Expected Pattern of CSAT

A top government official said UPSC chairman Professor D.P. Agrawal has constituted a high-powered committee – under former University Grants Commission vice-chairman Professor S.K. Khanna – to work out the details of the two papers. “The committee has been given time till April-end. Then the UPSC will discuss its recommendations with the government and finalise the content of the paper,” the official said.
Referring to introduction of CSAT, an official said: “The new system will also provide a level-playing field and equity, since all candidates will have to attempt common papers unlike the current format which provides for only one common paper.
Accordingly, the candidates will have to appear in two objective-type papers having special emphasis on testing their “aptitude for civil services” as well as on “ethical and moral dimension of decision-making” under a Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT). Both these papers — “having equal weightage” — will be “common to all candidates.”
At present the prelims consist of two papers: the first is on general studies and common to all; candidates can then choose the second paper from a list of two dozen-odd subjects. But now it is the second paper that will undergo a major change.
In Conclusion
– There shall be two objective type-papers carrying equal marks unlike present, in which General-Studies paper carries 150 marks and optional paper carries 300 marks. So now, it shall be like two papers carrying 150 marks each.
- Therefore, instead of one compulsory paper of General-Studies and one Optional paper, both the papers shall be compulsories.
- Therefore, both the papers will be common to all candidates and the UPSC gets rid of current scaling system which was challenged on one ground or other. The matter has been pending in Supreme Court for long. So now even the court also need not deliver her verdict on the matter. The problem of scaling is over and now no candidate will take any undue advantage over others because of particular optional of his or her choice.
- The compulsory paper other than General-Studies, will test “aptitude for civil services”. It means testing the ability of decision making without compromising with moral and ethical values. Therefore it is ability of value based decision making instead of taking just facts based decision. It will reflect the candidates ability to analyse than ability to memorise.
More clearly, it will be the test to sideline bookish candidates. The decision making ability or ability to analyse may be mostly judged from the topics of Public Administration. The moral and ethical aspects, of decision making may be judged from psychological parts like Motivation, Conflict-management, Administrative behaviour, Human behaviour, Psychology of individual as well as Social-psychology to understand crowd behaviour, Management by objectives and so on.
Altogether, the second objective paper may clubbed form of Pulic Administration, Psychology, Sociology, different economic situation, geographical conditions and technologies needed in the areas of security, intelligence, law and order, Revenue in regulating and controlling administration. It is to ensure result oriented civil servants rather than efforts oriented. The profile of this paper, as hinted by the UPSC, will be a very good blend of Public Administration, Psychology, Sociology, Information and Communication Technology, Economy, International deals and Diplomacy.