State Public Service Commission (MPSC) has announced that the state government will be filling up the post on a contract basis. This is particularly noteworthy because the state government had earlier taken a decision to recruit staff in the government on a contract basis, which had led to a major controversy. Following the controversy, the government canceled the decision to recruit on a contract basis and announced that it would not make any further recruitments on a contract basis. However, the MPSC has now decided to go against the government's decision.
The MPSC is facing a shortage of officers and staff. It was expected that the government would transfer 45 posts to the MPSC by nomination and 5 posts by promotion. However, since this was not happening, the MPSC had on January 1, 2024, sought permission from the government to recruit 45 clerks and typists through an external agency, i.e., on a contract basis. The government has accordingly granted permission to the MPSC to fill these posts on a contract basis for a period of one year.
It is noteworthy that the government, which had announced two months ago that it would not make any recruitments on a contract basis, seems to have forgotten its own announcement while granting this permission. The MPSC had earlier advertised and invited employees from the Mantralaya to come on deputation to the commission. However, only 3 people were taken on deputation.
What about confidentiality?
The MPSC is an autonomous body that conducts the recruitment process for the government. A question arises as to what will happen to the confidentiality of the process if recruitments are made on a contract basis in such an institution.
Demand to conduct all government recruitments through MPSC
While there is a demand to conduct all government recruitments through the MPSC to prevent malpractices in direct recruitment, there is also a question as to how this demand can be met when the MPSC itself is facing a shortage of staff. The delay in filling up the vacant posts in the MPSC and not sanctioning additional posts is adversely affecting the functioning of the commission. Will action be taken against the officers who are responsible for this delay? The recruitment process is going on at a slow pace and the candidates are suffering unnecessarily.