PPSC chairperson removes dissenting member from panel of interviewers

PATIALA:A big battle is brewing in the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) with former IAS officer APS Virk locking horns with panel chairman Lt Gen NPS Hira (retd) by questioning the interview evaluation procedure and Hira removing the dissenting member from the interview panel.

The issue is set to reach the chief minister’s office, said a commission member, requesting anonymity.

While Hira was appointed as the panel head the previous SAD-BJP government, Virk was included as member by the present Congress government. Virk had taken premature retirement from India Administrative Services to join the panel.

Hira and Virk have been at loggerheads as the latter had demanded autonomy to individual members in awarding interview marks to candidates.

In a letter to the chairman in July, he had expressed displeasure over the practice in which all commission members discuss the performance of the candidate after an interview and then give him or her marks, sometimes with a consensus. If a member differs, he or she can award more or less marks, but has to cite reasons for it

Virk had suggested that there should be no discussion as it can influence certain members, and all members should submit their marks lists in sealed envelopes.

Following Virk’s dissenting views, Hira excluded Virk from the selection process of the commission’s interview panel. He was not allowed to sit in interviews for MBBS doctors held in July, and has not been included in the panel for forthcoming interviews.

When contacted, Virk confirmed that he was not included in interview panel during recent selections. He, however, said he is doing other routine work, assigned by the chairman.

“I felt that discussion among board members before evaluating a candidate following an interview can influence certain members, so I objected to it. Why discussion, when every member is selected on the basis of merit and it’s his primary duty to judge a candidate on merit?”

He said the chairman tries to enforce rules, which are not in any rule book.

On his other hand, Hira said, “Virk’s letter was placed before the members in a meeting of the commission, but his proposal was rejected by a majority of members.”

He said, “As every member can’t be expert in medical, veterinary or other subjects, so a discussion is needed with the subject expert before awarding marks to a candidate.

“Despite discussion, any member can award more or less marks, but he has to cite a reason for it. Virk doesn’t want to cite the reason, so I decided to remove him from the interview panel.”