Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh on Friday announced that recruitment exams are now being conducted in 13 regional languages, marking a significant expansion from the earlier practice of offering them only in Hindi and English before 2014.

Chairing a high-level review meeting at the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) in North Block, Dr. Singh highlighted the government’s ongoing efforts to streamline the recruitment process and improve governance through technology-driven reforms.

The Minister said that the average recruitment cycle time has been reduced from 15 months to eight months, with plans to further shorten it in the near future.

Singh also referred to the recently notified Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, aimed at curbing malpractices in recruitment exams. He directed officials to establish clear standards and guidelines for conducting computer-based tests to ensure a level playing field for all candidates.

Additionally, the Minister instructed the creation of a ‘Single Job Application Portal’ to simplify the application process for job seekers and reduce the need to apply across multiple platforms.

Providing an update on Mission Karmayogi, the government’s capacity-building initiative, Singh informed that nearly 89 lakh Karmayogis have been onboarded to date. He underscored the importance of continuous skill development and enhancing workplace efficiency among government employees.

The Minister also emphasized the need for process re-engineering to revise recruitment rules and policies. He urged officials to adopt inclusive and equitable personnel policies, leveraging technology to promote transparency and accountability.

Highlighting the government’s focus on digitalization, Singh cited the successful implementation of AI-enabled systems such as CPGRAMS 2.0 for grievance redressal. He recalled that during the COVID-19 pandemic, 70-80% of government work was carried out online, crediting the Digital India Mission launched in 2015 for enabling the shift.