One of the major reforms in the commission was the publishing of provisional answer keys to various objective type examinations on its website. There is a provision for applicants to submit complaints and suggestions if any of the answers are incorrect. The final answer key is also published on the website.
Its official site was launched on September 1, 2003 and the commission started inviting applications online from January 1, 2007. Prospective candidates from anywhere in the world can apply through the site free of cost. Admission tickets are also made available through the website to dispense with the postal delay.
One-time registration was initiated in January 2012. Candidates can create a profile for themselves online along with details of other qualifications. Whenever a notification is announced, the candidate will be informed through email or SMS provided the profile matches the job requirement.
Making available the marks secured is another attempt at bringing more transparency in the selection process. Publishing the interview, grace and academic marks of all candidates has added to its credibility.
With 1,731 regular staff and over 100 daily wage workers, PSC is one of the largest recruiting agencies in the country. Preparing a comprehensive question bank for all examinations conducted by the commission for selected posts as part of the ongoing modernisation drive is another milestone.
“One of the most important changes in the past decade was doing away with the delay in publishing results,” PSC secretary Saju George told Express. “Earlier, there used to be inordinate delay. Selection process for certain posts used to take up to 10 years. Now, on an average, the results are published in two to three years from the date of notification.”
He said steps have been taken to revive the call centre facility in the PSC headquarters. To make them more people-friendly, the employees will be trained in public relation practices.
Despite all efforts to boost transparency, there have been complaints of corruption among PSC members. In high profile jobs for which the number of posts is limited, the marks in the interviews are crucial. In such cases, the loopholes remain to be plugged.