States, UTs can use NRA's CET scores for selecting candidates for government jobs
New Delhi, August 22
Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday said states and Union Territories can avail of scores on the Common Eligibility Test, to be conducted by the National Recruitment Agency (NRA), to shortlist candidates for government jobs.
This would actually help the recruiting agencies including the state and UT governments to save the cost and time spent on recruitment, while at the same time also be convenient and cost-effective for the young job aspirants, he said.
An arrangement in the form of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) could be put in place for using the CET score by them, said Singh, the Minister of State for Personnel.
“Eventually, this could prove a win-win arrangement both for the employer as well as employee,” he said.
Singh said that the CET score could be shared with the recruiting agencies in the state and Union Territory governments as well as public sector undertakings (PSUs) and also later on with the private sector, according to an official statement.
“States and Union Territories can avail the Common Eligibility Test to be conducted by the National Recruitment Agency for job selection, the decision for which was passed at the Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday.”
The NRA is mandated to conduct the CET online for selecting candidates for a majority of central government jobs.
Singh said the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) and he himself are in touch with many state and Union Territory governments which have expressed their inclination to be a part of the sharing arrangement of CET score.
Most of the chief ministers are also quite enthusiastic and favourable to adopt this reform, he said.
Clearing apprehension in certain quarters, Singh said, for those who are appearing for the exam, relaxation in the upper age limit shall be given to candidates of SC/ST/OBC as other categories castes as per the government policy.
He said the Common Eligibility Test will have no correlation or incompatibility with the rules of recruitment like domicile etc., followed by certain states or Union Territories, the statement issued by the Personnel Ministry said.
Contrary to misgiving in certain quarters, the CET will not be conducted only in Hindi and English language but will be conducted in 12 Indian languages to begin with, while gradually other languages in the 8th schedule of the Constitution will also be included, it said. — PTI
