HAS exams: Optional subject to be replaced by GK papers

SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPSC) today decided to replace one optional subject of 300 marks in the Himachal Administrative Services (HAS) and Allied Services main exams with two papers of 150 marks each of general knowledge to give equal field to all candidates.

Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 3

The Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPSC) today decided to replace one optional subject of 300 marks in the Himachal Administrative Services (HAS) and Allied Services main exams with two papers of 150 marks each of general knowledge to give equal field to all candidates.

This decision was taken at a meeting headed by HPPSC Chairman KS Tomar on a preliminary report submitted by three-member committee in the presence of members of the commission, including Prof JC Sharma, Pardeep Chauhan, RS Negi and Secretary BC Badalia. The decision will be implemented from 2016.

Tomar said the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is now having one optional subject which will be applicable to the HAS and Allied Services main written examinations from 2016. “Now instead of two optional subjects in HAS, candidates will opt for one optional subject of 300 marks”, he said.

The Chairman said the expert committee had studied the written examination pattern of the UPSC, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Karnataka, prior to submitting the report. He said the commission would send the proposal to get rid of one optional subject and introduction of two general knowledge papers to the government which would be approved by the Cabinet. The new pattern would help those who compete for the IAS exams as retention of one optional subject would prove beneficial for them, he added.

The commission will add two GK papers of 150 marks and syllabus will be formulated by an expert committee and members be drawn from universities and different fields. However, general studies paper-I will be retained by adding new topics, besides updating the entire syllabus.

The new papers will cover wide-ranging topics such as general studies paper-II (Constitution and polity, governance and international relations, freedom struggle, economy, statistics and security issues).

General studies paper-III will cover (science & technology, environment, disaster management, problem solving and decision-making and inter-personal skills, including communication skills and handling the situation.

The current papers of English (qualifying) and Hindi (qualifying) will also remain unchanged. Similarly, the essay paper will be part of the main written examinations.