THE Federal Public Service Commission is considered a most trustworthy federal agency responsible for recruiting civil servants and bureaucrats in public offices of Pakistan. There is a common belief that all FPSC recruitments are made on merit. If the criterion of merit is wrong, it would be hard to achieve the goal of merit. Establishing wrong criteria is not a merit.

The ‘copy-and-paste’ culture is a very common practice in our government departments. Mostly, previous work is reproduced with few modifications and no one notices it. The same is done by the FPSC without considering modification and updates.

Through a consolidated advertisement (2/2016), the FPSC announced 343 posts of senior auditors (BS-16) in Pakistan Audit Department. The minimum qualification required for the aforesaid post was second class or grade ‘C’ bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (Finance/Accounting)/ Commerce/ Economics/ Statistics/ Mathematics) or equivalent.

The FPCS has categorised, on the recommendation of the Higher Education Commission, various degrees of Pakistan into two faculties of (1) Natural Sciences and (2) Social Sciences. In Social Sciences there is a sub-category, namely, (b) Business and Management Sciences which comprise three degrees (i) Business Administration (ii) Commerce and (iii) Public Administration. (Last updated 01-01-2014)

To my surprise, the degree-holders of mathematics, statistics and economics are eligible for the post of senior auditor though they do not have a single subject of accounting or auditing in curricula prescribed by HEC.

On the other hand, more than 70pc of the subjects of Business Administration and Public Administration are the same in curricula prescribed by the HEC and still they are not eligible.

Through this advertisement deserving candidates, who have knowledge of accounting/auditing, have not been allowed to apply while those who have no knowledge of the subject are eligible for the aforesaid post.

It appears that the formula aims at depriving degree-holders in public administration for public offices. Neglecting public administration degree in advertisement for public-sector jobs is discriminatory to all degree-holders.

Muhammad Iqtidar Khan

Hyderabad

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2016