Government jobs with a grade pay of up to 4200 without an interview; the process has begun in Rajasthan as well..

There are indications of welcome news regarding certain government recruitment processes for the youth of Rajasthan. The state government is considering abolishing the mandatory interview requirement for government posts carrying a grade pay of up to 4200. Recent activity within the Department of Personnel suggests this move is under active consideration, and the Law Department is currently examining the various aspects of the proposal. The government will make a final decision only after receiving the Law Department's opinion. Candidates appearing for recruitment exams—particularly for the post of Sub-Inspector and equivalent roles—have been demanding the removal of interviews from the selection process for some time. They argue that interviews in such examinations carry the risk of irregularities and bias. Rajasthan's Law Minister, Jogaram Patel, stated that the government is reviewing the entire matter and will take a decision that serves the best interests of all stakeholders.

It is worth noting that in 2016, the Central Government abolished the interview system for many recruitment categories with a grade pay of up to 4200 (and in some cases, even higher). Following this, 23 states—including Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Odisha—took similar measures and eliminated the mandatory interview requirement for recruitment to non-gazetted posts.

Against this backdrop, candidates in Rajasthan preparing for competitive exams have also been demanding the abolition of interviews for recruitment to subordinate services. They argue that the selection process should be based entirely on written examinations and merit to enhance transparency and minimize the scope for bias or corruption.

**Impact on Recruitment for 16 Posts**
If the government approves the proposal, it will affect recruitment for approximately 16 categories of posts within subordinate services. The most significant among these is the Sub-Inspector recruitment examination. The 2021 Sub-Inspector recruitment exam was marred by a paper leak, and serious questions were raised regarding the toppers, their interview performance, and the marking process. If the interview requirement is waived, the recruitment process could cover not only Sub-Inspectors but also posts such as Platoon Commander, Deputy Jailor, Tehsildar, and roles within departments like Devasthan, Cooperatives, Excise, Industries, Food & Supplies, Child Development, Social Justice, Minority Affairs, and Labour Welfare, as well as State Agricultural Marketing. Additionally, positions such as Assistant Professors, Librarians, PTIs, Junior Law Officers, and Legal Drafters in the College and Sanskrit Education departments could be included.

Will the recruitment for Subordinate Service posts be separated from that of the RAS and State Services?

If the mandatory interview requirement is abolished for recruitment to posts with a grade pay of up to ₹4,200, a question arises regarding the recruitment process for positions like Tehsildar and roles in departments such as Excise, Cooperatives, and Commercial Taxes. Currently, the RPSC selects candidates for posts including Tehsildar, Naib Tehsildar, and various positions in the Excise and other departments through the State Subordinate Services recruitment examination.

In terms of grade pay, many posts up to the ₹3,600 grade are filled based on merit determined by both written examinations and interviews under the State Services recruitment framework. At present, interviews are mandatory for both State Services and Subordinate Services recruitment examinations. Consequently, the question arises: would it be feasible to introduce a provision to eliminate interviews for only specific posts?

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