ISLAMABAD:
A Senate panel on Monday expressed concern over delays in the Federal Public Service Commission’s (FPSC) overall procurement process, which is currently taking at least two years, and ordered the Commission to expedite implementation.
The session of the Senate Committee on Delegated Legislation was chaired by Senator Naseema Ehsan.
The panel reviewed the rules for CSS and general recruitment examinations and examined regulations under the National Archives Act 1993 and the Archival Materials (Preservation and Export Control) Act 1975.
The committee was briefed about the reforms in the evaluation system of civil servants and recruitment through CSS exam.
Members expressed concern over delays in the overall FPSC recruitment process, which currently takes at least two years.
The FPSC secretary informed the committee that Computer Based Tests (CBT) and MCQ based exams are being introduced to reduce the duration to one year. The President ordered the FPSC to expedite implementation.
The committee reiterated its earlier recommendation to increase the upper age limit and number of attempts for the CSS exam, arguing that this would benefit candidates from remote and underdeveloped areas, particularly Balochistan.
However, officials from the Establishment Division and the FPSC maintained that such changes were not feasible due to service concerns.
Members also raised the issue of women-friendly labor policies, with the president ordering authorities to ensure measures such as positions that support family stability.
The FPSC informed the committee that the CSS syllabus is under review and will be refined, while issues related to outdated terminology in the FPSC rules and representation of minorities were flagged for a detailed briefing at the next meeting.
The committee also reviewed the draft rules for the National Archives and expressed concern over the lack of coordination between federal and provincial archives, especially with regard to ancient documents from archaeological sites like Mehrgarh and Neri Kalat.
The President highlighted the absence of a clear digitization framework and directed the relevant authorities to present a comprehensive report at the next meeting on the preservation of archaeological records and the digitization plan for the National Archives.
Earlier this month, a Senate panel urged the FPSC to allow CSS candidates two exam attempts per year and to raise the upper age limit to 35 years.
The recommendation came during a meeting of the Sub-Committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat, held in the Parliament Lodges under the chairmanship of Senator Saleem Mandviwala.
