K & P

No nepotism: Over 16,000 constable candidates appear for NTS test

For the first time, candidates with master’s degrees were recruited

Riaz Ahmad January 02, 2016

For the first time, candidates with master’s degrees were recruited. PHOTO: FILE

PESHAWAR: In 2015, 16,008 candidates sat for the National Testing Service (NTS) test for the position of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa police constables and 2,990 of them passed. They were competing for 1,685 seats for which recruitments had been made in two batches.

Setting the precedent

Apart from mandatory NTS test, the interview option was removed from the recruitment process to eliminate any chances of favouritism by police officials. A psychological test was introduced in its place and would be conducted by a panel of two specialists.

For the first time in the history of K-P, students with master’s and post graduate degrees were being hired for a position for which matriculation sufficed previously. Most of the recruits now are also computer literate.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Establishment DIG Najeebur Rehman Bagvi said 1,011 candidates were recruited in the first batch and 533 would to be recruited in the second.

“In the past, the government used to distribute these seats among MPAs who hired constables based on their biases,” he said. Bagvi added that for the first time in the history of K-P, merit-based recruitments were made and people who passed the test are highly educated and talented. “This will bring a positive change to the K-P police,” he said.

The numbers

The highest number of candidates to take NTS test appeared from Lower Dir. A total of 1,547 people from the area took the test out of which 276 passed. There were 197 seats and 192 candidates were recruited. The second highest number of candidates appeared in Peshawar. As many as 181 out of 1,151 people passed the test and 174 vacancies were filled. In Mardan, 1,124 candidates sat for the test out of which 195 passed. There were a total of 155 seats for the district.

Testing times

The NTS test was introduced two years ago by K-P police and other government departments followed suit by using the medium for their recruitments. The trend was appreciated by candidates and the public which forced the Punjab government to introduce it as well.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 3^rd, 2016.