The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the setting up of a new body called the National Recruitment Agency (NRA) for recruitments to central government jobs. The NRA will conduct a Common Eligibility Test (CET) to shortlist candidates for Group B and C (non-technical) posts. The CET will screen candidates at the first level for the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), the Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) and the Institute of Banking Service Personnel (IBPS), according to a government release. The computer-based CET will be conducted in examination centres across the country, with at least one centre per district.
The CET will be held in multiple languages, and the score will be valid for three years. There will be no restrictions on the number of attempts by a candidate within the age limit, and the best of the scores will be taken into consideration.
Calling the existing multiple recruitment exams a burden on the candidates, as well as the recruitment agencies, the release claimed that there is repetitive expenditure, security issues and venue-related problems with conducting multiple exams.
The NRA will conduct separate CETs for the three levels of candidates — graduate, higher secondary (Class 12 pass) and matriculate (Class 10 pass). Based on the CET score screening, further recruitment will be conducted by the SSC, RRB and IBPS through separate exams. However, the curriculum for the CET will be common for all candidates.
The union government release also said that the CET scores would initially be available to the three major recruitment agencies (SSC, RRB, IBPS), but eventually, other recruitment agencies in the Centre are also expected to adopt them. The CET scores will also be open to be adopted by other public and private recruiting agencies, including state government organisations and PSUs (Public Sector Undertakings).
“Some departments have indicated their intention to do away with any second level test and go ahead with recruitment on the basis of CET scores, Physical Tests and Medical examination. This would greatly reduce the cycle and benefit a large section of youth,” the statement said.
An amount of Rs 1517.57 crore has been sanctioned for the NRA for a period of three years. The NRA will include representatives from the Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Finance, the SSC, RRB and IBPS.