1. Nigvekar report is more radical than I had expected
2. Word of advice
3. Index of the report
4. Executive summary and recommendation
   1. Proposed Mains structure
   2. Count language marks in final list
   3. Double the Language marks for North East candidates
   4. Only graduation related optional subject
   5. Six group of Optional Subjects
   6. Personal narrative before interview
   7. Service preference can be changed during training
   8. Topper can re-appear only ONE more time
   9. Assessment Post-Training
   10. Change exam system every five years
   11. Create separate R&D Center
5. Fodder material: Qualities of an Ideal civil servant

Nigvekar report is more radical than I expected

After nearly two years of RTI stonewalling^TM and Lord Curzon-giri, today UPSC handed over the Nigvekar Committee report to me. Spread across more than 200 pages and six chapters, his report contains observations that are even more radical than I had expected. For example:

1. Many IIT/IIM walla get selected in Group-B posts, but they leave the job halfway, thereby wasting the seat and reducing the chances of other candidates to qualify in the exam. So, remove group-B jobs from Civil service exam. (indirectly hinting that Group-B should be recruited by Staff Selection commission.)
2. And among the group A jobs, create two separate civil service exams– one for [IAS, IPS and IRS], while second separate exam for other remaining group A jobs.
3. Donot allow past-toppers to re-appear in the exam more than once.
4. Donot allow people with less than 50% in graduation to sit in prelims.
5. Prelim score card should have validity of two years (Meaning “senior player” should not be forced to prelims give again.)
6. Give specific booklist along with syllabus. (to get rid of coaching menace)
7. Three days interview, Group discussion, psychological-profiling similar to SSB.
8. Each interview candidate should be interviewed by “ALL boards” then take average score, so there is no biasedness.
9. In the elite Management colleges, you need to send a “admission-essay” before interview, Nigvekar recommended similar system before UPSC interviews.
10. Consolation prize- those who fail in interview should be given atleast some non-gazetted posts or alternative career opportunity.

^this just a “trailer” of the third chapter of his report. (He has written total six chapters). But, the Most interesting part: UPSC’s own research wing gave input to Nigvekar that:

1. CSAT paper- II favors Urban English medium candidates and it is hurting rural candidates.
2. Candidates with poor command over general studies are qualifying because of their good command over aptitude. (Since even the best candidates in general studies, cannot score beyond a point in GS paper- given its toughness). Thus, graduates from non-science/engg. background are hurt in the competition.

Nigvekar clearly mentioned ^this in chapter 3 of his report. No wonder, why UPSC was hellbent on hiding this report from RTI queries!

Word of advice: take a chillpill before reading

1. There is no need to lose sleep over this report.
2. There is no need to run into debate-wars with each other in the comments- about reservation, engineer-non-engineer etc. things.

Because

1. Whatever few reforms were to be taken- have been taken in 2013 (e.g. combining IFoS, four GS paper, ethics paper etc.)
2. Some of the recommendations were even reverted (e.g. allowing non-arts graduates to pick literature optional).
3. Besides, the age-attempt limit has already been relaxed by DoPT. (click me)

In short, UPSC hasn’t fully-implemented the report, which indirectly hints that most of Nigvekar’s radical recommendation will go in cold storage just like the Committees before him. so there is no need to lose sleep, no need to debate-war among each other.

I’m publishing the report, because of its utility as fodder material in

1. Essay and interview about “Civil service reform”, GS4 case studies etc.
2. Public Administration Mains: personnel administration, Indian administration related syllabus topics.
3. (and mainly) To help my fellow specialists in orkut and Delhi, to come out with new conspiracy theories. (After all, there hasn’t been any new conspiracy theory in rumor-market for quite some time.)

In short read this report as timpass sitcom. No need to get stressed over anything.

Index of the report

In the current article, we only the executive summary. (page 2 to 11). Remaining chapters will be published soon. (Reason – it takes time to get the papers scanned, typed and formatted).

Executive summary and recommendation

December 2011: UPSC formed this Committee under Prof.Nigvekar to recommend reforms in civil service examination.

August 2012: Report is submitted

Proposed Mains structure

Count language marks in final list

1. Marks in Language papers (Paper I and II) paper will count for the Grand Tally of Marks on the basis of Which merit will be fixed. A candidate must also obtain qualifying marks in each language paper as fixed by the Commission to qualify for selection.

Double the Language marks for North East candidates

2. In case of candidates from North Eastern region, who are exempted from appearing in Indian language paper at present. The marks obtained by him in English language paper would be doubled for the parity purpose in the grand total of marks.

