Naresh Kumar Vaid, Director , Vaids ICS

डर लगता है घर के दरवाज़े और खिड़कियां खोलने में। बाहर हैं मैना, तोते, गोरैया और कबूतर; भीतर पंखे और बिजली। कहीं----------- इसलिए डर  लगता है।

I WAS the first one to raise voice against CSAT  as early as Nov. 2010 in Dec. Issue of Civil Services Chronicle (CSC) December issue, 2010. I had many basic  apprehensions including : 1. Aptitude (as the General Studies Paper II is referred to) can not be judged through multiple choice questions). If aptitude is to be tested then the Interview should be conducted on the pattern of IMA/GDA. 2. The aptitude for civil services can not be based on CAT/MAT which optimise selection for selection for management  jobs. If CSAT Paper (II) is based on pure biology or Earth Sciences, what will be the reaction of proteges of those supporting presenting system? THE CSAT was introduces by the present Chairman of UPSC who is a protege of UPA government. He must have explained what was wrong with previous system before introducing the new one. He had said: (a) THE new system is to reduce the role of coaching. The fact is that many more institutes, previously couching for manag...

THE day before, Srivatsa, the Topper (AIR I) of early nineties wrote in ToI. And today someone named Ms Shailja Chandra (whose name I could not find in the IAS list) in HT have wrote in favour of CSAT on flimsy grounds. Let me explain in some details. First argument given is "why nobody spoke against CSAT in the last four years. I, in my previous blog, have made it clear that I was the first one to speak and write as early as Nov. 2010 in Dec. 2010 issue of CSC. My contentions were simple. CSAT, the name itself is inappropriate as !. aptitude can not be tested through multiple choice questions 2. Decision making making can not be tested by questions asked as decision making depends on time, space and culture. UPSC, in the question paper, makes it non-obligatory to reply to these questions. 3. Interpersonal  qualities, simillarly, on the above bases. UPSC has not asked a single question on this issue so far. 4. Translation is  a major issue, nobody disputes so no comm...

LOWER House debated the issue (cont. from previous blog) and assured the House that the Committee will submit its report within a week and the government will take action on the Report. THE minister forgets the Committee was formed by UPCS on the directive of Court and all the members of the Committee were chosen by D.P. Agrawal, the Chairman of UPSC without consulting anyone, not even us, the petitioners. The Committee may suggest some cosmetic changes but will not undo that wa done by its chairman more than three years ago. Should we believe that the Minister, Dr. Jitendra Singh does not know this. THE Minister also said that posting roll nos and centers of Exam on UPSC's website is a part of the routine. Is conducting exam is not a part of their routine? The agitating candidates are definitely being misguided. If the government is sincere, it should form a team comprising of their as also agitators' representatives who can sit together and decide the issues in a couple ...

ASPIRANTS to Civil Services appearing in the Exam in Indian languages, particularly in Hindi, have been up in arms against CSAT for the last couple of months. Why now? CSAT was introduced by UPSC w.e.f. Civil Services Preliminary Exam, 2011. I have no interest in these cansidates whatsoever; but I approached two most read Hindi magazines and through them all major coaching institutes providing coaching in Hindi. Subsequently, I mailed to almost all popular Hindi news channels but to no effect. Fortunately, I got the company of Bhasha Bacho Andolan and subsequently, eight of us filed a writ against CSAT in Delhi High Court, that is still pending. Under the directive of Court, UPSC formed a committee to look into the issues raised by us. The Committee is yet to submit its report. WHILE introducing CSAT, UPSC had given following arguments: -to curtail the role of coaching (The fact is the opposite. New coaching institutes previously providing coaching for banking or management too h...

THESE days four-year graduate degree programme is a hot issue. The programme was released by University of Delhi last year despite protests from teachers and students not only of DU but also of JNU. The Programme was ostensibly introduced to help those who want to go abroad to pursue their Masters degree. As many foreign universities have 4-year graduation coarse, and Indian students had to study for an additional year there, the VC of DU thought it fit to introduce FYUP. THE question arises : Do those who can afford an addition year in foreign universities be given this advantage at the cost of those who can not? As per FYUP, the students could opt out after three years with the degree while Hons degree was reserved for those continuing in their fourth year. UGC follows 10-2-3 programme and those from other universities funded by UGC receive Hons. degree in three years. Many private universities have started this course but none funded by UGC, particularly, central universities. Am...

TODAY was perhaps the worst for Indian democracy. The harm done is more than what Maoists or other terrorists have done. Pro- and Anti-Telengana MPs have been on it for the last several times but nobody had expected our democracy to stoop too low. Why? WHEN we know that democracy is just a game of numbers and parliamentarians can go any length, it could have happened any day, particularly at a time when the Parliament is being run buy feeble minds, the individuals without a back bone and the people who hold their interests above the interests above the nation. TELANGANA issue has been on the fore front for the last four years. A.P. has been literally burning. Home Minister, four years ago had stated in the Parliament that the process of formation of Telangana will start soon. In stead Sri Krishna Committee was formed. Telangana people have been betrayed for the last more than 60 years but the central governments, in all these years, have been betraying sentiments of people. CREA...