Province public service commissions to adopt unified standards

By Phadindra Adhikari

Lekhnath, Apr. 14:  Public Service Commissions in all seven provinces of the country have agreed to adopt a common set of principles and standards.

The decision was made at the Sixth National Conference of Public Service Commissions, which concluded in Pokhara on Monday.

The conference resolved to approve and soon make public the “Principles and Standards of Public Service Commission 2082".

Speaking at the programme where the declaration was unveiled, Chairperson of the Public Service Commission, Madhav Prasad Regmi, pledged to finalise and publish the standards promptly.

“We will approve and publish the Principles and Standards 2082 within this Baisakh (mid-April to mid-May). We expect this to be a milestone in the field of public service,” he said. 

“We will work in a way that further strengthens public trust in the performance of both the Federal Public Service Commission and the provincial commissions,” he added. 

He informed that while earlier only civil service personnel were selected through the commission, it now recruits for more than a hundred organised institutions as well as all security agencies. 

Chairperson Regmi expressed the expectation that such recruitment would ensure high-quality service delivery.

“Current circumstances indicate the need for further refinement in the role of the commission and the personnel it selects,” he said. 

“Questions are repeatedly raised as to why the services delivered by selected personnel are not as effective as expected. We are having to address such concerns in parliamentary committees and other forums.”

At the programme, Commission Member Manju Kumari highlighted that the public has strong trust in the commission’s role in selecting personnel based on fairness, integrity and competition. 

Another member, Bir Bahadur Rai, informed that efforts are being made to curb the trend of employees at one level re-entering the same level through a different group.

Chairperson of the Gandaki Provincial Public Service Commission, Bishnu Prasad Nepal, said that discussions on the implementation status of past conference decisions, along with deliberations on current challenges, have helped chart a new course.

The conference endorsed the standards by incorporating feedback received on the draft prepared under the Provincial Public Service Commission (Basis and Standards Determination) Act, 2018. 

It also decided that, once the new standards are made public, indicators will be developed accordingly, and all provincial commissions will conduct self-assessments or peer reviews as required.

The conference reaffirmed its commitment to upholding its role as a promoter and guardian of the merit-based system. 

It also expressed a shared understanding to attract suitable human resources into public administration and to select competent and capable candidates through competitive examinations. 

Officials stated through the declaration that they remain committed to strengthening the principles of merit, fairness, integrity and inclusiveness in line with the spirit of federalism.

The conference also resolved to implement the decisions and commitments made from the first to the fifth national conferences.

The next, Seventh National Conference of Public Service Commissions is scheduled to be held on March 7, 2027 in Janakpur, Madhes Province. 

The conference was attended by officials from the Federal Public Service Commission and all seven provincial commissions. 

The declaration and decisions issued at the conclusion of the conference were signed by Chairperson Madhav Prasad Regmi and the heads of all provincial commissions.