Formation of a National recruitment agency was approved by the Union Cabinet in August.
In August 2020, the Union Cabinet approved the formation of a National Recruitment Agency (NRA). The main purpose of establishing this agency is to streamline recruitment process of government jobs by holding a common eligibility test. Billed as a "landmark reform", the NRA will conduct exams for various group B and group C posts in various government organisations.
On this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had tweeted that the NRA "will prove to be a boon for crores of youngsters". "Through the Common Eligibility Test, it will eliminate multiple tests and save precious time as well as resources. This will also be a big boost to transparency," his tweet read.
How Will NRA Change Job Exams In Coming Years
- The NRA will conduct exams on the behalf of the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) and the Railway Recruitment Boards (RRB). In the long run, it will conduct exams on behalf of 20 government organisations.
- The NRA will conduct a common eligibility test to screen and shortlist candidates for subsequent selection tests. In other words, the agency will replace the first level test which are conducted by the SSC, RRBs and the IBPS.
- The test will be held at three levels- graduate, higher secondary and secondary.
- The test will be held in online mode and the government has said it will create exam infrastructure in 117 aspirational districts which would provide immense benefit to candidates from remote areas as they can appear for the exam at a place close to where they live.
- This will reduce appearing for multiple tests. Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh had said on an average 2.5-3 crore candidates appear in each of these examinations, but a common eligibility test would enable these candidates to appear once and apply to any or all of these recruitment agencies for the higher level of examination.
- The common eligibility test will be held twice a year and the best of the scores will be considered. There will be no limit on the number of attempts in the test. However, there will be restriction in the upper age limit of the post for which a candidate will appear for the test.
- The scores obtained by the candidate will be valid for three years, the government has said.
- The test will be held in 12 languages, besides Hindi and English. Tests will be conducted in 12 languages in due course and efforts will be made to include all the languages mentioned in the eighth schedule of the Constitution, according to a statement issued by the Personnel Ministry.
- The marks obtained in the test conducted by the National Recruitment Agency (NRA) can also be used by the states and union territories, the government has said. Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh government has already announced to consider common eligibility test score
- In September, the government had informed the Lok Sabha that the agency is likely to start functioning from September, 2021.