National Recruitment Agency | 18 Sep 2019

A new National Recruitment Agency (NRA) will be set up to streamline recruitment process on subordinate-rank posts in the government.

  • This is expected to streamline recruitment of Group-B (non-gazetted), Group-C (non-technical) and clerical posts in the government along with various equivalent recruitment in Public Sector Banks (PSBs).
  • The proposed NRA is expected to reduce the burden of the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) and the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS), among others, from holding preliminary recruitment exams, which is an extensive exercise.
    • Once up and running, NRA will work as a preliminary single-window agency to shortlist qualifying candidates from the bulk of applicants and forward the list to SSC, IBPS, etc, to hold the mains.
  • Recruitment conducted at present through the SSC and proposed to go to the new agency include the Combined Graduate Level (CGL) examination to enter government departments as Assistant Section Officers and several other examinations for Customs and Central Excise, Income Tax Department, and Ministry of Railways, among others.
  • Similarly, recruitment tests for clerical-level recruitment in public sector banks are proposed to go to the NRA. The proposed agency, however, will not be in charge of recruitment of Probationary Officers (PO) in banks.

Staff Selection Commission

  • The Staff Selection Commission is an attached office of the Department of Personnel and Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
  • The Government of India, in the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, vide its resolution dated the 4th November 1975 constituted a Commission called the Subordinate Services Commission. The same was re-designated as Staff Selection Commission effective from 26th September 1977.
  • It makes recruitment to various Group “B” and Group “C” posts in the various Ministries/Departments of the Government of India and in Subordinate Offices.
  • It has its headquarters in New Delhi.

Institute of Banking Personnel Selection

  • IBPS is an autonomous body formed in 1984.
  • It is registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and also a Public Trust under the Bombay Public Trust Act, 1950.
  • It was created to render assistance to organisations in the areas of personnel such as recruitment, selection, placement, etc.
  • It has its headquarters in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Source: IE