Dr.R.K.Behera
The department of personnel and training has decided to change the pattern of the Civil Services Examination by stressing more on general studies and aptitude skills. A notification has been issued is this regard.
From this year the Civil Services (Mains) will also have a separate paper on “ethics, integrity and aptitude”. The notification for the 2013 exam said the “paper (on ethics, integrity and aptitude) will include questions to test the candidate’s attitude and approach to issues relating to integrity, probity in public life and his problem-solving approach to various issues and conflicts in dealing with society”. The DoPT has also changed the marks distribution of papers, increasing the number of compulsory general studies papers for the main exam. There will be four such compulsory papers of 250 marks each, besides two optional papers of 250 marks each.
Earlier, there were two compulsory papers on general studies and two optional papers of 300 marks each. Total marks for the main exams will be 1,800. The paper on essay and English comprehension will continue to be of 300 marks. The Civil Services preliminary examination will be held on May 26 this year and the last date for filing online application is April 4. “The questions will be such as to test a candidate’s general awareness of a variety of subjects, which will have relevance for a career in Civil Services,” the notification stated. The questions are likely to test the candidate’s basic understanding of all relevant issues, and ability to analyse, and take a view on conflicting socio-economic goals, objectives and demands, it said. The scope of the syllabus for optional subject papers for the examination is broadly of the honours degree level, that is a level higher than the bachelors’ degree and lower than the masters’ degree. In the case of those with engineering, medical science and law background, the level corresponds to the bachelors’ degree, it said.
The notification for the 2013 annual civil services exams, earlier scheduled to be notified on February 2, 2013, was delayed due to the changes being considered by the government. The notification was issued on Tuesday.
