According to Regulation 12 of the new regulations, the previously existing system of open and internal competition for positions at levels 5, 7, and 9 of the RSS has been removed.
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Employees have protested against the Service Conditions Regulations, 2082, implemented in the National News Agency (NNA), saying that making performance evaluation the sole basis for the recruitment process will weaken the institutional merit system and reduce opportunities for the most qualified individuals.
According to Regulation 12 of the new regulations, the system of open and internal competition that existed earlier in the posts of levels 5, 7 and 9 of the RSS has been removed. Now, there is a provision to fill these posts only through performance evaluation, due to which dissatisfaction has been seen in the employee circle.
The previously applicable National News Committee (Employee Service, Conditions) Regulations, 2056 BS, based the filling system on a balanced structure of open competition, internal competition and performance evaluation. However, the new regulations have removed this basic system of competition and made filling the posts completely evaluation-centered. Employees have said that the removal of open competition in the regulations risks limiting the entry and career development of 'qualified persons' with excellent abilities in the organization.
Concerned employees have drawn the attention of the administration and the chairman of the board of directors, demanding that the RSS Management, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and the Public Service Commission review Regulation 12 and maintain the established norms of public service, the spirit of equal opportunities in the constitution, and the consistency of the civil service.
RSS General Manager Sandeep Rai said that the employee recruitment was established in consultation with the organizational structure of the organization and the Public Service Commission. He informed that the provision for recruitment based on the organizational structure is included in the bylaws. Stating that there is a provision for applications to be submitted to the board of directors in cases where employees are affected after the issuance of the bylaws, Rai said that the board also has the right to decide on those applications.
He said, "Some employees have been dissatisfied with the recruitment of employees established in the bylaws." The employees have drawn the attention of the board, and the board will take some time as per the process to finalize this issue.' Rai claimed that the regulations were brought in a fair manner keeping in mind the rights and interests of the employees and career development.
Public Service Commission spokesperson Purushottam Sharma informed that the organization has established the assistant, officer and deputy secretary levels as entry levels. According to him, the provisions in the regulations have been made that 100 percent of the posts in the assistant level (fourth level) in the RSAS will be filled through open competition and the same employees will be promoted to the fifth level.
Similarly, in the sixth level (officer), 70 percent of the posts will be filled through open competition, 20 percent on the basis of efficiency and 10 percent through internal competitive examinations. He said that the sixth level is considered the entry level of the officer and the same employees will be promoted to the seventh level. Sharma informed that arrangements have been made to fill 10 percent of the posts through open competition as the entry level in the eighth level (deputy secretary).
He informed that the regulations are being revised in various organizational institutions as the system of open and internal competition at every level is obstructing the career development of employees and increasing expenses. He said, "Since there is distortion in the civil service due to open competition at the upper levels, it has been revised in the organizational institutions and accordingly, the posts of employees have been revised in the RS."
