SPSC: MERITOCRACY & WOMEN DISCRIMINATION

By: Kainat Shaikh

The much awaited and most controversial result CCE-2013 in the history of Sindh Public
Service Commission (SPSC) is finally announced and the conformity of SPSC always
discriminating and employing favoritism like all other previous public service commission
exams especially CCE-2003 mega scandal ever quoted in the pages of meritocracy. The
final result announced on the 19th of August has strictly filtered all the deserving
candidates through the calculated process of written test and viva voice.
To address the injustice that crippled many deserving candidates, I will not exemplify
generally but I will quote myself as I am also one of these candidates who are victimized by
the said result. I, being the only winner of Fulbright Fellowship for the year 2016 also
aspired for this public service commission. Belonging to middle rural class family from
interior Sindh, education has always remained the beacon of hope to survive in this cruel
society. There is no means to offer to fulfill the middle class dreams but that doesnt stop
me from dreaming, for education always taught that hard work is always paid off but after
this result, one question that begs in my mind, does this system worth it? Does it worth any
of it? The hard work, deprivation of sleep, consumed time and energy to stand on our own
feet, and the answer is simple: NO. SPSC recruitment hardly worth any of those because
SPSC bags jobs like the whims and tantrums of crying child or resourceful people having
skill of approaching influential contacts but Alas, middle class family doesnt afford or
hone either of them. I did MA English Linguistics and Literature from a renowned
university as I earned scholarships in every semester and secured exemplary 82 percentage
for which I was lauded in all the campuses of Pakistan. I applied for Fulbright Fellowship
to start my professional career and I was selected for interview after a tough competition
and process in very first attempt for which candidates had applied many times. I qualified
selection process, and was called for interview. The Fulbright committee consists of US
Scholars and Psychologists praised my communication skills and qualifications. When the
interview results were announced, it turned out that I am the only candidate who is selected
from entire Sindh.
On the other hand, I qualified screening test of CCE- 2013 then comprehensive written
part. I had recently completed my MA studies and was serving as University Lecturer in
the same university campus from where I secured my degree. My writing skills were
afresh, I was completely equipped for appearing in written test. After one year when the
result was announced, I qualified but many of my intellectual colleagues and hardworking
acquaintances couldnt qualify written part only because one particular subject Sindhi
General was subjected to fail the candidates, and their only mistake was that they opted for
this subject.
Later, came the viva voce process, each day fifteen candidates were asked to appear in the
viva voce and to my dismay, the viva voce committee was whimsical and frivolous
throughout their selection process. It consists of one lady and four other individuals. I
studied days and nights for this awaited day, my parents worried about my health but I
told them that this opportunity worth every ounce of talent and energy and I dont want to
let go of this opportunity. I was called for interview at 8:00 am and my interview time was
at 1 pm. As I stepped inside the interview hall, they started writing on their papers without
even starting the viva voce session, and if they were writing about my appearance and the
way I entered then still doesnt require writing because I followed all the interview
etiquettes prevised by renowned interview coach specialists. I was asked to introduce
myself and I started speaking about qualifications, as soon as I told them about my
Fulbright selection, all they did was giggling and asked me then what am I doing there and
I should be availing Fulbright and I am at wrong place. This critical remark raised my
brows and I told them that Public Service is my dream and I am after my dream, for which
they didnt reply anything. I led the interview in English but I told them that I am Sindhi
by birth and it was suggested by one of the qualified candidate that it will amass me as a
strong candidate. That is a very vague assertion but that was what specifically taught in the
academy I sought for interview preparation. Throughout interview, I was asked very
absurd questions. The questions which were asked from my optionals, I didnt miss any but
the questions like what is the area of India, and who is Samri Magician or what is area of
my favorite city of Pakistan or why I liked that particular city kept me off the hook.
Moreover, my answers were not listened but they all were continuously looking at the wall
clock for time like I was wasting theirs. The whole session was based on rote learning as
only token type questions were asked and the nature of job offered doesnt require
memorized answers. The questions that check the analytical ability and make candidate
use their critical thinking were missing. The said questions hardly assess that whether I
deserved to part of public service. I left hall with mixture of feelings, disappointment on the
part of committee members, may be because I had gone through the Fulbright interview
and I was expecting much from committee and also hopelessness because I felt that
interview didnt test my knowledge or allowed me to prove my merit for the job I was
aspiring for. It felt like they had already made up their mind and I was just there trying
hard to get something I was not meant for.
This is not just me who is feeling that my talent was embarrassed publicly but many of the
candidates who believed their interview session was successful also couldnt qualify. Many
candidates like me are still contemplating that what was the criteria of selection or what
skills or kind of knowledge they were particularly looking for in the candidates. Such
bashful process has completely defiled the meritocracy of Sindh and has destroyed the
talents of millions of young people belonging to middle class families. The middle class
families do not have any power or resources, all they have their education and hard work
to surface in this society. I am just afraid that the candidates who are only and only looking
forward to the commission jobs of Sindh, and if they are not justified for their efforts, then
how much psychological trauma they must be facing as I am facing like my whole energy
has been drained and a feeling of despair is prevailing.
One thing more that I want to address is the selection of women in this CCE-2013. From
227 seats, only 10 or 11 women are selected. Where is women quota employed? On every
advertisement, it is specifically written that women are strongly encouraged to apply. In
such a huge recruitment system, why women are discriminated? Is this an unintentional act
or deliberately structured process as certainly the women is powerless strata of society who
is always facing scarcity in motivation and resources? If these recruitment policies will
prevail then how the women of Sindh will ever be empowered who are studying despite
much opposition and pointing fingers. I appeal to human rights activists, civil society,
intellectuals of Sind, and Women action forums and panels to look into this matter and
seek for the answers for such allocation of jobs where women are completely sidelined.
I appeal to the judicial system to please stop these discrimination policies, corruption,
meritocracy bashing, and talent tarnishing governed in the province of Sindh. Its
credibility is always questioned and this result needs strict probing.

The writer is a linguist and serving as Fulbright Fellow at University of Oregon, Eugene, USA

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