Gender effects in public services: due to changing trends in SSC CGL female enrolment and success rates over the last decade

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The civil machinery of India, too, is undergoing a slow evolution. The number of applications received from women for the Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level (SSC CGL) exam is phenomenal. For years, recruitment to such coveted central posts was male-dominated. Low recruitment of women to enforcement-oriented field posts like Inspection of Excise/ Income Tax is because these are physically oriented jobs. Recent statistics of the last decade, however, suggest a change in that trend. Women are now applying in record numbers and are also reaching the final appointments in core administrative positions.

High schools, colleges, and other educational institutions have so far maintained a manner that has yielded a success rate of less than 25% for female applicants, but nowadays, a large number of girls are manifesting an interest in coming together for academic positions and going into the education profession. Female applicants now have a ratio of about 32% of the total number. Several incentives may be offered to this group, such as a full or partial fee scholarship. The main incentive is the promise of full fee remission in case of CSS, wherein the post of ASO is a desk job having more stability, assured working hours, and a sound welfare policy like Child Care Leave. This situation has increased the attractiveness of these female applicants, especially from rural and poor classes.

In addition to increased enrollment, high representation of final merit lists shows the success of women, nearly 29% of all students selected from the final merit lists, while women apply for nearly a third of the seats. This gives insight into the performance efficiency of women, indicating that their participation translated into success nearly directly. At the macro level, studies show that conversion of females from Tier-II to the final allocation list is remarkably above average. This is attributed to women’s higher success rate in accuracy in filling the linguistic and comprehension modules of the exam and the tremendous determination in their preparation strategy.

At the same time, the new changes to the structure of the examination pattern (implementing a strict sectional timer for both Tier-I and Tier-II) have helped boost those thorough preparation strategies even faster. Yes, despite the need for more balanced ‘girl representation’ in tough field postings, female leadership under the modern SSC CGL scenario is normalizing perfectly well for India’s central administration, thanks to institutional backing and evolving assessment structures.

✍️Ujjawal

Scholar from University of Delhi, INDIA