The Indian Express                     28.03.2013

Only 22 clear BMC exam for engineers’ posts

Of the 13,000-odd applicants who sat for the written test for 400 vacancies of engineers at BMC, only 22 have passed. The recruitment examination not only tested the applicant's technical knowledge, but also mental ability and general knowledge.

This is the first time BMC conducted an online entrance exam for screening applicants for engineering posts and 17,000 applied.

"The pass percentage was kept at 50, but few candidates could clear that level. Most of them showed good skills in technical knowhow but lagged behind in mental ability, logical reasoning and GK," said a senior civic official. The administration is now lowering the pass percentage to 35, a senior civic official said.

"We will have to select the best 400 candidates. There is an urgent need for 400 candidates at present and we will add another 300 engineers to the current strength in a year," said J V Patgaonkar, city engineer department. These posts include sub-engineers and junior engineers in categories such as civil, mechanical and architects for crucial civic departments like roads, solid waste management, water supply and sewerage.

BMC, having had a poor experience in the past regarding performance of BMC engineers, had made the selection process for junior and executive engineers more stringent from this year. "There is a general notion that BMC engineers lack quality, which reflects in the service projects. BMC has earlier recruited engineers based just on their qualification and walk-in interviews. Most engineers who qualify are from other districts, which have a different examination system. It is easier to get higher marks at such places compared to the Mumbai University," said Rahul Shewale, Standing Committee chairman and Shiv Sena corporator.

Senior officials admit that the engineers recruited over the past few years did not match up to the standards of the civic administration. "Mostly, these recruits are from outside the city and do not have much knowledge about the civic and infrastructure related issues in Mumbai. In short, they aren't capable enough to work at the ground level," said a senior civic official.