Opening options

Four lakh people appeared for the civil services preliminary examination in 2009. A thousand or so eventually made it through to various tenured positions in the Union government,a uniquely minuscule success percentage. Those hopeful lakhs had to deal with a general studies paper,on such crucial questions as why fluorescent lamps use mercury,the proximate reason Ahmed Shah Abdali invaded India,and what the Greendex is. But in case this paper doesnt sufficiently test ones grasp of Bournvita-quiz-contest arcana,theres also the optional paper where a candidate can demonstrate his grasp of geology,animal husbandry,or philosophy. Naturally this has been subverted over time; few of those who take the biology option will have trained as biologists,most will have been told that it is a scoring paper,increasing their chances of surviving the dreaded normalisation or scaling of results.

This systems clearly not optimal,though it has been in existence since before the oldest 2011 applicant was born,since 1979,and survived one major reorganisation in the 90s because it was performing its screening function. Possibly,but theres little doubt that it was also creating enormous costs: for one,three lakh-plus of Indias brightest would devote their energy to becoming artificial,prelim-exam experts on some subject rumoured to be higher-scoring. And it is far from clear whether screening for those who successfully game the system is a good idea.

Which is why the plan to replace the optional paper with an aptitude exam is both welcome and overdue. The nature of the replacement isnt yet known but theres no doubt it will both lighten the workload of the average applicant and increase the systems efficiency and fairness. It may also revive more thoughtful ways of determining candidature,like the long essay. But reform shouldnt stop there. As long as we have an examination dedicated to picking out bright generalists that so many people do participate in,their efforts shouldnt be wasted; as with the IITs entrance examination,other institutions,state services and the private sector,should be encouraged to use the results too. And,eventually,their requirements should be taken on board in any further redesign.