Bihar govt gives nod to alter civil service exam structure

The Bihar government today gave its nod to change the structure of the civil service examination conducted by Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC).
The cabinet approved General Administration Department's (GAD) proposal to amend the Bihar Civil Service (Executive Section) and Bihar Junior Civil Service (Recruitment) Rules 1951, Cabinet Secretariat Department's Principal Secretary Brajesh Mehrotra said.
Stating that preliminary examination would continue to be a 150 marks single paper for two hours, Mehrotra said the written examination would now be conducted for 900 marks against the earlier 1,200 marks in mains examination, while interview would of be 120 marks against the earlier 150 marks.

There would be no change in the examination pattern of General Hindi paper, which the candidates would have to write in three hours for 100 marks, he said, adding candidates would have to score at least 30 per cent of qualifying marks.
Against the existing pattern of appearing for two papers of two optional subjects with each paper of 200 marks, candidates would now have to write only one paper of one optional subject of 300 marks within three hours in the mains exam, Mehrotra said.
Apart from one optional paper of 300 marks, candidates would have to write two papers of general studies each carrying 300 marks, he said.

In another decision, the cabinet gave its nod to provide

piped drinking water to every household, one of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's ambitious "seven resolves".
Piped drinking water supply to every household would be implemented under the 'Mukhyamantri Grameen Payjal Nischay Yojana' and every gram panchayat would get Rs 1.66 crore for the purpose, Mehrotra said, adding the scheme would be implemented under the supervision of Panchayat ward members.
Public Health and Engineering Department (PHED) would implement 40 per cent of the project, while the remaining 60 per cent would be implemented by Panchayati Raj Department, Mehrotra said.
Of the total expenditure, 40 per cent would be spent from the fund received from 14th Finance Commission, 45 per cent from state's finance department and remaining 15 per cent would be state's plan expenditure, he said.

The cabinet sanctioned Rs 145.71 crore for distribution among farmers diesel subsidy for irrigation (to protect Kharif crops) and also to tide over any eventuality of monsoon/flood/drought in the 2016-17 fiscal, he said.
It also sanctioned Rs 24.28 crore for spending on Contingency Crop Scheme under which alternate crops would be cultivated in the event of scanty rainfall or drought, he said, adding a total of Rs 170 crore has been earmarked for both diesel subsidy and contingency crop plan.
Altogether 13 decisions were taken at the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.