The transparency and integrity around one of India’s toughest examinations has been challenged and the time has come for the Union Public Service Commission to evaluate its much-famed three-stage selection procedure wherein only 0.2% of aspirants are selected out of a pool of around five lakh aspirants appearing for the preliminary exam every year (“UPSC exam fraud: two more arrested”, November 5). One must not forget that it includes a full-fledged ‘ethics’ paper. Aspirants who have sacrificed a lot in attaining their goal of serving the nation find it demoralising to read reports about alleged unethical measures attempted by some aspirants.
The selection process needs more teeth. In addition, due weightage must be given to identify the traits and personality of the candidate rather than assessing his or her knowledge level and presentation skills. A judicial commission must also analyse the way the examination has been conducted in the past decade.
Sarath, Thiruvananthapuram