Taking Jobs Closer to States

Context: National Recruitment Agency (NRA) will eliminate multiple tests and save time as well as resources and will give a big boost to the transparent governance model.

Features of National Recruitment Agency (NRA)

• As a multi-agency body, it will conduct a Common Eligibility Test (CET) to shortlist candidates for the Group B and C (non-technical) posts. 
• Based on the CET score, one can apply for a vacancy with the respective agency.
• It will have representatives from the Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Finance/Department of Financial Services, SSC, RRBs and IBPS.
• It also envisions conducting mock tests for rural youth and will have a 24×7 helpline and grievance redressal portal.
• There would be no restriction on the number of attempts to appear in the CET subject to the upper age limit. 
• It shall conduct a separate CET each for the three levels of graduate, higher secondary (12th pass) and the matriculate (10th pass) candidates.

• Candidates would have the facility of registering on a common portal and give a choice of centres.

• CET will be conducted in 12 languages and efforts will be made to include all the languages of 8th Schedule of the Constitution.

• CET scores would be used by the three major recruitment agencies. 

Advantages 

• It is in consonance with the idea of “Ease of Living for the Young Job Aspirants” and will facilitate ease of recruitment, selection and job placement. 
• Common curriculum and standard for CET will ease the burden of candidates to prepare for each of the examinations separately.
• Provision of age limit will help in mitigating the hardship of candidates who spend a considerable amount of time, money and effort preparing for and giving these examinations.
• It is a combination of convenience and cost-effectiveness for candidates.
• Multiple recruitment examinations are a burden on the candidates, respective recruitment agencies, involving avoidable/repetitive expenditure, law and order/security-related issues and venue-related problems.
• It would enhance access to the candidates located in far-flung areas by ensuring examination centres in every district
• Female candidates who face problems in taking such examinations at different centres at different times will be relieved.
• Availability of CET in several languages will provide an equal opportunity of being selected. 

• Strengthens the principle of cooperative federalism by

• Sharing of CET score with recruiting agencies in the central and state governments/UTs, PSUs and the private sector.

Conclusion: NRA stands out as a unique model as it marks a paradigm shift in the government recruitment process.