LAHORE:
Two months ago the Punjab Ombudsman asked the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) to consider matriculation and intermediate marks, in addition to the professional exam result, while appointing medical officers (MOs) and other such professionals. The PPSC is yet to take any action.
The Young Doctors Association (YDA) Pakistan submitted, in November 2011, an application to the Ombudsman’s office requesting that the commission be directed to include intermediate and matriculation in the ‘formula’ for MOs’ appointment. In its letter, the YDA had submitted that whenever the PPSC advertises vacancies, the ads mention that FSc and matriculation results will also count towards the final selection but they do not. According to the association appointments were made taking into consideration the candidates’ MBBS results. They said that 65 per cent weight is given to the grades obtained in MBBS written exams and 35 per cent to marks obtained in the PPSC viva.
YDA president Rana Sohail says the current policy works to the disadvantage of students who secure a place in public medical colleges after “outstanding” grades in matriculation and intermediate.
In its reply, the PPSC had stated that for professional appointments, like doctors and engineers, the commission awarded candidates marks based on their yearly performance throughout their professional studies (five years in case of doctors). Additionally, marks are awarded for additional qualifications like FCPS, MS, MRCP, FRCS, the commission said, adding that “there is no provision in the PPSC Policy Decisions to consider matriculation and intermediate marks for professional posts. This practice has been in vogue since long”.
The YDA wrote again to the Ombudsman in January saying that the PPSC, while ignoring pre-professional performance still gave extra credit to candidates who get a gold medal in matriculation and FSc. The YDA argued that if a gold medal was still relevant, some weight should be given to marks achieved in matriculation and intermediate.
Not considering pre-professional exams was justified when only public medical colleges’ graduates had been competing for the posts, read the YDA’s response, but now graduates of private medical colleges were also competing for the vacancies. The private colleges give admissions to students who do not do very well in FSc, the letter alleged. This, in the YDA’s opinion, “places public medical college graduates in a disadvantageous position”. The association wrote that to offset the “disadvantage” pre-professional exam results be given some weight. The Ombudsman had then directed the PPSC to “consider” a revision in its appointment criteria.
A PPSC member, who spoke to The Tribune on the condition of anonymity, said only a full-house meeting could take a decision about changing the appointment criteria, “which hasn’t taken place since the Ombudsman’s office gave the directions”.
The commission chairman can call a meeting whenever he deems a matter is important enough to be discussed, the member said, adding that he wasn’t sure when the commission would meet next.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 11th, 2012.
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