Tibetan Public Service Commission to Act on Inquiry Report of Special Committee
Dharamshala, 2 August 2005– Respecting the autonomous status of the Tibetan Public Service Commission (PSC), a joint sitting of the Assembly of the Tibetan People’s Deputies (ATPD) and the Kashag yesterday afternoon decided that the PSC is independent to follow whatever course of actions it deems necessary based on the findings and recommendations of a special committee on the alleged leakage of questions papers during one of the recent Tibetan civil service exams.
After an intensive 15-day long probe into the disputed examination for the post of Under Secretary (the top fifth in the 11 ranks of Tibetan civil servants) conducted on 11 and 13 June, the five-member special committee headed by Chithue Karma Choephel submitted its report to both the ATPD and the Kashag last Saturday, 30 July.
The alleged mishap came to the fore soon after 112 candidates appeared in the PSC’s oral and written examination for the post of Under Secretary when some Tibetan media reported possible leakage of the interview questions, citing anonymous individual candidates claiming some examinees knew the questions in advance and the use of mobile phones by the candidates during the exams.
However, no reports of leakage have emerged with regard to other PSC examinations for the posts of Joint Secretary, Section Officer, Office Superintendent and Junior Clerk, which were also conducted in tandem with the Under Secretary.
Even though there was no conclusive evidence then to support the unprecedented accusations, the first since its inception in 1992, the PSC nonetheless took the matter seriously and voluntarily requested the ATPD and the Kashag to probe into the matter.
Thus, a special committee, comprising three ATPD members (Karma Choephel, Yungdung Gyaltsen and Gyarong Dawa Tsering) and two secretaries of the Central Tibetan Administration (D.N. Choedak and Tashi Norbu), was jointly formed by the ATPD and the Kashag.
The committee conducted an intensive investigation from 15-30 July by interviewing a whole lot of people, including individual candidates, staff related to the conduct of examination and the media people.
Although refusing to divulge any of the findings, Chithue Karma Choephel told TibetNet that their investigation has been “very satisfactory”.
Speaking to TibetNet, Chithue Gyarong Dawa Tsering also reiterated that the investigation had been fair and just.
“I hope the PSC will put to action our recommendations,” he added.
It is believed that the board members of the PSC will soon meet to study the report of the special committee, a copy of which will be sent to them, and decide on its actions within a week.
The Public Service Commission (PSC) was instituted on 11 February 1992 with the promulgation of the Charter for Tibetan refugee community in exile in June 1991. The Public Service Commission is the successor or the erstwhile Department of Personnel, which was set up in 1973. With the promulgation of the Charter, the nature, scope and power of the erstwhile department has undergone major changes and the Commission was entitled with the following broadly defined functions and responsibilities.
- Recruitment and appointment of all the CTA staff
- All promotion related matters
- Training for in-service staff and new recruits
- Retirement related matters
- Handling of disputes related to staff grievances
- Framing of conduct rules in connection with these functions
The Chairman and members of Public Service Commission are directly appointed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama for a term of five years.
