Guwahati, March 7: The Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) will hold a brainstorming session here on March 31 to discuss whether it should follow the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) pattern in the state civil services examination.

The chairman in charge of the APSC, Brig. (retd) Ranjit Borthakur, today said all stakeholders would be invited to the brainstorming session at the Assam Administrative Staff College at Khanapara. The outcome will be sent to the state government for approval.

The commission is considering adopting a pattern similar to that of the UPSC, as it will help the candidates prepare for both the examinations.

"We have received more than 100 suggestions from aspiring candidates," he said.

Borthakur said sometimes the recruitment process gets delayed because of ambiguity in draft advertisements sent by the government departments to the commission for recruitment to various posts. The ambiguities lead to the recruitment process getting delayed owing to protracted correspondences seeking clarifications from the departments. He said he had recently written to chief secretary V.K. Pipersenia about this problem.

In his letter to the chief secretary, Borthakur said, "One of the main constraints in expediting recruitment is that in a majority of cases the draft advertisements received from the departments falls short of requisite information. In most cases, these are sent back to the department concerned, seeking clarifications/re-clarifications, which causes inordinate delay."

According to him, proper scrutiny of applications becomes extremely difficult as in many cases, advertisements are vague regarding essential educational qualifications, other desirable qualifications, experience and age. "Such delays and confusion at our end sometimes encourages candidates to take legal recourse," Borthakur said.

He also pointed out that a draft advertisement for various posts in the Forensic Science Laboratory, which was received by the commission on September 27, 2011. "After protracted correspondences, the government sent the final advertisement on October 14, 2016, and the advertisement was finally published on January 16 this year," he said.

Borthakur denied an allegation made by an NGO, Assam Public Works, accusing the APSC of shortlisting two ineligible officers for an interview for the post of director of the agriculture department.

"It would have been highly appreciated if APW had approached the commission to seek clarification on this matter. The commission is of the view that personal vilification will not serve the cause of the APSC to become a transparent and effective organisation, which is sincerely, genuinely and selflessly being attempted by the present dispensation," he said.