Expert Committee Formed To Suggest Syllabus, Scheme For Online Test For Govt Jobs: Centre

In the 2020-21 Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced that a National Recruitment Agency (NRA) would be set up as an independent organisation for conducting an online CET.

The panel will suggest a common syllabus and scheme for the Common Eligibility Test (Getty Images)

New Delhi: The Centre informed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday that an expert panel had been set up by the National Recruitment Agency to suggest a common syllabus and scheme for the Common Eligibility Test (CET) for select category of government jobs, PTI reported.

In the 2020-21 Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced that a National Recruitment Agency (NRA) would be set up as an independent organisation for conducting an online CET for recruitment to non-gazetted posts. 

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said, "It has been envisaged that the CET would screen or shortlist candidates for certain categories of posts in the central government for which recruitment is carried out through the Staff Selection Commission, Railway Recruitment Boards and Institute of Banking Personnel Selection."

The minister said the final selection for recruitment will be made through separate specialised tests or examinations based on the screening of the CET score.

"An expert advisory committee has since been setup by the NRA to recommend, inter-alia, the common syllabus and scheme for the CET," Singh said.

The officers or officials posted in the NRA include chairman, secretary-cum-controller of examinations, director and deputy secretary, he said.

'Not Feasible To Change Provisions On Number Of Attempts For Civil Services Exam'

Jitendra Singh also informed the Rajya Sabha that it was not feasible for the government to change the existing provisions regarding the number of attempts and age-limit in respect of the civil services examination.

"Based on the judgments passed by Hon'ble Supreme Court of India, the matter was considered and it has not been found feasible to change the existing provisions regarding number of attempts and age-limit in respect of the civil services examination," Singh said in a written reply.

The minister further said that Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and Staff Selection Commission (SSC) had made all necessary arrangements for smooth conduct of examinations by adopting all Covud-19 safety protocols.

(With PTI inputs)