DESPITE its shortcomings, the Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC) holds a few qualities that are commendable and make it better than the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC), such as providing candidates with carbon copies of the test, uploading the answer key, announcing one-paper test result inside a couple of months, and establishing test centres in multiple cities, like Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Larkana, to facilitate the candidates.

The FPSC takes at least six months to check the copies and announce the list of shortlisted candidates. It neither provides candidates with carbon copies nor uploads the answer key of the question paper. Hence, the candidates remain uncertain about their performance in the test. This can be avoided if the FPSC adopts the same practice as the SPSC.

Moreover, it is disappointing to see that the FPSC is not interested in facilitating the candidates and increasing the number of its centres despite numerous complaints and requests. During the test days, the candidates of Sindh have to travel for hours to Karachi or Sukkur on a daily basis or on alternate days in order to appear in the tests. This long journey takes its own toll on them and they are unable to focus on the tests.

Other than Karachi and Sukkur, there are many cities where FPSC can set up its test centres. For instance, Hyderabad is a major division which connects two others — Mirpurkhas and Nawabshah — which makes it a more convenient, economical and time-saving centre for thousands of aspiring candidates from 10 districts who are keen to sit the FPSC exams.

Naif Memon
Hyderabad

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2021