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Govt casts net wide for its economic advisor

P Vaidyanathan Iyer

Do you read Rozgaar Samachar? If you don't, forget about ever becoming India's chief economic advisor.

The advertisement for the post appeared in the June 1-7 issue of the Employment News weekly. It generously offered to pay a second class railway mail fare by the shortest route to those candidates who were found competent to appear in the interview for the post that advises the government on how to manage the Rs 22000 billion-economy.

One of the prospective candidates actually said, "Perhaps the government is keen that the CEA is aware of the ground realities of the Indian economy." He couldn't but sigh at the "amazingly casual" advertisement that the Union Public Service Commission has placed in the weekly.

The pay package of the CEA, who is expected to be an eminent economist preferably possessing a doctorate in economics with a distinguished record of independent research and administrative experience is Rs 26,000 plus DA and other allowances, with total emoluments of about Rs 38,740 per month.

Besides Indian citizens, subjects of Nepal, Bhutan or a Tibetan refugee or a person of Indian origin from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Zambia, Ethiopia or East African countries too are eligible to apply.

And the candidate must be preferably below 50 years as on June 14, 2002.

Want to know more? On the prospects of promotion, the advertisement specifically mentions that there are none. Another prospective candidate remarked, "You are likened to the President of India. You are the first citizen. You can't hope to better your career prospects anymore."

If you are keen on applying, you can't just type your resume and send it across. Either you cut out the application form, which appears along with the advertisement in the Employment News, and use it in the original or type it neatly on a white paper of foolscap size.

But wait, the columns need to be filled in your own handwriting. "And I thought a neatly type-written form will save the UPSC of lot of hassles," said a distinguished economist who is in the fray. "May be, there are handwriting experts to help shortlist the candidates to be called for the interview," he quipped.

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