As in the past, 80 percent of the candidates successful in passing exams and entering the civil service this year are Bahuns. Twenty percent of the positions are occupied by other castes. Altogether a variety of civil service posts totalling 7,339 were advertised for the fiscal year 2001/02. So far, 309 people have been recommended for appointment having passed the exams. Altogether, 6,678 men and 651women had applied for the posts. Of the 50,033 candidates initially screened, only 106 were really capable. The rest had negligible qualifications. Baburam Sapkota, spokesman of the Civil Service Commission, says that 60 percent of the people who enter the services are mediocre, and the rest are very capable. This year quite a few people from western Nepal applied, and altogether 781 people from the western region entered government service after passing the exams. The breakdown of the others who have passed the exam and entered the service is as follows: 576 people from the eastern region, 521 from the central region, 161 from the mid-western region and 91 from the far-west.
The exams for officer-level posts for fiscal 2001/02 have yet to take place. One hundred and twelve women will sit for the exam. The Ministry of Women, Children, and Social Welfare is organising special coaching classes in order to help more women enter the services, and more than 35 women are attending these free coaching classes. Bahuns don't dominate only the final exams of the civil services: during the pre-test for officer-level posts, Bahuns accounted for 78.24 percent, Chhetris totalled 14.86 percent, Newars were 2.89 percent of the total, dalits 0.8 percent, and the rest comprised the remaining 2.9 percent. In number terms this is 1669 Bahuns, 321 Chettris, 61 Newars, 14 dalits and 62 others. The final outcome is yet to be seen. A total of 12,812 candidates filled forms for the officer level posts; 11,962 sat for the pre-test, and only 2,133 candidates passed.