New Delhi: The Centre on Thursday said it has introduced a series of administrative and technology-driven reforms in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) to make government recruitment faster, more transparent and secure.
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Dr. Jitendra Singh said the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has undertaken several measures to streamline recruitment, improve examination integrity and ensure time-bound appointments.
Among the key reforms, interviews for Group ‘C’ and Group ‘B’ (Non-Gazetted) posts were abolished from January 1, 2016, while provisional appointment letters are now issued based on self-attestation, alongside a six-month timeline for verification of character and caste certificates. The government has also conducted recruitment drives in mission mode, distributing several lakh appointment letters through National Rozgar Melas launched in October 2022.
The minister said the SSC has reduced its recruitment cycle from 15–18 months to an average of 6–8 months by introducing computer-based examinations, reducing examination tiers and implementing technology-enabled processes. It has also introduced a secure e-Dossier system for digital document management and a Sliding Mechanism Framework to maximise vacancy utilisation through merit-based post upgradation.
To enhance transparency, the SSC now publishes tentative and final answer keys, allows candidates to raise objections, has reduced the challenge fee and makes marks and results available online.
The UPSC has also introduced several reforms, reducing its recruitment cycle from over 15 months to around 13 months. These include a Modular Online Application Portal, AI-based verification of Civil Services Examination attempts, face authentication to prevent impersonation and the release of provisional answer keys with a structured representation mechanism.
The commission has also set up a dedicated candidate helpdesk, expanded examination centres and introduced a guaranteed choice of examination centre for Persons with Disabilities (PwD), the minister said.
