What is the cost of clerical mistakes? We are talking about civil service exams. The very image of civil service exams is based on performance. Ought we even to entertain such slipups?

But such things pass on. It has in the past. We are talking about lives and future of many a young nation builder. How do we explain these errors?

Civil service gets the most undue recognition – medals and so on. Walk into any government office and you will mostly likely find that the desk you’re directed to is empty. Ask around and most certainly no one will ever know. It is not for no reasons that we have lost faith in our esteemed civil servants. Still we continue to recognise them for the work they hardy do.

We are calling for change. Certainly this will invite so many questions. So be it.

Civil service examination was only in good days fair. Many will disagree, but look around and you will have some idea of what it is.

The real question is of choice. And who makes sure that the choice is of the nation?

We have had issues with preliminary exams today. Some are sadly politically motivated. If we are to award extraordinary civil servants with medals, service delivery has to be at the core of the game. Otherwise, our small private sector cannot take the weight of wry, light, and meaningless promises of the politicians. This is the truth.

Getting the right picture is urgently necessary.

There are also highly disciplined workers and contributors in the sectors outside of civil service. Encourage them and maybe this could be the game changer. But often we end up stratifying the society with honours and colours than trying to bring in people together. This is the true, hard narrative of changing Bhutan.

If this nation has to change, it should begin with the idea of the civil service. Keep it small and efficient, really. We have heard about it for quite a while now, as much as we have heard about the growth of the leading job-creating sector – the private sector.

When the best of our young minds do not go for civil service, that’s when the country has made a choice. We haven’t seen that yet. Do we resist or invite change? This is the question.

But the real question today is about utter uselessness of a system that begs for change. Can we make it fair, relevant, and meaningful?

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