Do away with interview system for junior level recruitment: Narendra Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday suggested states and his cabinet colleagues do away with the practice of holding interviews for recruitment at junior levels saying this system breeds corruption. In his Independence day address from the Red Fort, Modi called upon concerned departments to end this practice at the earliest and stressed recruitment only through transparent, online processes.

"One of the areas of corruption is recruitment. Even the poorest of the poor wants that his son should get a job," Modi said lamenting that many lose out due to corruption in the process of interviews.

"I urge upon state governments and my colleagues in the government that as far as possible we should end the practice of holding interviews for small jobs. We should recruit on the basis of merit. The will help the poor get rid of this kind of corruption and we should strive to work in this direction. This is my request," he said.

The Prime Minister said he had seen that when a youth gets an interview call, he often looks for a 'sifarish' (recommendation). Even poor widows are compelled to look for recommendations for interviews of their children, he added.

Modi said that he had seen people from Nagaland, Mizoram going to Mumbai just for an interview. "This menace has to be stopped," he asserted.

"I have not yet seen a psychiatrist who can assess a person in a two-minute interview," Modi said as he pitched for doing away with holding interviews for small jobs.

"Is it important for those seeking small jobs to face interviews? Can a job not be given without an interview on the basis of his or her online marksheet?" he said.

The Prime Minister suggested that in jobs where physical test was required or top-level jobs jobs where personality or appearance are important, there can be a different system.