The dream of government job does not grow in a single day. After years of preparation, nights spent between books, waiting for the exam date and hoping for every result update—when a candidate reaches the interview, he feels that the destination is not far off.
But for thousands of GPSC aspirants in Gujarat, this destination is still waiting.
The Gujarat Public Service Commission i.e. GPSC has a provision of a total of 7 members including the Chairman, but currently the Chairman and only one member are working, reports said. The shortage of members is having a direct impact on the most important stage of the recruitment process—the interview.
As a result thousands of candidates are waiting for the interview even after clearing the written exam.
Passed the exam, now only the interview is left
Candidates in various GPSC recruitments have painstakingly cleared the stages of written examination. But due to low availability of board and members required for interviews, the process is slowing down.
According to reports, a large number of candidates are waiting for interviews in several recruitments. It includes important posts like Medical Officer, Engineering, Veterinary, Civil Service, Horticulture, Environment and Agriculture Officer.
For example, in one recruitment of Medical Officer, 3,091 candidates are waiting for interview against 2,290 posts. Even in some of the Assistant Engineer recruitment thousands of candidates are waiting for the final stage.
That means the exam is taken, the result is in, and the success is there—but the final door to getting a job is yet to open.
The hope of many young people behind an empty space
GPSC recruitment is not just a government process. Expectations of thousands of families are attached behind it.
Many candidates prepare for years. Some candidates leave other jobs or professions and devote full time to competitive exam preparation. For candidates approaching the age limit, every recruitment and every opportunity is very important.
In such a case, even after passing the exam, if you have to wait for an interview for months, it affects not only your career, but also your mental and financial life.
Big difference between recruitment pace and candidate life
GPSC rules and procedures are in place. A fair and proper interview process is essential for quality selection.
But the question is how fast can the system run without sufficient manpower?
If the required number of members are not available in the commission, the backlog of recruitment increases one after another. One recruit stops interviewing, then another recruit is added, and after a while the backlog reaches thousands of candidates.
The report also expressed concern that if the current pace is maintained, it may become difficult to clear the backlog quickly.
Question amid discussion of completion of recruitment in 470 days
According to the report, GARC has recommended some reforms to reduce the time taken in the recruitment process. The issue of taking a long time to complete a recruitment has also been discussed.
If the time from the start of recruitment to the final appointment drags on for years, vacancies in government departments also remain unfilled for a long time.
So here it is not only about the candidate. Vacancies in government departments, increasing workload and services to citizens—all these are linked to speeding up the recruitment process.
Why GPSC backlog is increasing?
There can be more than one reason behind this whole situation. Apart from lack of sufficient members in the commission, various recruitment procedures, examination schedule, document verification and availability of interview boards also take time.
But if multiple recruitment interviews are pending at the same time, each day’s delay makes thousands of candidates wait longer.
For this, it is not enough to announce new recruitment. It is equally important to complete old recruitment on time.
Candidates need a clear timeline, not a ‘date’
Perhaps the biggest expectation of GPSC aspirants is that they get clarity.
When will the interview take place?
When will recruitment be completed?
When will you get the appointment?
Accurate answers to these questions are very important for candidates. Because time is the most precious asset for youngsters preparing for government jobs.
A year’s delay may be just a number to an officer, but to a candidate it is a whole year of age, second chances and important life decisions.
What is most important now is a quick decision
There is an urgent need for the GPSC to appoint the necessary members expeditiously, to have sufficient boards for interviews and to phase out the old recruitment backlog—the entire process.
Because these candidates are not just roll numbers.
Behind every roll number is a family, years of hard work and a dream to become a government officer.
After clearing the exam, the only thing a candidate can expect is that his hard work will now lead to a final decision.
Speeding up government recruitment isn’t just administrative efficiency—it’s a responsibility to the future of youth.