E-Paper
No plans to hold PCS exam as of now: Punjab Public Service Commission
Appointments for Group A posts, including sub-divisional magistrate, deputy superintendent of police, tehsildar, food supply and consumer affairs officer, block development and panchayat officer, deputy superintendent of jails etc, are made through this exam.
In a major setback for scores of youngsters aspiring to secure Group A jobs in the state, the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) has said that it has no plans, as of now, to conduct the Punjab State Civil Services Combined Competitive Examination this year as no request has been received from the state government.
The last PCS exam was conducted in 2020 for 75 posts.
Appointments for Group A posts, including sub-divisional magistrate, deputy superintendent of police, tehsildar, food supply and consumer affairs officer, block development and panchayat officer, deputy superintendent of jails etc, are made through this exam.
During a press conference on Thursday, PPSC chairman Jatinder Aulakh said, “As of now, the state government has not requested the commission to hold the exam. If the government requests, we will hold the exam.”
Aspirants, meanwhile, were a dejected lot. They said they had been preparing for the exam in anticipation that a notification will be issued soon.
Amrinder Singh, 29, an aspirant from Patiala, said, “We have been waiting for the PCS exam for the last four years. We are losing hope as neither the Punjab government nor the PPSC is giving us any clarity on when they will hold the exam.”
Paramveer Singh, 23, a recent graduate from Patiala, said, “I have been preparing for the last six months. I don’t know how long we’ll have to keep waiting for the notification. Like UPSC, the PCS exam should also be held regularly.”
Meanwhile, Shruti Singh, secretary, department of personnel, could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.
Amid flak from aspirants over delay in holding the PCS exam, PPSC chairman Jatinder Aulakh, on Thursday, said new PCS officers would be promoted (from the existing government cadre) soon. An exam for the promotion category will be conducted on July 14, for which only government employees, who have completed a certain number of years in service, are eligible to appear.
