Reform Commission recommends completing BCS exam within one year

The Public Administration Reform Commission has recommended streamlining the recruitment process for public service, ensuring a faster transition from selection to appointment and completing the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination within a year.

Public Administration Reform Commission chief Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury and his team, along with Judiciary Reform Commission chief Justice Shah Abu Naeem Mominur Rahman and his team, handed over their respective commission reports to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna on Wednesday.

The committee suggested introducing a specific timeline for completing government recruitment processes, particularly for the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) saying that the current process is excessively lengthy.

The report recommended converting the examination into a comprehensive written test.

The report said a merit-based recruitment and promotion policy or law can be formulated for public administration to ensure it cannot be easily altered.

It suggested revising the syllabus for the main written examination of the BCS exam and including the following six compulsory subjects:

Bengali Essay – 100 marks

English Essay – 100 marks

English Composition and Precis Writing – 100 marks

Constitution, History, Heritage, and Culture of Bangladesh – 100 marks

International and Contemporary Affairs – 100 marks

General Science & Technology, Society & Environment, and Geography – 100 marks

In addition to compulsory subjects, six elective subjects (each carrying 100 marks) may be included in the BCS main written examination, it said.

The commission also recommended publishing the final BCS results along with the merit list to ensure transparency saying that candidates often face confusion regarding their scores.

Candidates failing the BCS examination three consecutive times will no longer be eligible to appear in future exams, it suggested.