Haryana cabinet nod to new HCS exam pattern

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, July 16

The election of president in Municipal Councils and Municipal Committees will now be held directly, while candidates appearing for the HCS (executive) exam will have to appear for one optional paper instead of two.

The Haryana Cabinet which met under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, here today, approved amendment in Haryana Municipal Act, 1973, and the Haryana Civil Service (Executive Branch) Rules, 2008, in order to bring more similarity and uniformity with the pattern being adopted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

As per the amendment in the Municipal Act, direct elections will be held to the post of president in Municipal Councils and Municipal Committees under the supervision and control of State Election Commission on the pattern of election of Mayors of Municipal Corporations. 

The provision has also been made in the Act that members of the House of the People and Legislative Assembly of a State will not have right to vote for the election and no-confidence motion of the vice-president similar to the Corporation.

Similarly, provision has been made to ensure at least one session of Municipality of at least three days once every six months in addition to the existing provisions of monthly meetings as mentioned in Section 25 of the Municipal Act. The Cabinet also approved Section 52 of the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994, for the same purpose.

The amended Haryana Civil Service (Executive Branch) Rules, 2008, now called the Haryana Civil Service (Executive Branch) (Second Amendment) Rules, 2019, provide for one optional paper in the main written examination for the post of HCS (Executive Branch) and Allied Services. There will be 4 papers (3 compulsory and 1 optional).

However, the list of 23 optional subjects and syllabus for compulsory and optional papers already notified by the state government will remain unchanged. At present, the main written examination of HCS and Allied Services consist of five papers — one paper for English, one for Hindi, one for General Studies and one paper each for two optional subjects to be chosen from the list of 23 optional subjects.

After this amendment, the main written examination comprising four papers will carry total 600 marks. While Paper I of  English (including English essay) and Paper II Hindi (including Hindi Essay, in Devnagri script) will be of 100 marks each, Paper III of General Studies and Paper IV in one subject to be selected from the list of 23 optional subjects will carry 200 marks each, respectively.

The question papers for the examination will be of conventional (essay) type and each paper will be of three-hour duration. Candidates will have the option to answer all the question papers, except the language or literature papers, in English or Hindi.

The draft of Haryana Law and Legislative Department (Group A) Service Rules, 2019, was also approved. As per the Rules, no person will be appointed to any post in the service by direct recruitment who is less than 21 years or more than 42 years of age on the last date of submission of application to the Commission.

Other decisions

— Transfer of 10 acre, 2 kanal and 2 marla to Maharana Pratap Horticulture University, Karnal, at collector rate

— Amendment for conducting the elections of newly constituted Municipal Corporations within five years from the date of their constitution

— Job of constable to Vikas, son of ESI Dharambir, by giving relaxation. Dharambir sustained bullet injuries in his head in the line of duty and he is still unconscious and in critical condition.