Cabinet approves National Recruitment Agency, Common Eligibility Test for govt jobs, PSBs

Union Cabinet on Wednesday approve a proposal to set up National Recruitment Agency that will conduct Common Eligibility Test (CET) for selection to non-gazetted posts in the central government and public sector banks."Union Cabinet approves setting up of 'National Recruitment Agency' to conduct Common Eligibility Test. This decision will benefit job seeking youth of the country," Union Minister Prakash Javadekar has said.

There will be single entrance examination for all non-gazetted posts — Group B and C posts. Candidates need to qualify this common entrance examination to apply for higher level of examination to any recruitment agencies. The score will be valid for three years during which candidate can apply for jobs in different sectors depending upon his aptitude and preferences.

There will be no bar on the number of attempts.

"Cabinet Decision to set up National Recruitment Agency (NRA) to conduct Common Eligibility Test (CET) for preliminary selection to various Government vacancies is a revolutionary reform. This will bring ease of recruitment, ease of selection and thereby ease of living for aspirant candidates," Union Minister Jitendra Singh



said.

"There are almost more than 20 recruitment agencies in central govt. Although we are making exams of only three agencies common as of now, in course of time we will be able to have Common Eligibility Test for all recruitment agencies, C Chandramouli, secretary to the government said in the Cabinet meeting.

The National Recruitment Agency (NRA) was first proposed by the government in the Union Budget 2020. "The agency will be an independent, professional, specialist organisation and will conduct an exam, which would be known as the Common Eligibility Test, for selection to government jobs," the Union Budget mentioned.

"It will provide level playing field, a great boon particularly for economically deprived who cannot afford travelling to multiple centres, youth in far flung areas with difficulty to reach different centres and women candidates who are unable to travel to different cities because of constraints of travel and stay," Singh added.

“In a historic decision benefitting job seeking youth of the country Cabinet approves setting up of National Recruitment Agency to conduct Common Eligibility Test," the union government’s principal spokesperson said in a tweet.