Only graduation related optional subject

1. For this optional subject, the candidate can choose any of the subjects included in a given group of optional subjects, which matcher, most closely correlates with the main/core subject(s) studied by him/her at graduation or the subject studied by him/her at the post graduation level.
2. In case a candidate holds only a general pass course degree at the graduate level, he may be allowed to indicate any of the subjects in which He has been examined by the University as the subject based on which his choice of optional subject can be exercised. The candidate should then indicate his/her choice of optional subject out of the group of subjects, as given below, which matches or most closely correlates to his/her chosen/indicated subject studied in the University.
3. In case of any difficulty or doubt regarding the group of subject correlating to his/her chosen subject, the decision of Commission shall final. Commission may issue suitable clarification /guidelines in this regard

Six group of Optional Subjects

Personal narrative before interview

1. Those selected for Interview will be asked to submit a Personal Narrative in advance. This Personal Narrative may be autobiographical in nature where candidates can briefly discuss their personal history and reasons for aspiring to join civil services.
2.  He may also elaborate his/ her academic, non-academic and practical experience which may help him/her in being a successful civil servant. He /she may discuss his/her success or failure in managing specific/unusual situations, if any.
3. The personal narrative should be considered by the Interview Board and specific questions can be asked from it. Further, a fine tuning of the Interview process by structuring the Interview is necessary in which candidates are awarded marks specifically on various facets of their personality.

Service preference can be changed during training

A candidate may be allowed to review his service options within one month of joining the Foundation Course. Allotment of service and cadre should be made by the government before the Foundation Course ends. Counseling for the various services should be given in the first two weeks of the foundation course.

Topper can re-appear only ONE more time

Once the candidate is selected for a service and he joins, he may be given only one more chance to re-appear in the examination, IF he is otherwise eligible for appearing. For this, candidate may be permitted to leave and may be allowed to retain his seniority.

Assessment Post-Training

• After the candidate has completed his/her training (including the Foundation course) He will be assessed by the training institutions. This would include his assessment during the course of training as well as his/her performance in a written examination conducted by the training institution / academy at the end of training. The marks based on his/her overall training may be added on to the marks obtained in the Civil Services examination for final determination intra service seniority in the service.
• A copy of the annual assessment confidential roll of each candidate will be sent to the UPSC for record and analysis every year.

Change exam system every five years

The Committee feels that given the current fast changing scenario, both at the domestic as well as global level, the selection methodology would require a periodic review once every five years by the UPSC.

Create separate R&D Center

The UPSC should set up a dedicated research Centre which can exclusively concentrate on research and development at micro and macro levels to create question bank, online examination, observing the recruitment process in developed countries etc.

Fodder material: Qualities of an Ideal civil servant

1. A civil servant selected today will serve till 2050 in most of the cases. We have, therefore, to examine the skill sets and the desired profile. He must be a visionary, able to think of the future, possessing self-confidence which a leader must always have.
2. He should be aware of the socio-economic polity in which the country is existing including its very dense cultural polity. He should be impartial in his/her approach irrespective of the social and class structure He comes from.
3. He must possess ability to inter face with modern technology which could provide many solutions at the cutting edge.
4. He must have a sense of rugged professionalism, persistence and doggedness in. pursuit of the desired objectives and be imbued with the courage of conviction. He must be creative in his approach and innovative in problem solving coupled with the critical ability of selectivity in assimilation.
5. He must have a compassion for the underprivileged coupled with an ethical approach, a sense of fair play and honesty, and should be a believer in the principles of natural justice as well as human rights.
6. He must be willing to learn coupled with an open and broad minded approach to life.
7. He must have a scientific and rational approach to
8. He must possess love for the environment at the same time keeping a balance between environment and development.
9. He must have a live interest in local as well as global events.

He should have following skills:

1. A reasonable degree of language competence, both written and spoken.
2. Problem solving skills.
3. Competency in use of information technology.
4. Ability to logically analyze situations and interpret data.
5. Ability to prioritize and undertake approaches to time management.
6. Learn and assimilate new knowledge and skills.
7. Ability to work in group and promote team spirit.
8. Multi-level approach to problem analysis and solving.
9. Communication skills within and across cultures.

–end of the “Executive summary” Nigvekar report–

I’ve eliminated lot of redundant details, if you want to read the full chapter, low quality* scanned pdf file given below.

files.secureserver.net/0stExNMIBZIq5t
*Low quality PDF because UPSC itself has gave very low quality photocopies to me. 30% of the content is barely readable.

Remaining chapters will be published soon.

Visit Mrunal.org/RTI for more RTI misadventures.