There is no denying the fact that with the retirement of most of our CSP cadre civil servants there has been a serious vacuum in our civil administration. Bureaucracy is and will continue to be one of the primary tools of state administration. It is therefore imperative that the process of recruitment for this cadre be transparent, highly competitive and above reproach. In this regard there is much to be said about the PSC and the Ministry of Education who are responsible for upholding the secrecy of the question paper and conducting the examination without any flaw. It is one of the most important functions, particularly of the PSC. The government should therefore seriously review the overall working of the PSC.

A careful assessment of the situation also warrants a serious consideration of the demand for scrapping of the question paper of the preliminary test, as raised by many of the candidates and various other members of the public representing a number of civil societies.

Every time there was a demand for enquiry into such allegations to the authorities concerned, the reaction has been one of either total denial or pushing the matter under the carpet. We strongly recommend that a vigorous enquiry be undertaken, the culprits brought to book and the results made known to the public. If such an action is not taken it will only keep the doors wide open for possible repetition of the same vice and encourage the perpetrators.

Inaction will also raise serious questions about the Administration's transparency of operations. Mere denial without going into the allegations is indicative of possible guilt and attempt to hide facts. This attitude damages the image of the government and none else.