PANAJI
After a hiatus of 25 years, the long-awaited vacancies for Deputy Superintendents of Police in Goa were cancelled on Friday even as 62 candidates had reached the third level of the recruitment process.
The public notice, issued by the Goa Public Service Commission, announced putting an end to the direct recruitment process that began over six months when the advertisement was issued in August 2023. This was followed by pre-screening and screening examinations held in October and November 2023 respectively.
The announcement follows the Goa government's two-month-old decision to stop the recruitment and submission in the High Court of Bombay at Goa that it was changing the recruitment rules wherein these vacancies would be filled up through the revised rules.
“The GPSC is in receipt of communication dated November 24, 2023 and December 12, 2023 from Under Secretary (Personnel-II) Personnel Department, Government of Goa informing that the government has taken a decision to stop the recruitment process for the post of Junior Scale Officer (Deputy Superintendent of Police). In view of the communication received, the recruitment process initiated by GPSC is hereby cancelled,” the notice states.
This development coincides with the voluntary retirement of GPSC Chairman Jose Manuel Noronha, raising questions about the underlying reasons behind the abrupt termination of the recruitment process.
The GPSC on August 25 advertised the 28 posts, of which, 14 were in the unreserved category, eight for OBC, four for ST, and two for EWS.
Unlike Junior Scale Officers in the Goa Civil Service, the age limit for DySPs was 30 years in the unreserved category while all candidates had to undergo and pass the physical fitness test as mandated in the Goa Police Rules 2022.
As many as 2,500 aspirants had applied for the positions. A total of 90 cleared the pre-screening of whom 62 passed the second round. Their fitness test was also scheduled which included 100 meters and 800 meters running, high jump, long jump, and shot put throw, until the order.
