KARACHI, Jan 9: In view of the acute shortage of applicants against grades 20, 19 and 18 vacancies, the Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC) has suggested the government to introduce improved financial packages to attract the right candidates for the posts.
The SPSC had, during 2003, failed to receive even a single application against 146 posts for professors, associate professors and assistant professors of various subjects. The recruitment's in question had been requisitioned by both the Education and Health departments.
According to the SPSC chairman, Mohammad Hassan Bhutto, like previous years, a shortfall in recruitment's continued in 2003 as well, which was largely attributed to the non-availability of applicants and dearth of suitable candidates.
The failure to fill posts for associate professors, assistant professors and specialists was adversely affecting the working of both the Education and Health departments.
According to a report pertaining to the SPSC recruitment activities in 2003, the Commission had recommended 636 candidates against 1,298 posts. The ratio of the shortfall (662), of candidates, was more than those selected, and it was mainly due to lack of applicants for 146 posts.
The report said that despite advertisements by the Commission, a number of posts, mainly for associate professors, assistant professors and instructors in the education department, and for specialists of grade 18 in the Health department could not be filled due to shortage of applicants as well as dearth of suitable candidates among those appearing in the interviews.
A severe shortage of candidates (BPS-20 and 19) was observed for subjects of basic medical science including Anatomy, Pathology, Physiology, Psychiatry, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Community Medicine and Forensic Medicine. An acute shortage of candidates for specialization in areas including Anaesthesia, Ophthalmology, Urology, Chest Diseases, Dermatology, was also seen.
Shortage of candidates for various posts of professors and associate professors particularly in science subjects was hurting institutions of higher education, medical colleges and hospitals, the SPSC report added.
It was further stressed that the departments concerned needed to rethink their strategy and reappraise their requirements in view of the perennial non-availability of candidates.
In 2003, the SPSC advertised, among others, five BPS-20 posts for professors, 23 posts for associate professors (BPS-19), 96 posts for assistant professors (BPS-18), all requisitioned by the Education department.
While another 14 posts for professors and eight posts for associate professors for the Health department were also advertised. But, it failed to receive any application against them.
The Education department wanted recruitment's of professors in the subjects of Physics (female), Chemistry (F), Home Economics, Commerce (F) and Mathematics. The subjects pertaining to the posts of associate professors included English (Male and Female), Commerce (M & F), Biochemistry (M), Computer Science (M), Statistics (M), Physics (F), Economics (M), Home Economics and Microbiology (M).