Is IBPS Moving Towards Counseling Structure?

IBPS conducted the first common IBPS Clerk exam in 2011 and declared its result in 2012. However, the way IBPS and the banks conducted the recruitment process during 2012 hasn’t satisfied the candidates as well as the process failed to fulfill the required number of seats leading to frustration among the candidates and multiple waiting lists by banks.

The top three issues which kept on haunting the entire process of IBPS Clerk-1 during 2012 were –

1. Absence of Common Interview – Candidates need to apply to each and every bank separately for interviews which negated the sole reason for which IBPS started the common exam in the first place. This process was not only costly but also kind of unfair as majority of the applicants never got the interview calls from banks. Taking the average cost of application as Rs.100, this required candidates to spent almost Rs.2000 to apply in all banks.

2. Multiple Selections – While there were 5.31 Lakh successful candidates with valid score cards after IBPS Clerk-1, actual benefit of the common exam were reaped by only the few – the top scoring candidates of the common written exam. While we can’t blame the toppers for this – but the process has led to multiple selections of these top rankers both in terms of interview calls as well as final selection. Majority of well educated and even good score holders kept on waiting for even a single interview call as well as the final selection.

3. Relaxed Eligibility – While Clerk CWE in 2011 allowed even 10th passed candidate to apply and clear the written examination, no banks were interested in these candidates (who are only 10th pass) as the banks have a large pool of better educated people to pick on. This has led to unnecessary wastage of resources as well as led to frustration among such candidates who kept on wasting money on interview calls with no positive results.

IBPS has taken several steps to resolve the above issues in IBPS Clerk-2.
Some of the steps taken by IBPS are –

1. Common Interview – IBPS will conduct common interview for all the qualified candidates of written examination. Thus, all passed candidates will get to appear in the exam [Not sure if there will be any additional fees for this single interview but candidates now need not to apply to each bank and pay interview fees]. This will, to an extent, reduce the amount of money spent by each applicant. This will truly turn IBPS recruitment process into common recruitment process.

2. One Candidate – One Job – To resolve the issue of multiple selection, IBPS is going to provide the merit list of candidates based on the total scores [of both written exam and interviews]. The candidates will then provide their preferences of the banks to IBPS and IBPS based on the merit, candidate’s preference, banks’ requirements will allot only one offer to the candidate through computerized system leading to a counseling like structure followed generally during various entrance examinations like Engineering, Medical etc.

However, there are still some challenges for IBPS and the banks in this process as well, such as –

• Would all the banks be able to declare all the requirements before the allotment through computerized system?
• What will happen if a bank wants to hire in the middle of the year? Do they have to wait for the entire year?
• On what basis, would candidates make the preference list? Would each bank declare the remuneration, benefits, joining date, probation period, etc. before the allotment?

Such questions need to be resolved by IBPS and banks together.

3. Eligibility criteria has been raised to graduation for clerks – Govt. has raised the eligibility criteria for bank clerks to graduation which has automatically reduced the number of candidates who appeared for clerk-2 written exam and the qualified list is expected to be way lower than the last year (when 5.31L candidates qualified IBPS Clerk-1).

We at banks-india.com think that IBPS is moving in the right direction, however, many of things are still not clear and execution of these policies will play a major role in the success of the IBPS clerk-2 recruitment process. Also, IBPS is conducting common interviews for bank PO. Let’s see how they will conduct the allotment in case of the PO.

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