“Our superiors tell us that we are trained to become administrators and planners, irrespective of our academic background,” said a Sherubtse alumnus working in the national assembly. “But is the short duration of training enough? Wouldn’t we be more efficiently and productively employed if we are given responsibilities in line with our qualification?”

The secretary of the department of employment and labour, Pema Wangda, told Kuensel that the government in the past did not have the luxury of choice and had to recruit people with all kinds of academic backgrounds.

He, however, said that it is not necessary to be a B.A or a B.Sc to do a certain job. “Take the Indian Administrative Service for example - doctors, engineers, and sometimes, even scientists become civil servants.”

Pema Wangda, who joined the civil service with a B.Sc degree in 1982, said that what is essentially required to fare well in the civil service are managerial, planning, analytical and communication skills.

“My academic background has never been a handicap in my career,” he told Kuensel adding that it in fact enhanced his analytical capabilities and helped him reach where he is today.

The deputy secretary of the RCSC, Sonam Phuntsho, said that as long as one is not a “mediocre performer” and had the basic qualities of leadership, it would be easy to succeed in the civil service. “Being a merit-based system, anyone who performs well would be rewarded and derive satisfaction.”

He said that as a civil servant one’s skills to get around difficult situations are challenged and put to the test. “Personally, I feel this is what makes being a civil servant so exciting.”