A proposal to set up National Recruitment Agency (NRA) got a nod on Wednesday from the Union Cabinet. The agency will be responsible for conducting a Common Eligibility Test (CET) for selection to non-gazetted posts in the central government and public sector banks and 'will prove to be a boon for many', said Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a Tweet.
It was in Union Budget 2020, when the National Recruitment Agency was first proposed by the government. In the Union Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that, "The agency will be an "independent, professional, specialist organisation and will conduct an exam, which would be known as the Common Eligibility Test.
The PM said, "The National Recruitment Agency will prove to be a boon for crores of youngsters."
Further on the same, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar stated that, "This decision will benefit job seeking youth of the country."
How will the tests be conducted
All non-gazetted posts, Group B and C will have a single entrance examination. Higher level of examination can be taken by candidates who qualify this Common Entrance Test (CET) through recruitment agencies. The marks obtained by the candidates will be valid for three years and jobs in different sectors can be applied for based on an individual's preference.
The PM added that this step will bring more transparency into the system and people will save time as the eligibility tests will eliminate multiple tests and save precious time as well as resources.
Nothing less than a revolution
According to Union Minister Jitendra Singh, the decision is a revolutionary reform. "This will bring ease of recruitment, ease of selection and thereby ease of living for aspirant candidates," he added.
According to C Chandramouli, secretary to the govt, a common eligibility test for Staff Selection Commission (SSC), the Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) and the Institute of Banking Service Personnel (IBPS) will be conducted by the NRA.
The other sectors might be covered later but as of now only three agencies are being covered. There are almost over 20 recruitment agencies in central government.
It was further added that this will provide a common platform for all aspirants to test and prove themselves and it will be a great boon for those who are economically deprived.
