Kathmandu- The Public Service Commission (PSC) has postponed the written examinations for the post of Undersecretary (Gazetted Second Class, Non-Technical), which were scheduled to begin from Magh 10, 2082. The decision was taken in response to a formal request from the Election Commission, citing the heavy deployment of civil servants for the upcoming House of Representatives election on Falgun 21.
In a notice issued on Thursday, the PSC announced that all examination programmes under Advertisement No. 16664–16691/082–83 have been deferred. The postponement applies to internal competition, open, and inclusive examinations for Gazetted Second Class or equivalent posts in the Justice Service, Administration Service, Audit Service, and Federal Parliament Service.
According to the PSC, the Election Commission had formally communicated that a large number of eligible candidates—particularly branch officers—would be engaged in election-related duties, leaving them insufficient time to prepare for the examinations. The Election Commission urged that employees assigned to election work should not be disadvantaged academically due to official responsibilities.
Earlier, as per the PSC’s annual calendar, the examinations were scheduled to run from Magh 10 to Magh 28, 2082, across 10 centres in the Kathmandu Valley. However, the overlap between the election schedule and the examination dates created operational and ethical concerns.
Sources within the PSC said there was significant internal deliberation before the decision was finalized, as postponing one major examination could disrupt the commission’s entire annual examination calendar. After weighing both the election management needs and the interests of thousands of examinees, a meeting chaired by PSC Chief Commissioner Madhav Prasad Regmi decided to defer the examinations.
With the postponement, the Election Commission is now expected to have adequate human resources to manage polling, logistics, and administrative responsibilities for the election.
Meanwhile, the PSC clarified that the process related to the Joint Secretary-level examination remains unaffected. The results of the written examination for Joint Secretary, published on Poush 14, will stand, and interviews as well as subject presentations of the 15 shortlisted candidates will proceed from the first week of Magh 2082 as scheduled.
The commission has not yet announced a new date for the postponed Undersecretary-level examinations.
