
He expressed concern over question paper leaks and said: “This is a menace. Your fairness of selection will have no meaning if paper leakages are there, and it has become an industry, a commerce.”
He stressed the need for innovation in identifying talent and for State PSCs to have a separate dialogue with the private sector to understand best practices in talent acquisition, for providing better governance.
“Globally, the top 500 companies are employing the best tools for headhunting. We cannot remain fossilised with a stagnant set-up. If need be, a separate dialogue must be initiated with the private sector to understand best practices in talent acquisition, and the scope of their emulation by the State commissions should be looked into,” he said.
Standardised process
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the government implemented the Karnataka Civil Services (Direct Recruitment) Rules, 2021, which emphasise reducing personality test weightage, and standardised the process in recruitment of candidates.
“Rising unemployment demands swift recruitment processes with fairness. Timely result publication, as practised by the Union Public Service Commission, can serve as a model,” the Chief Minister said.
Published – January 11, 2025 09:13 pm IST