CSS in Pakistan has an irresistible attraction for all the students because of the charm of the facilities and prestige that a bureaucrat has in this country. Economic conditions of Pakistan are continuously deteriorating; people do not get good jobs and because of that, most of the students after completing their bachelors start preparing for the CSS exams. The British also used to appoint civil servants in pre-partition period and at that time, it was known as Imperial Civil Service or Civil Services of British India. Later on, its title was changed to Central Superior Services and in Pakistan it was formally started in 1973. This is not only the most elite civil service in Pakistan but also the most dominating one.
The candidates who are selected after passing CSS exams are
appointed as officers of 17th grade. To qualify this exam is a not that easy
because a candidate has to undergo several strict screening procedures before
he finally makes it to the service. First of all the candidate has to pass out
the initial written exam, then a set of psychological tests and in the end he
or she has to go through panel interview. Its exams are taken in the month of
February or march every year. Defined age limit for a CSS candidate is from 21
years to 28 years. According to Federal government, 9000 to 10, 000 students
are enrolled for the test and out of those approximately 7,000 students appear
in first test. From those 7, 000 candidates, 300 to 1000 clear the written
tests. After going through rest of the tests, about 250 candidates are selected
who are then allocated to different parts of the country in different services.
CSS Groups:
- Pakistan Audit & Accounts Services
- Police Services of Pakistan
- District Management of Pakistan
- Income Tax Group
- Custom & Excise Group
- Foreign Services
- Postal Group
- Commerce and Trade Group
- Railway Group
- Information Group
- Office Management
- Military Lands and Cantonment
Common training program was introduced in 1973 that is arranged for the training of selected candidates in the Lahore Training Center. After getting the preliminary common training a test is taken which all the selected candidates have to clear before going for the specialized training program. The Pakistan Army, Air force And Navy have a 10% quota in the selection process and General Headquarters selects a captain or an officer of similar rank from the officer who apply for the change of career. Out of all the services District Management Group, Foreign Services of Pakistan and Police Services of Pakistan are considered to be the most worthiest groups of all because of the perks and privileges given to these people. In Pakistan, CSP’s are considered as a cream of the nation because of their remarkable intellect and capabilities.
It is mandatory that
the candidate must of have passed his/her graduation with at least second
division before he/she can apply for the candidacy in the exams. The list of
academic documents that need to be supplied with the application include copies
of Matriculation and Intermediate Certificates, Bachelors Degree from an HEC
recognized institute, four photographs, a character certificate issued by a 17
grade government officer or equivalent and a paid bank challan of 1500 rupees.
In spite of hours of studying, tough exams and trainings, people choose to go
for CSS because of several reasons that are following.
- Handsome pay package that starts from Rs. 25,000 and can go up to Rs. 60, 000 in certain departments
- Prestige and the authority of a CSP
- Social networking and public relations with higher authorities
- Upgraded living standards
Following is the list of those people who can apply for CSS till the age of 30.
- People who belong to the scheduled classes or areas of the country
- Candidates belonging to classes designated as minorities by the constitution
Candidates from Jammu Kashmir
