Should the civil service exam be changed?

• The Macaulay Report of 1854 introduced merit-based selection and emphasized the transferability of academic talent to administration.

• The Kothari Committee (1975) recommended a three-tier examination, including a preliminary exam, a descriptive main examination, and an interview.

• The preliminary exam consisted of an optional subject and a common general studies paper with a 2:1 weightage. Only shortlisted aspirants’ names were released after the preliminary exam.

• The ‘black box’ nature of the preliminary exams ensured smooth conduct, with no ‘locus standi’ for an aspirant to question the result.

• The Right to Information Act in 2005 led to queries about the exam’s rationale and the disclosure of methods for judicial scrutiny.

• The S. K. Khanna Committee was appointed in 2010 to resolve this issue.

• In 2011, the optional paper was replaced with a common paper and the preliminary examination was reconstituted to two papers – Paper-I and Paper-II.

• The new format favored students from urban centres with a good foundation in English, leading to protests and the government making Paper-II a qualifying paper.

• The Arun Nigverkar Committee suggested a new model in 2012, which was incorporated from 2013 with restructured papers in General Studies covering diverse areas.

• The main examination needs changes, including a ‘long form questions’ and a replacement of optionals with two papers covering governance and policy.