Sampada A. Khatiwada
Following the government's approval for
holding examinations by adopting all the public health safety standards, the
Public Service Commission (PSC) has decided to carry out all the postponed
examinations from November 3. The fresh decision must have brought a lot of
cheers to those interested in the civil service.
Owing to the
possible threat of the spread of the coronavirus, the PSC on March 19 had
indefinitely postponed all the scheduled civil service examinations, judicial
service, security bodies and various other public enterprises and
organisations.
Recently, the PSC has issued criteria for conducting
and managing the examinations, explicitly mentioning all the health and safety
standards that are to be followed by invigilators, examinees and examination
centres.
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With thousands of infections being reported daily, it is impossible to
ascertain the end of the pandemic. As halting job recruitment examinations may
affect thousands of applicants, the PSC has taken a progressive decision to
conduct the examinations by adopting all the safety measures.
However,
the criteria set by the PSC states that those who are infected with the virus
and staying in isolation will not be allowed to sit for the examinations. The
criteria require the candidates to declare themselves that they are not
infected with the deadly virus disease to qualify for the examination.
It
is appalling to see that the constitutional body like PSC is curtailing the
constitutional rights of examinees. This criterion cannot be justifiable at a
time when the entire nation is going through a public health emergency. With
the community transmission of the virus being reported in most of the cities
across the nation, anyone can be infected with the novel coronavirus anywhere.
There have been instances where people staying at home have also contracted
the virus. Thus, barring the applicants from taking the examinations just
because they are infected is unjust.
Moreover, the PSC examinations
have an age bar depending upon the position examinees have applied for. So if
anyone who cannot take examination in the upcoming years due to his/her age
bar is prevented from appearing in the examination this year, his/her dream of
being a civil servant would remain unfulfilled.
To get into the
civil service is a big dream for hundreds of thousands of people. They invest
years in preparing for the exams. To prevent them from taking the exams is not
at all justifiable.
Also, COVID-19 patients are often stigmatised
and cornered by the society. The turmoil of emotions they go through while
staying in isolation is inexpressible. Amid this scenario, if the patients
have to go through an additional stress of not getting to appear the
examinations, the anxiety they undergo during the COVID-19 might take a bigger
form and hamper their life for a longer term.
Treating the COVID-19
patients indifferently also curtails their right to equality, right to life
and right to employment. Barring the pandemic victims from enjoying their
rights is unfair and condemnable. Thus, the PSC must come up with alternative
measures or a special provision to facilitate the infected patients to take
the examinations. The government has also to ensure that all the citizens get
equal opportunities as guaranteed by the constitution.
source: Sampada A. Khatiwada, risingnepal daily, 15 October 2020
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