UPSC introduces welcome changes

The new Civil Services Examination pattern as notified by the Union Public Service Commission may offer a more level playing field for aspirants with a humanities background than those who come from the science stream. It may also place a much greater emphasis on the English language.

The weightage given to general studies should lead to a more egalitarian system of testing, with those aiming for general knowledge likely to shine as aspirants prepare to face the new criteria.
To condemn the emphasis on English in the form of an additional paper while the choices in other languages are somewhat restricted will be too simplistic an argument. The British may have started the Indian Civil Service examination in 1872 with an eye to finding bright talent to run the administration of India under the Raj; but they were perennially accused of using their language and culture to tie the ruled to the ruler’s yoke. That is a burden the administrative service has carried in its colonial history.
The situation has, however, changed dramatically with the increasing globalisation of the world. English is still the key language driving computer-driven knowledge and operations; and there is no gainsaying what proficiency in an alien tongue can do towards meeting the criteria that might help in finding ideal standards in carrying out administrative functions. Writing skills in English, so much on the decline over the years as more candidates with less elitist backgrounds got into the service, are essential to the proper functioning of the administration as it serves as the link language in a country with so many languages. In this aspect, aspirants with a science background may also feel challenged as writing skills in technical studies were never a big issue. Candidates better grounded in all-round knowledge and the meritorious may, therefore, make the cut.
Judgment on the outcome may take years after the introduction of four general studies papers for a total of 250 marks each, as opposed to two for a maximum of 300 marks each and two optional subject papers worth just 250 marks each. Where the new tests score most in the sense of aesthetics is the introduction of an “ethics and integrity” paper. Given that most administrators today are so subservient to the machinations of politicians that even those who reach the highest and most coveted grades like the IAS and IFS tend to become irrelevant rubber stamps, it is vital that administrators learn very early what is right and wrong. A nation known for scam exposes long after they occur sorely needs administrators of impeccable integrity.